Dear friends and family,

SALAMA – a greeting in Madagascar of hello, good morning, good day, good afternoon, and even good evening – so a great word to know often here.

As mentioned in my last update, we closed down Mercy Ships activities in Liberia, I have moved over to serve on the team in Madagascar.

Some of you may remember Mercy Ships served in Madagascar for almost two years (2014 – 2016) when the Ebola disease was in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, West Africa.  I went ahead of the ship and served on the assessment/advance teams there.

In my new role as Port Liaison for Mercy Ships Africa Service Center, I am in Madagascar and am focusing on the arrangements for the ship in the port (I will share more details later), the customs and immigration arrangements which can be a challenge due to the uniqueness of Mercy Ships and our agreements with the host nation’s government, and any other arrangements and activities needed for the team.  Last week, I hosted a team from our Marine Operations department, and so we spent many hours at the Port.  In our big meeting <see first photo>, the port officials remember Mercy Ships, though some of them were in different positions than what they have currently.  The Port Director is the same man as before, and he remembers me from 2014.  They are encouraged to work with us once again.

For Madagascar, I am living in the port city of Toamasina (also known in French as Tamatave) – Mercy Ships has two Team Apartments in the same building.  Apartments with two bedrooms, an open living and kitchen area, and a covered balcony.  The apartment I am in, its balcony looks to the south, but not high enough above the trees to see the port and the ocean.  In the Southern Hemisphere, it is winter, so the temperatures are pleasant now – currently with high temperatures averaging around 80 degrees F (26 degrees C).  

    Photos:  part of the Port of Toamasina and a Group Photo after the Initial Survey

I flew into the capital, Antananarivo which is located in the middle of the country at a higher elevation. I will return to the capital for higher-level government meetings as needed.  Though the journey was difficult when Mercy Ships was here from 2014 – 2016 via the road, it is worse now than then and takes much longer.  The Country Director and Operations Director for Mercy Ships in Madagascar are living in the capital with their families.  Other Mercy Ships team members will join us here in Tamatave.  

The Africa Mercy‘s upcoming field service is scheduled for February 1 to December 14, 2024.  The Africa Mercy is undergoing some major renovation projects in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa (where I spent most of 2010) and will also be in East London – soon to be known as KuGompo in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and then will travel to Madagascar.

I feel great reconnecting with former local workers, crew, and partners here in town, walking the streets, attending Sunday church service, and visiting the restaurants, barber shop, and grocery and local markets – re-establishing myself now in Madagascar.  I will be sharing more with you about Madagascar and Mercy Ships plans in this beautiful country through these KRB Updates.

As the firstborn son, my Malagasy name is Lahimatao – abbreviated to ‘Lahi’ – so that is the name I use here.

Serving together,

Dear friends and family,
As the outgoing Country Director assigned to Liberia, I wish to celebrate what has happened. Still, only some of what has happened in Liberia can go into this update about Liberia.  I have said my goodbyes to Liberia and the dear people I call friends there with the phrase shared with me from a senior Mercy Ships leader ‘for the time being.’    

Liberia had anticipated hosting the Global Mercy in Monrovia. However, we shared with the Minister of Health in Dakar, Senegal last year in May that a ship deployment would not be possible for various reasons.  In late May of this year, we shared with the same Minister of Health that all of Mercy Ships activities would finish by the end of June 2023.  Mercy Ships wishes to focus more on the countries where the ships will be visiting in the upcoming years.  A meeting followed and even with disappointment, the Minister was thankful and keenly interested in all that was still to take place, especially the strategic donation of eight more anesthesia systems for her hospitals and the user training.    

With this update, I wish to celebrate what has happened and rejoice with this phrase from the hymn ‘To God be the Glory, Great Things He hath done.’ 
I have a heart full of gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of this for the past 33 months of my life. 
The below was also shared with the Minister for her to share with the President George Weah.

