KRB Update #2208 – End of Field Service
Keith R. Brinkman with Mercy Ships               13 June 2015
Hello from the Africa Mercy somewhere in the Mozambique Channel, Indian Ocean as we have left Madagascar and are heading to Durban, South Africa for our shipyard/drydock phase.  Our field service to Madagascar has come to an end after eight months in this nation.  For me, it has been longer as I had the privilege to come in with the assessment and advance teams back in September.  Here at the end, we hosted our partners on board to thank them for their partnership.  Our thank you event for our amazing Malagasy day crew was filled with great food, fellowship, short performances of song and dance and more food and goodbyes for some, but for most it is only ‘Till August’ when we return.  I am currently in the process of reviewing 35 individual project reports from the hospital, medical capacity building, capacity building and support programs and mercy ministries.  These reports are our official documentation of the project noting our activities, challenges, responses and recommendations, what worked well and success stories and/or participant feedback.  Plus I am writing some summary reports and finalizing our statistics as we strive for excellence and integrity.  Here are a few charts showing some numbers, knowing that each number represents a person’s lives who has been impacted during this field service.

A short update on Sambany:  a small group from the ship joined him for the journey home to his village.  They drove as far as they could go and then a day and half walking.  Along the path, his wife (see the photo) was coming towards them and she didn’t even recognize her husband.  They had a joyful reunion as she thought he had died as it had been so long and there was no means of communications to her or anyone in the village.  Sambany was welcoming home by his village.  The group from the ship that joined on this adventure shared with the entire ship community what the experience was like.  A short update about Stani Junior, I talked with him prior to leaving and he returned home safely to his village, family and friends.  He shared with people that Jesus had healed him.  He inquired of me as that there is another person in his village with a similar problem.  He has encouraged the person to come for the screening for consideration to be selected for surgery.

While we are in South Africa, I am working on our preparations for Madagascar II – all of our project plans including their budgets, being the liaison for the Advance Team in Madagascar and taking some time to rest.  Thank you all your support – through your prayers, encouragement, and financial support – together we were able to bring hope and healing to the people of Madagascar and it is not the end as we return there in early August.

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