Tresor, whose name in English means ‘Treasure’ is a five year boy from Littoral Region of Cameroon – he is in the photo where Dr. Woody is conducting his final eye exam and I am watching from behind.  Tresor received his sight during surgery in January here on board when both of his cataracts were removed – sight restored!!!  I had the privilege to join with the Eye Team and others for a special Celebration of Sight which took place at the final appointment at six weeks for the children and their families.  I had seen photos and heard part of Tresor’s story, but on this day, I learned more.  I spoke with his mother who now has him enrolled in school – the pink shirt is his uniform – she is so thankful for the life-changing surgery for her son.  He is full personality especially when wearing his new sunglasses.  We heard four other parents share their experiences with us.  Dr. Glenn spoke at the celebration that these children have been given ‘a lifetime of sight’.  Earlier in the month, we prepared individualized gift bags for them along with a copy of God’s word for their family to read to them and for them when they are older.

Holy Week is always a meaningful season here on the Africa Mercy in our Community of Faith.  The events of Holy Week include:  ‘Simply Easter’ – our Academy’s Play with song, dance, sign language, and readings; Foot Washing / Communion in the Upper Room / Garden of Gethsemane for prayer and reflection; on Good Friday – Tenebrae – a service of Shadows which was last night with songs, sounds and scripture readings to help us to identify with the sufferings of Jesus – Shadows of Betrayal, Denial, Anguish, Treachery, Hypocrisy, Humiliation and Rejection, Crucifixion and the final Shadow of Death and Burial.  Tenebrae (from the Latin for Shadows) is a prolonged meditation on the passion and death of Jesus.  As candles are extinguished, the power of shadow and silence suggest the darkness of this unprecedented day and the final clashing of cymbals signal the cataclysmic nature of his sacrifice and its effect on all of nature. 

Though remember, “Sunday is coming” .

Here we have sunrise worship service up on deck 8, Resurrection Day Celebration Service, Lunch and Open Cabins in the evening.

At this time of the year, we often join the custom among Greek Christians to greet another person with “Christós Anésti” – “Christ is Risen!” and the response is “Alithos Anesti” – “Truly He is Risen!” or “He Has Risen Indeed!”

Early tomorrow morning, I am flying out to Dakar capital city of Senegal with our Managing Director and incoming Vice President of International Programs.  We will meet up with some other leaders from Mercy Ships.  We are going at invitation of the government, in particular the Senegal delegation that came to the ship in January to see us in action in Cameroon.  Together we are planning the Senegal Field Service for August 2019 – June 2020.  The last time a Mercy Ship came to Senegal was early 1994.
Our meetings on Monday are with the Minister of Health, Technical Committee they have formed for Mercy Ships partnership and with the World Health Organization.

The last opportunity I served on the Diplomatic / Assessment Team was in Madagascar in 2014 after we changed our schedules due to the Ebola Virus in West Africa.  After the Diplomatic component in Dakar, I will stay and serve with the Assessment Team.  Assessment is conducted prior to a Mercy Ship coming into a country.  As we need to identify and build relationships with the host nation to enable a partnerships based on the host nations capabilities.  We also share Mercy Ships capability and limitation with the host nation.
General Information:  Learn about culture, geography, population information, etc.; and collect more information on proper communication channels and key partnerships.   Contacts – non-governmental organizations (NGOs), World Health Organization (WHO), embassies, United Nations UN, missionaries, churches, government contacts – both Senegalese and foreign governments – relationship building.
Collect Health System Data via surveys and hospital visits
Greatest surgical needs by type and population distribution / Possible Patient Selection strategy / Medical Capacity Building – their most significant medical training needs – one way is by visiting their universities and training schools.
Identify several buildings to renovate and locate our HOPE Center, Dental Clinic, and Eye Clinic in for the field service and the Ministry of Health’s use afterwards.  Port: Port assessment including berth space, water, trash, security, etc. / Security / Shipping Agent / Immigration and Customs Requirements – > 1,000 volunteers during a field service – though Senegal allows many nationalities to come in without a visa including the USA / Customs on incoming containers with medical supplies and our vehicles which come with the ship.  Business – mobile phone companies, banks, etc.  …. and many other tasks in the assessment process.  A lot of work, challenging and exciting all at the same time.