Photo Caption:  Final Day of Training – User on the Diamedica Glostavent Anesthesia System at a hospital in Monrovia (I am in the background on the right-hand side)

Mercy Ships Key Achievements 2021 – 2023

Based on assessment visits, the Surgical Care System Needs in Liberia Workshop held in May 2021, and in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Mercy Ships came alongside the healthcare system in Liberia in the following areas:

• Training & Strategic Donations
  • Anesthesia:
    • 24 Diamedica Glostavent Anesthesia Systems with Patient Monitors donated and user training provided for 15 hospitals in 10 counties of Liberia.
    • Anesthesia Training – SAFE Obstetric Anesthesia Courses and Anesthesia Provider Mentoring in two hospitals.
  • Biomedical:
    • Two Training Courses for all Liberian Biomedical Technicians in 2021 – Mentoring conducted in all 15 counties.
    • Equipping the Workshop at the Healthcare Technology Management Unit at the Ministry of Health. Continuous support to biomedical technicians on various equipment.
  • Leadership Development Training & Mentoring
    • Four Hospitals over Two Years – Jackson F. Doe, JJ Dossen, Redemption, and Emirates hospitals.
  • Training Courses
    • Safe Surgery, Neonatal Resuscitation, Primary Trauma Care, Nurses, Nutritional Agriculture, and Mental Health.

                      = 685 training participants in 2022 + 335 training participants in 2023

• Nurse Assessment Kits
  • 3,002 nurses and midwives in all 15 counties received the kit to assist them in caring for their patients at their facilities.
• Donations: 40’ container of PPE, portable oxygen concentrators during Covid, new blue scrubs, 70 Nursing Drug Handbooks, face masks, exam gloves, audiovisual equipment, notebook computers, 120 new hospital beds, and other items
• Surgeries: 216 head and neck surgeries were provided free of charge for 208 Liberians, with Mercy Ships personnel at a partner hospital and mentoring simultaneously.
   

Some kind responses are posted below – they were received after notifying our friends and partners about our departure as I wanted them to hear from me about the closing of our activities and not for people to hear via rumors in the market, workplace, church, or mosque. 

• From Professor Robert M. Kpoto: “Mercy Ships during your tenure have done remarkably very well in Liberia.  It’s sad that Mercy Ships have to end all activities in Liberia.  I pray that in the not too distant future Mercy Ships will return to Liberia because the country and people of Liberia really need the critical humanitarian services they provide.”
   
• From Dr. Ponnie Robertslee Dolo, Medical Director “We are sincerely humbled by your dedication and commitment to helping improve healthcare in Liberia. May your next assignment be fruitful. Thank you from all of us here at the Jackson F Doe Hospital.”
   
• From Dr. Wiyatta Diggs, Physician Anesthesia Provider, shared over WhatsApp, “Mercy Ships have always been there for the people of Liberia. You’ve made a lot of sacrifices ensuring safe health care delivery. You’ve conducted workshops, trainings, and immense donations. Look around the entire country and see how many Glostavent Anesthesia System machines have been donated for safe surgeries.”

Photo Caption:  Convoy of Four Vehicles from Liberia picked up at the border with Sierra Leone and on the road to Freetown for use by the teams there and the soon arrival of the Global Mercy into Sierra Leone in three weeks.

We genuinely hope that with the strategic donations of anesthesia equipment and training, there is now better anesthesia in Liberia and, thus, safer surgery for the population.

I want to thank all the Mercy Shippers worldwide who have participated in what has occurred in Liberia.  From those who came to conduct the trainings, organize the trainings, purchased the specific equipment needed for the healthcare professionals here, shipped 40’ containers with donations. 
Huge thanks to all my friends, family, and church for your prayers and financial support, and encouragement.   

So many good seeds of hope and healing my Team and I have sown in faith in Liberia.

