Dear Family and Friends around the world,

Greetings from the Mercy Ships International Support Center in rural East Texas.  

So can you find me in the below photo?

No stress, I am the third one back on the hose team.

You may ask why are you dressed as a firefighter and what are you doing in a field in Texas? 

Part of our training for long term crew on board one of our ships encourages that they have completed ‘Basic Training’ which is offered by Marine Training here in Texas which is approved by the US Coast Guard and satisfies the Standard of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping which contains: 
**basic fight fighting with fire prevention, how to fight a fire, safety equipment with lecture and tests, and practical assessment   **elementary first aid with CPR  **personal survival sea techniques  **personal safety and social responsibility  **security awareness and crowd control. 
I am thankful for the training and having all my certificates current once again.

Back in the office, I have been able to finalize some of our past statistical reports including our direct beneficiaries which we have tracked since 1987 to current and it is over 2.84 million – these include and related to: surgical and dental patients, medical consultations for screening and past community clinics, training participants, basic oral health instruction, and spiritual services from Mercy Ministries, Outreach Teams and Hospital Chaplaincy.  I have had the privilege to be a part of Mercy Ships since 1989 so have experienced much of these activities on the ships where I served – Good Samaritan, Anastasis, Caribbean Mercy, and Africa Mercy.  May we continue to follow the 2,000-year-old model of Jesus, bringing hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor.

Africa Mercy is still undergoing inspections and repairs while still in the water at a berth on the Canary Island of Tenerife.  The crew numbers are low as many have been able to return home including friends who were able to return to Ghana as that is now possible. 

Back here in Texas, I was able to join others here to assist a dear family who I have known for over 20 years to get their son situated at a university in Dallas.  It was the highlight of my month.  

COMING SOON – we will have some new news about the Global Mercy coming out in October – so please watch social media and I will share more in my next KRB Update.

Prayers:  Plans to return to Africa, health and safety for all involved in this COVID season and its impact on us physically and economically, wisdom and guidance for our leaders.  

Serving Together,

Keith