Update on some of my patients:  We rejoice with Axel as he is home with his family, friends and church.  He is giving all the thanks to God for his healing.  Edouard also returned home in a remote region of Cameroon, though I have lost mobile phone contact with him.

Please continue to pray for Rubain, 15 years old, from the far north region of Cameroon (4 day/night journey).  He just had a second major surgery related to his lower leg.  This surgery took place yesterday.  I spent part of the morning with him and his dad in our hospital wards.  He had a skin graft and will need healing before he can go home.  Pray for his healing, no infections, the pain, therapy and being able to get around with crutches.  Carlos is from the North West region where they speak English so communications with him and his mama is easier for me. He has a maxillofacial tumor and was rescheduled for April to come for his surgery.
These are a few of the patients I visit and spend time with building relationship during my hospital visits which is only 30 seconds from my cabin and office.

Na Som Dita (Thank you very much in the local language of Douala)
Serving Together,   Keith

During this Christmas season, we have been sharing the story of Jesus’ birth in our hospital, HOPE Center, at the deaf school, orphanages and other mercy ministries sites – often using drama and Simply the Story.  We shared primarily from Matthew chapter two including how the wise men /scholars /magi saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I’ve heard sermons and discussions on the significance of each of these gifts.  As you remember Joseph and Mary had to flee to Egypt right after Jesus was born because King Herod was out to murder the baby Jesus – so Jesus’ first international trip.  Joseph was warned and instructed by God in a dream to take his family to Egypt. Where is Egypt?  It is here on the African continent.  Strategically these magi showed up with these gifts.  Each gift was considered very valuable for the day and, interesting enough, was very valuable anywhere in that part of the world. In other words, it was ‘currency’ that could be used in their international travels and relocation to Egypt. They could easily sell or trade these items anywhere they traveled.  Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph lived in Africa until God’s angel appeared again in a dream to Joseph and instructed them to return to Israel as those out to murder the child were dead.  We shared the story of Jesus’ birth – Gifts provided and his international trip and living in Africa with the children of Cameroon, children of Africa.

We are reminded on how God provided for Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus.  Personally, I am most grateful for those who provide the financial gifts needed as I serve as a missionary with Mercy Ships, next week will be 29 years of service.

Please pray for Axel as soon he will be returning home after a lengthy season with us – he continually gives thanks to God for the healing he has received.  Pray for Edouard who is 14 years old, he underwent surgery for cleft lip repair and will go home next week – still not confident to smile and talk much yet.  Also for Rubain from the far north region of Cameroon (4 day/night journey) who is still in our hospital wards after surgery on his leg – wound care and therapy continues.  Carlos is from the North West region where they speak English so communications with him and his mama is easier for me.  He has a maxillofacial tumor and is coming next week for surgery.  These are a few of the ones I visit and spend time with building relationship.

Happy and Blessed New Year 2018 to you all.

Serving Together,   Keith
Email:  [email protected]   [email protected]   www.KeithBrinkman.com

As my home country just celebrated Thanksgiving, I wish to share with you from a letter that Paul the Apostle wrote:  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:2 – 6 – verses of great significance to me over the years.

A short update on Axel as I have mentioned him before, he is my friend and one of our maxillofacial patients here in Cameroon.  He expects to have another surgery on his lower lip this week, though unsure when he will be able to return home.  His family lives two day journey from here, but his grand frère (big brother) recently made the journey to visit him.  We can understand each other better now as more healing has come to his face and mouth.  At times, we use Google translate on my phone to translate words neither of us know.  Though, I am thankful for Sunshine and Chimene, both of whom are day crew translators who help with our conversations. Axel is a follower of Jesus and gives thanks to God for his surgeries and healing.  He will be celebrating his 25^th birthday on the 15^th of December.  It brings joy to my heart when I asked him what are his plans when he returns home with this church and he shared that he will go and give thanks to God.

