| Keith Robert Brinkman 02 March 2024 |
 Photo Caption: The Africa Mercy at Mole A in Toamasina – Photo Credit: Lisa Having the Africa Mercy in Toamasina feels great – much has happened during the first month. For me, I continue to live in the Country Engagement Team apartment in town and either walk, take a tuk tuk or pouse pouse to get to the main gate for the port and then walk the 13 minutes to the Africa Mercy. I have enjoyed some meals in the renovated dining room as I sit with friends I have known for over 20 years and with new friends.  Photo Caption: View from Town Hall towards the beach on the Avenue De l’Independance with the tuk tuks and pousse pousse (bicycle version) The Ministry of Public Health of Madagascar and Mercy Ships have agreed on the locations for the surgical patient selection process in Madagascar for 2024 – the cities are: Antananarivo, Analamanga / Toamasina, Atsinanana / Vavatenina, Analanjirofo / Brickaville, Atsinanana / Amparafaravola, Alaotra-Mangoro / Miarinarivo, Itasy / Maevatanana, Betsiboka / Ambilobe / Diana Antsohihy, Sofia / Morafenobe; Melaky / Ihosy, Ihorombe / Manakara, Fitovinany. We await the actual dates and exact locations for each city. Since I returned in August 2023, I have made promises to people here in Toamasina to provide them with the necessary information. I often share that you may know a family member or friend locally or back in the village who our team would never see if you didn’t assist us in providing the information and maybe even getting them and going to the site together. Our hospital on board will open after the patient selection process is completed. Please pray that those we can help, will hear the message, have the courage and come and that more healthcare professionals will volunteer and join.  Photo Caption: a 40′ shipping container arrives at Mole A full of frozen food – 15,395 KG or 33,940 pounds to unload In my role as Port Liaison, my responsibilities involve the customs clearance processes for our shipping containers and air freight shipments. Each country where Mercy Ships operates the requirements are different. With Annick’s help, we learned the system in Liberia as we had about a dozen containers with donations that arrived. Here in Madagascar, I have and continue to understand the process for customs clearances in accordance with our protocol with the host government. This is includes a detail invoice of eight columns include source, category, HTS code, unit of measurement, packing list with details, weights in detail, etc. Most of our containers come from our European Distribution Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and the International Support Center in Lindale, Texas. After reviewing the information, I work to produce official documents which need to be signed and stamped by the officials in the capital. I work closely with our AGL Clearing Agents to make the delivery of the containers and air freight to the Africa Mercy as smooth as possible. Though as you have seen on the news with the problems in the Red Sea and container ships traveling around Africa, there have been delays. In additional to customs clearance, I am learning about diesel fuel for the vessel and those requirements, inspection permissions, lube oil, a/c gases, and also the removal of oily water and slude. Many of our former day crew (local workers) from 2014 to 2016 applied to work again with the ship, and the selections were made and contracts signed. So it is fulfilling to see some of them already serving, and others will join when the hospital opens. Additional Prayer Requests: *Safety on the road between the capital and port city – due to the heavy rains, the road has been more challenging to travel. *Health for our crew, day crew, staff, incoming patients, and myself. May we continue to Love God and Love and Serve Others. |
Keith R. Brinkman
Serving with Mercy Ships