To God Be the Glory

So ‘for the time being’, bye bye to Liberia,

Keith “Kofa” R. Brinkman

PS – I will continue to serve full-time with Mercy Ships with the Africa Service Center on the Country Engagement Teams, next opportunity as Port Liaison, heading to Madagascar in just over a week – more to follow in my next KRB Update.   

Photo Caption:  Day of Departure with Yahyah, who has been on the team since 2021 and ensured that I got to the airport safely.  It may look like I am traveling light, but that is not true. I already checked in my luggage and Mercy Ships luggage at the airline’s office in the city the day before. 

Greetings from Liberia as we are in the dry season now so it is hot here and in the political season as major elections will take place in October of this year. 

Way back in May 2021 at our Surgical Care System Needs in Liberia workshop, we learned of the great need in the areas of leadership, biomedical, anesthesia, and supply chain.  So, we have endeavored to help the Liberian healthcare system in three of the areas (only not able to help with the supply chain).

In my last update, I mentioned how Mercy Ships is donating new anesthesia equipment that has been engineered for environments as we find in Liberia with on and off electricity which you can’t time or anticipate.  The electricity (here we say ‘current’) may go off in the middle of a surgery and unsure if it will turn back on or if the backup system at the hospital will work.  This new anesthesia equipment has a battery backup and can continue with all features for 30 minutes and even longer with just ventilation and no oxygen concentrator use.  In your role/position, you have the training but if you don’t have the equipment to do your role, it is limiting and frustrating and that is the case with some of the anesthesia providers in Liberia.      

We never want to donate medical equipment without the user’s training on that particular machine.  Those using the anesthesia equipment are nurse anesthetists.  For the user training, I decided I would travel with the trainer from Diamedica, the manufacturer in the United Kingdom.  I learned that Jon has been to almost 30 countries but this is his first time in Liberia.  He is a designer, engineer, and trainer on their equipment.  By traveling with him, I was able to connect with hospital leadership who I have known since the workshop but have not been able to visit in their hospitals in the interior.  Due to the road conditions and the amount of time it would take to get to the hospitals, for two hospitals, we used Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) – less than a two-hour flight from the capital.  Amazing to see the country with the dense forests and rivers from the air at about 8,000 feet.   

Fifty-six Liberian healthcare workers serving in hospitals where Mercy Ships donated the Diamedica Glostavent Anesthesia Systems and Patient Monitors with CO2 received in-person excellent user training by the manufacturer’s designer/engineer/trainer.  The equipment donation and the user training are steps towards better anesthesia and safer surgery in Liberia.  I am currently working on another donation of eight anesthesia systems.   

This last Sunday, I joined one of my former patients at his church, still within Monrovia, but a bit more isolated in its location.  I had shared briefly at the church previously and this time the pastor gave me the same opportunity.  Though instead of the news about the ship coming and how they could help us find potential surgical patients from the villages, I shared the sad news that the ship is not coming to Liberia.  I didn’t give many details but shared what we have been doing and what we have planned for the next few months.  I reminded them and myself about how our lives and our futures are in the hands of God. 

The church has two choirs – one choir is ladies, and they sing in the Kissi language and I just clap if I can stay on the beat as I don’t understand anything.  The young people’s choir sings in English and the song they had prepared – the chorus goes like this ‘No matter what comes my way, my life is in Your hands’.  Almost exactly the same as the encouragement I shared with them ten minutes early. 

I love how God is like that. 

Serving together, Kofa Keith  (at this church, I go by ‘Sahr‘ – firstborn son of my mother and father.  

Happy New Year to you all.  Here in Liberia – one can continue to wish Happy New Year throughout the month of January.

I have been thinking about 2022 and all that took place and looking forward to 2023.