Weekly on Wednesdays, our Hospital offers a Medical Inservice, though primarily for our healthcare professionals for continuing education, but open to the entire crew.  I always learn more and gain better understanding even though at times there are words I don’t know.  Last week, the teaching was on Craniofacial Surgery by our Chief Medical Officer.  We are starting two weeks of neurosurgery here on board and will have a local Cameroonian neurosurgeon and together will provide these very specialized surgeries.  Please pray for these patients and those caring for them.

Here on board with an international crew, we don’t celebrate individual nation’s holidays, but we are looking forward to the month of December as do observe Christmas.  There will be various international Christmas activities throughout the month, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  My porthole area and door are decorated.

Our Mission Statement is: we follow the 2000-year-old model of Jesus, bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor.  All services (surgeries, dental and training) provided by Mercy Ships are free of charge.  Please pray that we are reaching those who have the greatest need for hope and the practical services we provide.

Please intercede for the spiritual protection of our crew, patients and ~270 Cameroonian day crew as we serve people from every region of this nation.  We have dozens of new crew members arriving each week, many of whom are visiting Cameroon for the first time.  Please pray for these new team members that they learn quickly and feel at home on the ship and in Cameroon.

Recently, our crew, long and short term, had a conversation on the question of ‘What does a Community of Faith look like in a practical sense on a Mercy Ship?’  We started from the top with understanding first and foremost that there is a strong vision from our senior leadership of what this larger Community of Faith looks like – our Core Values – Love God, Love and Serve Others, People of Integrity and Excellence.  Then we practically filled in the details of how we can/do make that happen on a day-to-day basis here on the Africa Mercy.  The Community of Faith Looks Like…

• Showing God’s love and grace
• Accepting that everyone has value in the community
• Accepting that everyone in the community hassomething to give
• Coming home; creating home
• Supporting one another
• Humbly serving in positions that may be less than what an individual’s training suggests (laundry/ housekeeping)
• Providing acceptance and compassion
• Forgiving others (particularly in the laundry room)
• Achieving acommon goal
• Greeting each other (not passing without speaking)
• Recognizing that all layers of the community are equal
• Living with andlearning cultures
• Showing vulnerability
• Living like siblings (the good and the bad, loving and forgiving)
• Looking past one another’s differences
• Glorifying God
• Focusing on our passions
• Sharing the bad days
• Loving the eclectic
• Using skills to help others/the organization
• Worshiping with our hands
• Dancing to the beat of the same drum
• Using common languageincluding random phrases from places we’ve been like “Azafady” (which means excuse me or sorry in Malagasy for those who don’t know)
• Sharing the load
• Operating like an African village where everyone contributes

“If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.  Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others. Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus . . .”  Philippians 2:1-5

Prayer Requests:  * Axel (in the photo above) has another surgical treatment tomorrow, please pray for the healing to come
* For more women who are suffering with obstetric fistula as we have surgical slots available for them  * For more adults and children who are blind or severe loss of sight – surgery is available – the blind can see.

