Mercy Ships in Garden Valley, Texas, has announced a $2 million grant from the Rees-Jones Foundation in support of construction of a new hospital ship.

The new ship is expected to more than double the capacity of Mercy Ships to deliver free, world-class health care to countries in the developing world. In 2008, the foundation awarded $2 million to Mercy Ships to finish and launch its Mercy Africa, the world's largest civilian hospital ship.

"It is tragic to think that even the most basic medical care could be viewed as a luxury by the world's poor. Mercy Ships addresses this problem, transcending borders to provide medical care to those most in need in the countries along the coast of West Africa," said Trevor Rees-Jones, who established the Rees-Jones Foundation in 2006 with his wife, Jan. "Our hope is that those served will experience the love of Christ and receive relief from their suffering, encouragement from the dedicated staff of Mercy Ships, and improvement in their quality of life."