As Country Director, I am writing my Annual Programmatic Report for 2022, I think of the dozens of Mercy Ships volunteers who came in 2022 to Liberia to serve.  At times I had four teams in the interior and one anesthesia provider here in the capital. 
685 Liberians benefited from one of our trainings here including Biomedical, Obstetric Anesthesia, Safe Surgery, Neonatal Resuscitation, Nurses, Primary Trauma Care, Mental Health, Leadership Development, and Nutritional Agriculture.  A part of the vision is to see a well-organized, efficient, and effective surgical health system in Liberia that has the specialized staff to deliver timely and quality care for patients, staff within the surgical care systems are empowered, increased efficiencies within surgical care facilities, and improved leadership and structural capacity to enable a more responsive surgical care system.
Mercy Ships is in partnership with the Ministry of Health and other partners to see this come about.

In my updates, I often share some Prayer Points – including security, safety, and health for all of our people – as Country Director a prayer I lift to our mighty God regularly.  Liberia is a difficult country in many ways.  I am thankful to God that our teams were safe, secure, and healthy to do what they came to do – to Love and Serve God and Love and Serve the people in all 15 counties of Liberia.
For 2023, I am planning our activities – focusing on some continued trainings and follow-up with past training participants – strategic donations of up to 16 Diamedica Glostavent Helix Anesthesia System <which is an award-winning machine which has its own backup power and portable oxygen concentrator – both are important for a country like Liberia with unreliable power sources> to hospitals in counties around Liberia – see photo.  All of the anesthesia providers at the selected hospitals will receive in-person user training.  Safe anesthesia is so needed for safe surgery.  We have been involved in providing continuing education for almost all of the anesthesia providers in Liberia and have gifted and continue to gift the equipment needed.  In addition, Mercy Ships trained all the biomedical technicians in Liberia.  They received extensive training on this machine and this machine is at the Heatlhcare Technology Management Unit at the Ministry of Health and at the nurse anesthesia school for training purposes.  

After a successful pilot project to come alongside the nurses of Liberia, we have a couple thousand more nurse assessment kits en route to be distributed. 
Though as shared in a previous update there is no ship deployment planned for Liberia due to various complications, we will be closing out activities by mid-2023. 
I am praying about what lies next for me as my passion is to continue to serve with Mercy Ships – where? what position? but I know He is faithful and will continue to be faithful.      

A note about Baby Girl Sangalkam who I shared about having her cleft lip surgery at the Africa Mercy in Dakar, she is at home, doing well.  I have received photos of baby girl from the family and she is adorable.  

The Global Mercy is sailing soon for Dakar, Senegal for her first full field service and then later in the year to Freetown, Sierra Leone till June 2024.
The Africa Mercy will leave soon for Durban, South Africa for refit and renovations before going to Madagascar.

Serving together, Kofa Keith 

Healing Provided!!!  I have exciting news about the young baby girl with cleft lip the Patient Selection Team and I registered in Senegal.  I shared about her in my last update.  Two weeks ago, I received news that she was able to gain sufficient weight with the infant feeding program – 5 kilograms (11 pounds).  Yesterday, I felt I should reach out to see if the baby girl will have surgery this year or next year when the Global Mercy comes to Senegal.  A team member wrote back almost immediately to say that Baby Girl Sangalkam is in surgery now.  I quickly responded that I am praying for her and our team providing her healing.  I received this note yesterday afternoon:  “The baby is back on the ward, looking like a princess.. still sleepy and not too happy, but no more cleft lip. Thank you so much for finding her and all the other precious patients! and thank you for all the prayers!”  I waited on publishing this update as I wanted to share this good news with you.

What’s Happening in Liberia – my team and I are busy hosting various Mercy Ships teams coming to Liberia for their activities here including:  

