“Traveling abroad is not without risk. Knowledge, understanding, and appreciation for cultures and inherent undertones of countries is vital in making sure that teams who go to serve are aware of potential dangers. Consultation with a professional and fluent security organization like Fang Protective Services, gives teams peace of mind in knowing what to look for, how to protect themselves to the best of their abilities, early insight to possible dangers, and a resource for immediate help if needed.”
David H. Beyda MD, Medical Director
Medical Mercy
Please accept this as a letter of endorsement – and thanks – for the service you provided for our recent women’s trip to Kenya.
Each year for the past 5 years, a team of women have been traveling to the Masai region of Kenya to work with our sponsored children and their mothers. The programs they have been part of has transformed the ministry the children receive, and has empowered the women in countless ways.
The trip this year was scheduled to leave on Thursday, September 26. On Saturday, September 21, terrorists attacked the Westgate Mall in Nairobi. This created a great concern to us regarding the safety of the women, and the women and their families were contacting us to abandon the trip. I was immediately placed in touch with you, Sherry, and we walked through the process over that weekend. You helped us in our communication to the team. In addition, you helped us modify our plans to reduce the risk to the team. This included changing to Land Rovers from a single bus, avoiding the normal activities they would have engaged in in Nairobi, the addition of a security team and other modifications to the itinerary.
On Monday, you hosted a conference call with our Corporate Services/Risk Management Director and me. You then provided a written security assessment. Later that afternoon, I hosted a conference call with the women’s team, as well as with any of their family members that wanted to join. I read the security briefing and covered the changes in the itinerary, as well as the addition of the security team.
There were lots of questions from the team and their families, and your preparation and communication with me allowed me to answer most of them. There were 20 women scheduled to be on the trip. At the end of the conference call, I asked each team member to consider the information, and to pray about whether or not they were to be on the team. They were to notify us the next morning and let us know if they were going to Kenya on this trip.
On Thursday, September 26, 19 women boarded the plane. They had an amazing time of ministry, and it was one of our most successful teams. The women felt safe, and were kept out of the chaos of Nairobi. Without your counsel, Sherry, the trip would have been cancelled and the women and children of the Masai would have missed this special time of ministry.
As a result of this trip, we are conducting a complete review of security for all of our teams that travel. Your assistance was invaluable. We are grateful for your service and look forward to working with you in the future.
Because One Child Matters,
Mark Pluimer,
One Child Matters