Dr. Tertius Venter

Filed in Awe2, Humanity by phatrat on March 27, 2015 • views: 4563

Dr. Tertius Venter

Dr Venter is one of Operation Smile’s long standing plastic surgeons. He will be embarking on two cycle tours- one that began today in Pretoria and will end in CPT on 4 April 2015. The SA route Pretoria- Bloem – Cradock – Graaf Rienet – Willow Wall – Oudtshoorn – Robertson – Worcester and to Cape Town. He will be arriving in Cape Town on Saturday 4th April.

I am a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who trained at the universities of Pretoria and of Cape Town in South Africa and was in a private surgical practice for 16 years.I have been in fulltime mission work since 2006 and in a variety of different ministries and had funded my work by working with The Harley Medical Group in Ireland since 2004 up to April 2012 as a cosmetic surgeon for 60-90 days per year.

	Website	http://cyclemilesforsmiles.org/
	Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/tertius.venter
	Profile	http://www.givengain.com/cause/5483/team/9808/
	GivenGain	http://www.givengain.com/activist/136404/projects/10243/

During his cycle he hopes to:

To speak to young and old, to motivate people to get involved, for them to know that the horizons of one’s future is much wider than one could ever imagine if you would dare to start walking.
To raise awareness of the need of the poor that shares our world and specifically the surgical needs worldwide as defined by the WHO.
To raise awareness of organizations such as Mercy Ships Intentional, Operation Smile and PAACS and what they do to alleviate these needs.
To raise funds for this work.

The second is 8000km cycle over two months in the shape of two smiles in the USA.He is doing these cycle tours to raise awareness about Operation Smile and the Mercy Ships and the work he does for both organisations. He will be doing talks along the ways at hospitals, schools, church groups, Rotary Clubs, schools, businesses etc.

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Cape Town International Airport this morning about to fly to Johannesburg and I thought we’ll be on a huge plane consuming tons of fuel over the next 2 hours of flying. And to get back to Cape Town, well only what I have in my bag – my bike, and my two legs to cover the almost 2000 km over 12 days. Thanks to Jan and Trudi joining me, Mercy Ships Southern Africa for sponsoring and supporting us and Operation Smile South Africa supporting us on this venture to raise funds to serve people who desperately need surgery worldwide!

Since May 2012 I do voluntary work fulltime and work with:
1. Mercy Ships International on the hospital ship M/V Africa Mercy on the West Coast of Africa – part time since 2000. This work involves free surgeries to the people in the poorest of the poor nations as well as training of surgeons in the unique circumstances and advanced diseases seen in thrid world countries were medical care are not available to the majority of the population.2. PAACS, the Pan Africa Academy for Christians Surgeons training surgeons in Africa for Africa part time since 20083. Operation Smile doing free cleft lip and palate repair surgeries worlwide part time since 20114. Vredendal Hospital on the west coast of South Africa serving the local community with free reconstructive essential surgery since 20105. A result of my years working in Africa I am often asked by email and often with pictures attached photographs on advice for specific management of problems which I feel privileged to respond to.6. Mercy Vision. A project of Mercy Ships Southern Africa restroing sight to the blind at Zithulele Hospital, Eastern Cape, South Africa.7. Ministry in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in the Red Light District since 20078. Board member Mercy Ships Southern Africa since 2006

It all started in February 2000 with a visit to the M/V Anastasis, a hospital ship run by the organization Mercy Ships International. During this first visit my life was radically changed when I was touched by the desperate need of the poor and the love of God.
Since 2000 I have been serving for periods of 2 -12 weeks every year with Mercy Ships that offer free surgeries to the poorest of the poor in West Africa. The M/V Anastasis was replaced with a new hospital ship the M/V Africa Mercy, the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world, in June 2007. (www.mercyships.org).
During the years 2000 to 2003 I felt a clear Call to expand on his activities and not only to serve the poor but also to people caught up in prostitution and people entangled by today’s life with its confusing concepts on ethics, moral values, and particularly spiritual values and the misconceptions about religion and the reality of God.

I gave up my private plastic and reconstructive surgical practice in early 2006 and was up to recently spending approximately 3-4 months of the year in Africa with Mercy Ships and with PAACS (www.paacs.net). The Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS) is an American based organization that trains surgeons in Africa for Africa. A further three months of the year is spent in The Netherlands with a ministry telling prostitutes about the love of God for them. For two to three months per year I worked in Europe doing cosmetic surgery to fund my activities but have now clearly felt led to also stop and not pursue this career any longer. I could not get any further medical indemnity cover as a ‘fly in, fly out’ surgeon but only as a fulltime surgeon being resident in the United Kingdom or Ireland. God made it clear in my heart that I should follow my Call and I will now work without any income and spend the time that I have been spending as cosmetic surgeon rather in Africa treating the poor and training surgeons for service in Africa.

Every now and then you meet exceptional people. Tertius Venter is one of them. Tertius performs surgeries similar to this on Mercy Ships.