• Nurses Training and training-of-trainers training provided in partnership with Medical & Surgical Skills Institute (MSSI) of Ghana including visits to the previous participants’ hospitals.
• Primary Trauma Care courses including one day of training-of-trainers – also with our friends from MSSI.  Two day training which was well received.  I joined them for their closing ceremonies.  
• Follow-up visits were conducted by Prudent and Clement with 23 of the 24 young entrepreneurs who went through the Food for Life / Nutritional Agriculture course earlier this year.
• Leadership Training with four hospitals in Liberia – one team member from Norway and two from Liberia
• Mental Health – two one-week trainings in Greenville, Sinoe County – one week with healthcare workers and one week with church leaders – preparing and planning – to take place in November.
• Soon the biomedical project manager and his team member will return to finish the visits to all 15 counties of Liberia to see the biomedical technicians in their normal environment and provide one-on-one mentoring.  This team will be the most traveled of all of the Mercy Shippers for Liberia.  
• Distribution of Nurse Assessment Kits to nurses and midwives to aid them in performing their duties.
• Planning for other strategic donations with hospitals and the Ministry of Health.

Unlike on the ship and where we would change countries every year, I have the opportunity to call Liberia home and to experience life in one country for activities like:

• Wedding – a friend from 2007 – celebrating their union
• University Graduation – a young man who I met in 2007 when he was a boy and now to be here last week to cheer for him at his graduation from university.  See photo above
• Funeral – sadly to attend a friend’s husband’s funeral after his death from kidney problems
• Birthdays of my team members and friends.  For mine last month, I was with the team from Ghana and we visited Redemption Hospital then in the afternoon we went to Evelyn’s for lunch/dinner – took photos and sang Happy Birthday, and they prayed a birthday blessing over my life.
• Staying in contact with former surgical patients and also meeting new ones like Bestman who saw the Mercy Ships vehicle with our logo on the side.  I could see in my mirror that someone was running next to the vehicle, I stopped and rolled down the window.  Bestman had surgery with Mercy Ships in 2006.  So we visited together while he pulled out of his backpack his discharge document and very worn photo of him with two crew members, one crew member I know and the other I don’t.  

So I hope this ‘What’s Happening in Liberia’ update gives you insight into what is taking place here. 
I am so thankful for God’s protection, health, His guidance and direction, and safety for myself and the teams when they are in the country.  I am thankful to my financial supporters who continue to stand with me as I serve here and big thanks for your prayers when God brings me to your mind.

A question I often receive is: “How does Mercy Ships select the patients for surgery?”  Over the many years, various options have been developed, so we are not limited to one approach.  In the past, I would share an update when I served with Patient Selection Team. For example Pointe Noire, the Republic of Congo in 2013 over 7,300 persons (KRB 2191 Update) who I welcomed at the main gate.  From that day, those I connect most with, show me their appointment card with admission details.  I attempt to be there on the evening they move into our hospital wards.  They come to the ship over the nine months the hospital is open depending on what surgical specialty is needed.  I miss not being able to visit patients in the hospital wards in the evenings and Saturday afternoons, though with current restrictions on board that is not currently possible. 

Though we have other options for surgical patient selection.  To avoid people traveling far to one location and the vast majority coming with conditions that Mercy Ships are not able to help with, we are going out to the people.  In late 2013, I was asked to be the site commander for the patient selection in Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo with persons who were pre-selected at hospitals and healthcare facilities (KRB 2193 Update) and later to Impfondo in the far north.  Then in 2015 in the city of Mahajanga, Madagascar, we traveled with MAF by air to avoid a long multiple-day road trip.  Even then close to 1,000 persons came (KRB 2205 Update). 

Before leaving the Africa Mercy in November 2019, I responded to a request from the team to have a senior leader join the team and I was scheduled for a week in St. Louis (Ndar) but I had to cancel due to a change in my departure date. This month, though I had the opportunity to join the Global Patient Selection Team in the nation of Senegal.  I freshened up a bit on my French language skills and some expressions in Wolof, the primary language spoken in Senegal.  I watched as people came and went, some left with a Ziploc bag with forms and appointment cards inside and others left without anything as we are not able to assist with their healing.  Though the people who were told “Je suis désolé.” (I’m sorry) we are not able to assist with surgery, these same people often thanked us as a team.  Though more developed than many of the nations of West Africa, Senegal still has people who don’t have access to the surgery needed for their healing. 
Photo:  The Patient Selection Team for Sangalkam