What it is like when we start a new field service in a new country?  Well, our Advance Team would have been in the country four to five months before the arrival of the ship.  I serve as their liaison on board and have been on previous advance teams.  Whatever is possible for them to accomplish before our arrival is done, so that we can have a good start.
* Orientation and Training for over 270 day crew (local workers) who serve in almost every department on board – they are from the local community and we provide them with a stipend and meal.
* Welcoming of hundreds of new crew volunteers – we usually average about 100 people arriving and departing every month – our community is in a constant state of change.  Currently, we have 417 persons including our children from 35 nations.
* Learning how to drive in a new country – who has the right a way in a roundabout – how do you get to the airport, HOPE Center, Eye Clinic, Dental Clinic, Team House, even the market and for the large port of Douala how do you even get to the north and south gates
* Our hospital is secured during shipyard and sailing and so the hospital team work on setting it all back up – but the greatest moment is when the patients come and as I walk between my cabin in the back (aft) part of the ship to the front (bow) where my office is to see the children in the hallways and the women doing their daily walks – life has returned to our hospital – a place we pray that will be an opportunity of hope and healing.
* Arrival Ceremony and Partners Reception help to connect our partners with our teams on board.  Plus many other activities to make all this possible.

For me more specifically, I have a three page Checklist for Arrival at a New Field Service including the following:
* Reporting – Statistical Reports – format, language and how often, for Mercy Ships and for the Government and Partners
* Reporting to the Government, who are our main host, in Cameroon they have requested weekly and monthly narrative reports – 3 to 4 pages in French and English
* Maintain our Field Service Overview sharing about each project we have planned from surgical, non-surgical and all the medical capacity building courses and mentoring and infrastructure.
* Programs Opportunity Sign Up – with all the opportunities the long term and short term crew can sign up and join + similar one for Local Churches, Ward Service and HOPE Center Service on Sundays
* Set up spreadsheets and then monthly compiling, tracking and analyzing our expenses by project against our budgets
* Update our process and facilitate for donations of items to local partners
* Create our Communications Map with the Government and Partners
* Make plans and orchestrate the Programs Reporting Times on Fridays.
* Working with our Mercy Ministries Coordinator for our new partners which often include children’s homes/orphanages, schools for the disabled, prison and sharing the Jesus Film with local churches.  I spent my birthday at one of the children’s home which includes those who are disabled.

Prayer Requests:
1.  Pray for the hearts & spirits of our patients and partners to be touched in greater measure by the hope and love of Jesus.  2.  Additional women with obstetric fistula who we can provide free surgeries for them for a restoration of healing and hope.  3.  Additional ophthalmic patients who have severe vision loss in both eyes, so that sight can be restored.  4.  Safety and security – if you watch international or African news you will see that there are protests and unrest in this country but not in our region– our Captain and Security team take the safety of our people very seriously and restrictions are put in place for that.

