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While docked in Jacksonville, Florida, the M/V Caribbean Mercy has its lifeboats tested.

The vessel, belonging to the global Christian charity, Mercy Ships (www.mercyships.org), helps bring hope and healing to more than 460,000 people in dire need each year.

The Caribbean Mercy, which serves the Caribbean basin, is the smallest hospital ship in the fleet of three. Only day surgeries are performed onboard as there is no space for a post-operative ward. People who've never seen a doctor before a Mercy Ship visit have cataracts extracted, strabismus corrected, and pterygiums removed.

Besides providing eye, dental, and orthopaedic care onboard the ship, in dockside units, and in nearby hospitals, the international crew also educates people about how to take care of their own health needs. They train physicians to perform surgeries and provide primary care. To community members, they teach the importance of proper hygiene in the prevention of disease. Each month the ship is in a developing country, $1 million in medical services are offered free-of-charge.

Mercy Ships volunteers also help communities obtain the materials and skills to drill wells and build latrines. They facilitate the construction of bridges, medical clinics, and churches.