In Senegal, early one morning in a community called, Sangalkam, I saw a small group of people we brought inside the compound.  I was going around greeting them when I saw this mama with a bundle gently sitting on her lap.  She slowly revealed her baby girl – only one-month-old with a cleft lip.  When I came into our space for the selection and I told the team we have a baby girl with a cleft lip, great excitement as we see such little ones receiving their healing.  So when it was their turn the team asked the questions and took photos and the specialists on the ship received all of our information from a specially designed phone app.  Sadly the baby was losing weight even though the mama was committed to doing all she could.  They shared that we need to start soon with this little one.  So they set up meetings with the dietician for the infant feeding program and arrangements for mama and baby to check in at our HOPE Center near the port in Dakar.  They said we could give them directions, but I asked if I could take them and they said even better.  I met the papa briefly as he came to the patient selection site.  He spoke basic English which was helpful as I didn’t need a translator.  I could hear and sense his father’s heart for his little daughter and his wife.  Late the same week, I saw mama and baby girl for her first appointment with the hospital team – such a precious life. It will take time for her to gain enough weight to have surgery and so if not possible late this year the new ship, Global Mercy, will be back in Dakar to care for ones like this baby girl.  If you think of her, please lift a prayer. 

When the Global Mercy sails in January for Senegal and sets up, it will be the first opportunity to use the hospital on board.  Though the patients won’t all be from Senegal as government officials from Senegal and The Gambia wish for Mercy Ships to serve the people of both nations.  After my time in Senegal, I traveled with a small team to The Gambia for some initial assessments on how it will be possible to do the patient selection in the smallest nation within mainland Africa which is surrounded by Senegal except for its western coast on the Atlantic Ocean.  If selected, Mercy Ships will provide the transport to where the ship will be docked in Dakar. 

 

Prior to the announcement of no ship visit in 2023 to Liberia, we were in discussion on what would be best for Liberia and her 15 counties for surgical patient selection.  With the Ministry of Health and many great non-government organizations and charities working here, we would be able to find those patients in need of our surgical services. I am regularly asked by those needing surgery.  When possible and appropriate I would ask some questions to learn about their need.  Often they say they are waiting for Mercy Ships for surgery for conditions we can’t assist with.  So I would kindly share with them that ‘I don’t have any doctors who can do that type of surgery, I am sorry-o’.  Our core value #2 Love and Serve Others is sharing with them a ’no’.  For those persons with conditions regularly cared for by our onboard hospital, I would share that I have seen patients with similar conditions being able to receive surgery but one needs to meet with the team and the final answer comes from the volunteer surgeon.    

Photo: We are making the coordination for the selection in a town called Mbour.

Greetings from Monrovia, Liberia.  Today is Liberia’s Independence Day – though independence from whom?  Most will mention independence from being a US colony – they chose the day they adopted their constitution in 1847 but then others will give you a different story. 

For this blog, I am focusing on our strategic donations.  Last year here in Liberia we received and donated hospital and medical supplies, eight anesthesia systems, and biomedical equipment for the Ministry of Health’s training workshop. 

In 2022, our focus has been on the donation of nurse assessment kits, scrubs, and later additional anesthesia systems.
Nurse Assessment Kits – this was a special request from one of our focal points at the Ministry of Health – the items were selected and with great assistance, purchases were made and items were sent to Liberia to be assembled into these colorful bags.  Each kit contained a stethoscope, sphygmomanometer to measure blood pressure, non-contact infrared forehead thermometer, artery forceps, bandage scissors, sharp scissors, reference cards, penlight, and lapel watch – all to assist them to do their head-to-toe assessments.  Our costs for these quality items for the kits (~US $170) are more than a monthly salary of a nurse working in Liberia.  The team is capturing some short video clips of their gratefulness for this donation.    