12 August 2017
Greetings from the Africa Mercy as we are safely sailing from Las Palmas where we completed our drydocking and all required repairs and inspections to Douala, Cameroon for our first ever field service to this nation. Our overall summary statement is: “During the Africa Mercy’s 10-month stay in the port of Douala, Republic of Cameroon, Mercy Ships plans to provide 3,112 to 4,148 life-changing surgeries for adult and child patients onboard, to treat over 8,000 at a land-based dental clinic, and provide holistic healthcare training to Cameroonian health care professionals. Mercy Ships Medical Capacity Building Programs foster transformational development within the healthcare structure of the host nation. These projects have been specifically developed to impart knowledge and skills, while modeling and encouraging compassion and a professional work ethic. These projects incorporate one-on-one mentoring opportunities and internationally recognized courses for groups in the Africa Mercy hospital and ashore.”
My first visit to the nation was in March 2014 as I joined our government liaison as we presented Mercy Ships to the Prime Minister and many of his other government ministers. This was during the pre-protocol period – the protocol being the signed agreement between the host government and Mercy Ships. Various ship leaders have made many other visits as together with the government we planned this field service. I continue to be the Advance Team liaison on board and supporting the team there in all ways possible. Currently we have 22 crew members already in country ahead of our arrival.
Information about the Nation and People of Cameroon
* 153 out of 188 on the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) www.hdr.undp.org according to the 2016 report – ranking according to life expectancy, expected years of schooling, adult literacy rate and per capita income. The higher the country score, the more developed they are. Mercy Ships works with countries that are in the bottom third.
* The country has had only two presidents since independence in 1960 – Ahmadou Ahidjo and the current president Paul Biya in power since 1982.
* Their history has involved the French, English, Portuguese and German.
* The flag contains the vertical Pan-African tricolor with a bright yellow star in the center – green stands for hope and the southern forest, red stands for unity and yellow for sunshine, prosperity and the savannahs in the north.
* Geographically, the country is at the crossroads of West and Central Africa and sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa because it borders six other countries: Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
* Cameroon has ten regions and we trained doctors to go all ten regions in search for suitable surgical patients for our field service from the extreme north to the far east.
* The population of 275 ethnic groups comes to over 24 million people. Primarily Bantu at 70% and then 10% each to Fulani, Kirdi and Other.
* Our home will be Berth #10 in the Port of Douala in the largest city, but not the capital city which is Yaoundé. Douala’s population is over 3 million.
* Unlike the United States and Europe with four seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall – Douala’s weather is Dry season from November to February 21°C to 35°C (72 F – 100 F), March to May Light Rains and Rainy season from June to October. During the rainy season up to 12 feet of rain (3,600 millimeters).
Many thanks to Steve who shared his research at our first country briefing, I will share more in future KRB Updates.
Prayer Requests:
Finding additional women in the rural areas who need obstetric fistula surgery – campaigns are currently underway
Finding blind people who need cataract surgery
The healthcare professional participants to receive mentoring and attend training courses
Patient and caregiver’s travel from all over Cameroon to Douala to receive their healing and hope restored.
In regards to my mother – I made an unexpected visit to Indiana in late June to spend time with her in the nursing home and with my father and family.
Two of our crew members have died recently – one while visiting family in the United States and another who left almost a year ago and returned to her nation of Liberia. Prayers for their families and friends left behind.
PS – no news yet on when the eight episode series of the ‘Surgery Ship’ with National Geographic will be airing in the United States or Canada – I will advise when I know something.
Serving Together, Keith

Hello from somewhere off the coast of Africa as we are sailing. This field service, for every surgery performed onboard the Africa Mercy, roughly one West African medical professional received a form of advanced training from the ship.
1,793 people benefited from a free operation, and thousands of others will have the chance at better care under the hands of 1,962 medical professionals who’ve trained with our Medical Capacity Building Team.

Plus the breakdown on children and adults + gender percents also.
Reporting our statistics on a weekly and monthly basis is part of my responsibility as Programs Administration Manager.

After all of our ‘Thank you – Merci’ to our partners, friends, and day crew in Benin, we set sail for the shipyard phase in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain. While on the journey, I have been working on 34 official final project reports on our hospital and medical capacity building projects + another 10 for our Mercy Ministries partners. Each report needing to be in a set format, correct English, updated statistics, photos with captions and photo file names and finances with our budget vs. expense and explanation when greater than 10% variance. So the sail has been a busy time, thankfully it has been smooth for the most part as my office is in the bow of the ship.

National Geographic’s eight episode special on ‘the Surgery Ship’ continues to be aired in countries around the world, though there is no announcement yet on when it will be shown in the United States and Canada, though I will keep you posted. As the crew of the Africa Mercy, we received special permission to view the episodes and I think they have done a great job.

Prayer Requests: My nephew Jeremy was released from the hospital on Sunday after his fourth major surgery – they removed the cancer and were able to save 90% of his upper lobe of his left lung. He has returned home for his continued recovery and rehabilitation.
My Mom has been moved to another nursing home with higher dependency care for her as she suffers with Alzheimer’s Disease.
All of our patients in Benin for their complete recovery.
Our preparations for the field service in Cameroon, through a new patient screening process, we already have over 11,000 registered as potential patients.

