The Search for Potential Surgical Patients for Madagascar 2024 has Started 
Surgical Patient Registration in twelve cities around Madagascar:  Antananarivo, Toamasina, Vavatenina, Brickaville, Amparafaravola, Miarinarivo, Itasy, Ambilobe, Sofia; Melaky, Ihorombe, and Fitovinany.   
All on the same dates: 11 – 29 March on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays = 12 days.  As I shared in my last update that since I returned in August 2023, I made promises to people to provide them with the necessary information, which I did through WhatsApp, Messenger, Email, text, and in person. 
Yesterday I had the opportunity to join the patient selection team working here in the port city.  Our day started at 1:30 am at the largest hospital.  One of their team members is my friend, and his neighbor is a tuk-tuk driver, and so we had transport to get there.  When we arrived, we found more than 200 people under the palm trees on the beach.  I joined my friend at the main entrance, handing out tickets to potential patients (my favorite location during the larger mass screenings Mercy Ships did in the past).  Then I switched over to the pre-screening – primarily just holding up a flashlight and umbrella as it continued to rain.  It was at this location the potential surgical patients shared details on their need for surgery.  Once we got the people inside the building, I helped with crowd control and getting people to the right locations.  I greeted each of them with a smile and the greeting here of: “Salama” and with the older ones, “Salama Tompoko,” which is more respectful.  Some wanted to hear more of my Malagasy language – I shared all I knew, and some laughed, but that’s fine with me.  With the young ones, I would demonstrate the fist bump and then see if they would fist bump with me – success with all except for one little guy who started to cry.  Parents brought their children needing surgery, including unilateral (one side of the lip) 

and bilateral (both sides of the lip) cleft lips, two sweet little girls with cleft palates, a boy with severely bowed legs whose papa was with him.  They both have the same look and amazing smile.  Many others came with facial tumors.  

Photo Caption:  Surgical Patient Selection Poster – try and see if you understand the Malagasy language.  
One aspect that is new to me is that this same team handles selection for all surgical patients —including ophthalmic (eye) surgeries. In previous seasons of Mercy Ships, the Eye Team made their own selection separately. So yesterday, we had a good number of older people blind from cataracts, and getting them from station to station takes a bit more, though most all came with a caregiver. 
I have really missed being a part of the patient selection process. 
Still while in Liberia in 2022, I was invited and was on the patient selection team in Senegal and for the planning for patient selection in The Gambia.  While I was the Country Director in Liberia, we already began discussing how we would reach out for surgical patient selection to 15 counties of Liberia.    

I found great joy in being a part of this activity and found myself smiling. 
Since August, all that I have been doing in getting containers with medical and non medical supplies cleared through customs, arrangements for the hospital ship at the port and all the required services, and some with immigration for our incoming volunteers, is for patients in Madagascar so they may receive the hope and healing.   Please pray as the team continues – they have eight more days in 12 locations around Madagascar.  

May we continue to Love God and Love and Serve Others.