Photo:  Distribution of the nurse assessment kits at a One Day Symposium for Nurses and Midwives, held by the Nursing Division of the Ministry of Health in Kakata in Margibi County.  I was able to attend the afternoon sessions and was given the opportunity to share an update on Mercy Ships and some encouragement.

Photo:  We were able to send up with a training team going on a MAF flight to Tapeta in Nimba County the nurse assessment kits for those at the Jackson F. Doe Referral Hospital – one of the recommended hospitals – many are seen in the above photo holding their bags in front of their hospital.  

Photo:  We received the 20′ container at our Team Apartment, on a Saturday afternoon I’m sorting the scrubs.  We converted our downstairs living room into a mini-warehouse.  Maybe similar to my office on Deck 3 forward of the Africa Mercy

Photo:  Yahyah, who is a Mercy Ships Liberia team member, prepped the packages for the medical facilities.  He is also delivering most of them also.  

We are working on additional donations of the Diamedica Glostavent Anesthesia Systems and patient monitors for hospitals in Liberia.

Please stand with us and pray for the nation of Liberia and its people.  I have lived here since November 2020 and it is my home – I have residency, airport restricted pass, port restricted pass, driver’s license, phone number, address, and a Liberian name – though a few wish to give me more Liberian names.   

Last week, I had the great opportunity to travel to Senegal to be together with my Mercy Ships community for such an amazing week.  With a large ‘Wow’ on my face under my mask as I walked through the two decks for the hospital on the Global Mercy with dear friend Becky.  She has been working on this project for over eight years.  Dr. Andrew showed me other spaces on the new ship.  Having lived on all the ships except the Pacific Ruby, this custom-built hospital ship is just amazing.

On Thursday, crew from both ships as well as visiting staff and partners gathered for the Blessing Ceremony.  The ceremony included speeches from a former patient, Mignane who is a pastor now, our CEO Gert, Dr. Diop from the Senegal government, Pastor Gary Brandenburg, and praise and worship with a local Senegalese group. 

I was present in July 2007 here in Liberia the last time we had two of our ships together.  Though for that event, the Anastasis was being retired, so the transfer was over to the Africa Mercy.  Many memories from that event were in my mind and heart.
For this celebration, a new torch was handcrafted by a friend, Larry Mast with wood from the previous ships.  This moment was to symbolize the sharing of the flame from one ship to another as both will continue in service bringing hope and healing.  

Photo:  Africa Mercy on the left and the Global Mercy on the right in Dakar, Senegal
Global Mercy is 174 meters / 571 feet long and 28.6 m / 94 feet wide with 12 decks

Photo:  Seated with Captain Taylor and Captain Djurre 

Photo:  Torch going up the gangway by Captain Taylor

The Africa Mercy will continue with the field service in Senegal.  The Global Mercy will be a training platform for June and then back to the Canary Islands for more project work on board.  More to share later.

I thank God for the New Year 2022 – at church you may hear Liberians saying   ‘we tell God thanks to be here today as some did not make it through the night’ – referring to those who have died overnight.  The United Nations Human Development Index is a summary assessing countries on three dimensions, health, education, and standard of living using life expectancy at birth, expected years of schooling for children and mean years of schooling for adults, and GNI per capita.  Out of the 189 countries in the index, Liberia is down near the bottom at 175.  Life expectancy for men is 62 years and for women at 65 years.  Under-five years old mortality rate, 71 out of 1,000 live births. Life is hard here.  As I get to hear people’s stories it is heartbreaking.  For some, they or a family member need surgery and it is either not available in-country or they don’t have the finances to pay for it.  For those who have a surgical need that may be possible with Mercy Ships, I promise to advise them when we start surgical patient selection later this year.  Though for most, I shared with them ‘sorry-o, that is not something Mercy Ships can help with’.    
With COVID all over the world, since March 2020, Liberia has only reported 7,354 confirmed cases and 290 deaths – I do recognize that not all cases were counted, but nothing like what happened here with Ebola from 2014 to 2016. 
Personally, I remain healthy, sleep well at night even when there is no electricity/current for the fan.    