Serving Together, Keith

How many heard about Mercy Ships from Discovery Mighty Ships or CBS 60 Minutes in 2014 who also won best feature story for the ‘Africa Mercy’?  We have another great opportunity with National Geographic.  We’re excited to announce the rollout of the long-awaited eight-episode NatGeo TV series titled “The Surgery Ship” which began on 24 March with world premiere in Holland and Belgium and later in Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey, and Australia (tomorrow) and starting on 06 May in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa.  They will have voice overs or subtitles, either one as with their other documentaries.  It may be on NatGeo Channel or NatGeo People.  For those in the United States, Canada and elsewhere in Europe, we don’t have the dates for the eight episodes, but I will try to keep you posted on my social media posts – Twitter and Facebook so you know.  As far as I know I do not appear in the TV series, but my friends and patients do and so worth watching.  It may be showing a bit later in the evening as there is some footage from surgery which may be difficult for small ones.  In the midst of serious situations and the lives of patients and crew, they have brought in humorous aspects that make you laugh.

Thanks to Madeleine Hetherton & Media Stockage for this two minute #SurgeryShip teaser – you can click on the link below:

Click on this link:  https://vimeo.com/207050695#embed

Do keep this rollout in prayer for His plan and purposes to be accomplished in viewer’s lives around the world, for the crew who are represented and for this to be of ultimate benefit to those we serve in Africa!

Prayer Requests:

• Final month of surgeries, recovery and health to all of our patients
• Our preparations in Douala by our Advance Team for our arrival in August
• Preparations for the field service in Conakry, Guinea for August 2018 – June 2019 – as previously we postponed due to ebola but now we will return to fulfill our promise to the people there.
• Health and strength for the entire crew.

Luke 7:22  “And answering, Jesus said to them, Go and tell John what you have seen and heard; that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is proclaimed to the poor.”  Luke 4:18  “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me; because of this He has anointed Me to proclaim the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and new sight to the blind, to set at liberty those having been crushed,” Modern King James

There are many verses in both the Old Testament and New Testament about the blind seeing again – we are seeing the same here on the Africa Mercy once again through life-changing surgery for adults, teens and children who are blind primarily from cataracts.  As of March 10^th, 461 patients received their sight restored (214 Men, 247 Female – all adults except for 6 children ~ part of the statistics that I report out weekly).  We continue this week and four more weeks of surgery including two weeks of special pediatric eye surgery under general anesthesia for 25 children born blind.  From the donations I have in my office, my day crew and I filled small bag packs with small gifts items for each of the children aged from one to ten years old.  They will be given the gifts at their final discharge.  I can’t wait to hear the results of these special ones surgeries.

Some reports from Dr. Glenn and Kim Strauss about those who have already had their surgery:  “I want to declare this day, the 17^th of February, ‘The Day for the Celebration of Sight’!” Says Rita, who dances in her pink patterned dress, able to see for the first time in years. “Every year on this day, you must praise God with your family,” she shouts. “Praise God that we have sight!!!”  A 19-year old woman who was blind for the last three years who now plans to complete her education now that she can see, and an 8-year old boy who now has improved vision and who can carry on life as an independent individual.

Another man was very interested and had recently been given a Bible.  He was excited to know more and was going to use his new eyes to go home and read that Bible!  Others had lost faith due to their blindness and wanted to tell us how their sight had brought their faith back to them.

A mother, who brought her blind 16 year old daughter to our Eye Team, told them that not long ago a local pastor’s wife came into the market sharing Christ.  This woman had accepted Christ then, but the pastor’s wife came back weeks later and told her about Mercy Ships and that she should bring her daughter.  At screening she was told we would only do one eye, but when our ophthalmologist Dr. Glenn saw her, he decided to do both on the same day!

One last short report:  A friend took a picture of a patient because he could now see.  She showed it to him.  When he looked, he let out a loud whoop! And began laughing hysterically!  He had not realized that he had gotten that OLD!!  Hahahahahaha!

Please continue to pray for our surgical patients – for physical healing but also impact on their emotional and spiritual life.

Serving Together,   Keith 

Celebration of Sight at CNHU

The first Celebration of Sight at the Eye Clinic