“For lasting impact you need people who are determined and a place where they can do it.  When you find osmeone passionate about helping those in their own country and who wants to teach, you can go so far.  You need someone with the heart to do something about the need – that’s something many of these surgeons have.  I am very optimistic.”- quote from our Chief Medical Officer and fellow crew member, Dr. Gary Parker referring to Guinea.

Dr. Joseph Donamou, Anesthesia mentoring participant, shared: “I am hoping to learn more about organization in the operating room so that I can better care for the sick here in Guinea.  I want to create a school to teach people safe anesthesia which will be the first of its kind.  I am very excited to be a part of this.”  At the start of the field service, Mercy Ships was asked to help with training as they open a nurse anesthesia training program and so they learned techniques and principles but also how to teach and train others – which is a subject in many of our training projects so that they continue even when we have left the country.  Here are our statistics on Mentoring – individualized training and also recognized courses held in Conakry and elsewhere in the country as the training team travelled.  

Mercy Ministries:  I was in Guinea for the field service in 2012/2013.  When we came again for our fourth visit, we were able to re-engage with a few Mercy Ministries partners and to add new ones.  Lere, Salo and David facilitated 167 visits and reached over 3,000 people while sharing Bible stories using Simple the Story, craft time, games, and loving on young and old alike.  Singing right away begins with the Mercy Ministries’ anthem “Hold somebody, tell him/her that you love him/her, put your hands together and praise the Lord”, using “Oh! Oh! Ah! Ah! Uh! Uh! After this was the popular “Bambelela Time” with the “Bambelela Ku Jesu Bambelela!” a Zulu song (Meaning: Hold on to Jesus!). Again as at previous HOPE Centers, the team ended up being called “Bambelela” by all the kids and adult patients and caregivers!  I would even hear patients singing the same song while in the wards from my cabin, up by one deck.

Prayer Requests:
*  Health and safety for all of our crew traveling and safety and protection while in the shipyard while many important repairs and maintenance take place – we are currently high and dry – stair tower is 84 steps to get to deck 5.  
*  Our preparations for the next field service in Senegal – customs, immigration, patient selection process (the team is on the road to the 13 interior regions doing assessment) and the selection of the right day crew to serve with us – so thankful for the day crew of the past and believing for great ones in Senegal.  

As we approach the end of our fourth mission (my second) to Guinea, it is a time of giving thanks to God and to:

• 2,230 unique surgical patients who received 2,442 specialized surgeries – see graph
• 7,937 unique dental patients who received over 41,000 procedures
• 33 palliative care patients – adults and children
• 30 clubfoot patients – babies and children

and their caregivers, family and friends who have walked through the healing process with them.

For the surgical patients, 21% were children and 79% adults and 55% men and 45% women. As you see in the above graphic, only 66% of the surgical patients came from the port city – Conakry, the rest were from the interior or neighboring nations as we do seek out the forgotten and often they are in the interior. Together bringing hope and healing.

Yes I work with our planning, budgets, tracking expenses, travel, reports – narrative and statistics – though I don’t see a number but I remember the patients who have become my friends: Oumar, Drissa, Mamadou, Keita, Thierno, Abou, Hannah, Moses, Leno, Daouda, Alpha, Amara and many more during the past ten months. Some of them I am still in contact with as they have gone home (Messenger, WhatsApp, text) and with others that is not possible.

Later this month, I share an update on Medical Capacity Building and Mercy Ministries.

Prayer Requests:

• Health and safety for all of our crew traveling and safety and protection while in the shipyard while many important repairs and maintenance take place.
• Our preparations for the next field service in Senegal – customs, immigration, patient selection process and the selection of the right day crew to serve with us.

Keith