 
Photo:  Felix, who is a current crew member from the ship, is here.  We have gone to church together and shared updates on Mercy Ships.

Photo below:  Team dinner at the apartment – me trying to be in the photo – though with a goofy smile.  The Team is larger now and at three locations.    

For 2022, I continue to work on our schedules and timelines seeing what is possible in this nation – from medical capacity building training courses in town and in a few of the counties as the team will travel, mentoring for those trained last year in biomedical, nutrition agriculture focusing on 32 young entrepreneurs, strategic donations, mental health training for healthcare workers and church leaders, and leadership training with hospitals.  Later in the year, more team members will arrive to accomplish all the ‘Advance’ activities necessary for the ship’s arrival.

Prayer Requests: *Health and Safety for me, my team, and the people of Liberia.
*Wisdom and discernment and insight as I serve in this nation.

Praise Reports: * Africa Mercy in Senegal as the ship was able to return to the continent after 22 months away and will be in Senegal for 2022.  Though many changes were needed to operate a hospital ship with COVID – concerns for our patients, training participants, crew, local workers, and partners.  
* The Global Mercy – check out this website and take advantage of a Patient Journey and Volunteer Journey.  

Greetings from warm Liberia to you my family and friends around the world.  I can relate more with those in the southern hemisphere as you are in the summer season – here we are in the dry season and it is hot and humid.
​I find I am learning new things every day – from portable oxygen concentrators, anesthesia systems, filters, CO2 monitors, oxygen tanks, and surgical conditions.  Also learned much from a recent port/pier survey as we prepare the ‘home’ for the Global Mercy (who is in Belgium being fitted) when she arrives in early 2023.  After living over 25 years on one of our ships, it was nice being on the water once again – though in a small boat – as seen in the photo – as we approach the pier – the same one used by the Anastasis and the Africa Mercy.   

Our volunteer surgeon is leaving in a couple of days – so I am pleased to share with you the final grand totals (30 June – 09 December 2021): 216 surgeries for 208 unique patients (127 women and 81 men – 182 adults and 26 children).  208 patients who do not need to wait for their healing for the Global Mercy coming later.  I continue to receive requests on potential patients who need surgical care – some I am able to say that may be possible and we will let you know when the patient selection team is in the country.  I received an email from one of our former patients who had surgery when he was a boy of four years old, we were able to get him in and he received his surgery last week and he wrote to me via text “I just want to say thanks to you a lot and the team of Mercy Ships  I’m so grateful that I’m becoming nice as I used to be, thanks a lot and God bless you”  For most requests, they have a surgical or medical need that Mercy Ships cannot address.  It is difficult to share that news with them as there are so few specialists in this country.    

Training for nurses continues through next week with specific subjects requested by the Chief of Nursing at the Ministry of Health – see photo.  So thankful for all that took place in 2021 – new relationships/partnerships, surgeries, strategic workshop, biomedical trainings, medical equipment donations, Mental Health training, and mentoring.  I am currently working on an official Mercy Ships Liberia 2021 report.  I continue to visit churches on Sundays – often given the opportunity to share a greeting and encouragement.  

I love Liberia and the people and I want to be a part of God’s love shared with them – receiving hope and healing.  As the Christian population is higher here than in other countries we have been in the past years, more churches have Christmas programs that I am enjoying, and even this week while waiting to meet with the SIM Country Director – one of their preschool classes was nearby and I just listening to the children singing carols in their sweet voices.

Our Mercy Ships Liberia team is getting smaller as many have left and four leave next week as they return to their homes.  In January, two team members are coming and a team of 12 coming in February.  I will utilize the time to help strategize and prepare for 2022. 
                                    Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year 

Prayer Requests: *Health and Safety for me, my team, and the people of Liberia.  *Wisdom and discernment and insight as I serve in this nation.