KRB Update 2145 Programs Reporting Time

KRB Update #2145 October 16, 2009 Programs Reporting Time
With almost 400 people living and serving on board, one of the ways to share with the ship community what is happening in Programs on and off the ship is by conducting our Programs Reporting Times on Friday mornings at 07:45-08:15 in the International Lounge on the Africa Mercy. As Programs Administrator for the Africa Mercy, I am responsible to coordinate and arrange everything for these meetings and to serve as the MC and Audio/Visual guy. Even though this is an optional meeting, we normally have 80 – 100 people in the room to listen and others watch via the video camera system.

Here is a list of projects that have shared or will share before we stop next month:
Hospital
Surgical Screening, Maxillo-facial Surgeries, Plastic Surgeries, Orthopaedic surgeries, VVF surgeries, ICU Nurses, Infant Feeding, Ward Nurses, Hospital Counselors, Dental Team including their counselor, Field Eye Team, Ship Eye Team, Adopt-A-Patient, Hospitality Center and Palliative and Outpatient Care
Health Care Development
Construction of Dormitory/Training Facility with Bethesda, Construction of Pediatric Orthopaedic Clinic with OSAREH, Church Leaders’ Conferences, Agriculture Training, Administrative Personnel Training, Biomedical Technician Training and Mental Health Training
Mercy Ministry
Missionaries of Charity, Maison de l’Exellence, Maison de l’Esperance, Jardin d’Eden Children’s Home, Jesus Film in French and local languages, C.E.O. Boy’s Home, School of the Deaf, Jacquot Psychiatric Clinic, and Fondation Regard d’Amour.

For some projects, I offer the speaker 12-13 minutes and thus we would have two speakers. For other projects including those which may have multiple speakers, I offer them the entire 25 minutes to share. For some, this will be the first time to speak in front of a crowd and for others it may be the first time to give a speech in English. I start with a welcome to the crew and then share the opportunities in Programs that we are inviting them to sign up and join us – these may be going to an orphanage, helping to paint and clean at a construction site, and adopt-a-patient in the hospital. I will also share with the crew on the opportunities to attend a local church where transportation is provided and where English translation is available. Many of our speakers share and use Power Point to help visualize and then I posted them on Navigator (Mercy Ships intranet system) for others elsewhere in the Mercy Ships world to view (hopefully for next year, I will be able to post the audio of the reporting time).

Programs Reporting Time

Part of my responsibilities including coordinating and hosting Friday morning’s Programs Reporting Time – the opportunity for representatives from our Programs areas – the Hospital and HealthCare Development. In this photo, I am sharing with the crew the opportunities that are available for them to sign up and join us at various locations.

MC Community Meeting


MC Community Meeting
Originally uploaded by keith.brinkman

Last night, I had the privilege to be the MC for our Community Meeting. This is a weekly meeting on Thursday evening for the entire community. We usually start with a welcome, reading from the Bible (I read from Psalm 103), announcements, offering, praise and worship and then the message. Our speaker this week was Pastor Ernest from a local church and married to a former director of the Anastasis. It is followed by fellowship in Town Square.

Assessment at AD clinic review map

At times, I have the privilege to serve on our assessment teams as we prepare for the future field services for the Africa Mercy. Recently, I was able to be a part of our team in Lome, Togo, the neighboring nation to Benin, as we prepare for the 2010 field service. We meet with governmental officials, leaders of the churches and with various missionary and non-governmental organizations. In this photo, we are visiting a clinic/hospital under construction by the Assembly of God church. This may be an option for our construction team to work with them to finish the first level and thus able to open the clinic to serve the people.

Hevie Dormitory Opening Ceremony

This is a photo of the Dormitory and Agriculture Training Facility that we constructed in cooperation and partnership with a local organization called Bethesda. At the same time the construction was going on, our Agriculture Trainer was training some of their staff in Biblical agriculture. Their staff will continue on with 3 month training courses with new trainees. This photo was from the Opening Ceremony.

Daslin Children Home Abomey Sept 09

While attending and helping with the IMCI course Mercy Ships was conducting at the public hospital in Abomey, we stayed at our friend Daslin’s children home – they have some guest rooms. This is a photo of some of the children as we prepared to leave – many of the children were not there that day. I think the boys on the top of the Land Rover thought I was taking them to Cotonou with me.

In Abomey with Noelle


Abomey Noelle Keith
Originally uploaded by keith.brinkman

Noelle is the girl in my arms and she had just ran up and jumped into my arms – she is a patient at the hospital in Abomey (4 hours from Cotonou) where we were conducting the IMCI training. She is there for poisoning from swallowing caustic substance and it has affected her esophagus and has a feeding tube. If you think of her, please pray for her and her family.

Benin Greeting for Men


Benin Head
Originally uploaded by keith.brinkman

When we first arrived in February in Benin, our Advance Team shared that the proper way men greet each other is a head butt of sort – four time from side to side – after practising with my neighbor David, we later learn that it is not the common greeting. But at the IMCI graduation, I was asked to present one participant his certificate, so I attempted to do it right – as you see from the expressions, they thought it was a bit humorous.