Mission Emanuel

The October project was so filled with powerful memories and experiences! It would take a book to record everything, but for this letter, I’ll select a few of my favorites.

Dr. Mark and Heather Johnson made great use of our new, beautifully equipped 2 room dental office. Mark and Heather were familiar with the equipment as all of it had come from their office in King, North Carolina. The need for dental care is great in this poor community. People literally die from abscessed teeth. A young girl named Kersy came to see Dr. Mark. She had to have ALL 25 of her teeth removed. Eight teeth were abscessed and the rest couldn’t be saved. She was brave throughout the whole terrifying ordeal, but her sister cried enough for both of them. Later at lunch, our team was challenged to pay for Kersy’s new dental plates. As always, the generosity of the Americans met the need.

One very special memory was after our prayer of dedication of the dental center by Dr. Mark and our DR dentist, Jose Manuel. The 40+ Dominicans and Americans that had crowded into the facility closed our dedication by singing “How Great Thou Art” at the top of their lungs in both languages. What a wonderful memory to carry with me always.
George Wetherill, age 82, was a vital part of our fall teams for 3 years. Last year, after the project, George remarked to Pastor Lee Zehmer that he would be coming back till he died. Last June, George transferred his residence to Heaven. He was a memorable character. He always had a story, a joke, a big smile, an encouraging word, or all of the above. He was deeply loved by all his Dominican and American friends. George never tired of telling everyone he met about the DR and Mission Emanuel. His last wish was to have some of his ashes placed on our hilltop in Cielo, the scene of many fond memories for him near Club Bamboo. His daughter, Megan, came down for the special memorial service led by Pastor Lee. Many, including me, gave fond tribute to this great loving man.

In the audience were many Dominican friends including Juan and Raphael whose families now live in the homes that George helped to build. His memory will not soon be forgotten!

The other highlight was to see Anna Harper’s dream come true. Her vision has been to see a large state-of-the-art physical therapy center built in the new Mission Emanuel Children’s Medical Center. Finally, her faithful planning, work, and collecting all the equipment came to be a reality. Anna was relentless in making this happen by involving almost everyone she knew to give money or buy all the necessary parts and pieces needed to complete the therapy center. It is probably the best equipped and certainly the most beautiful center in the Dominican Republic. Anna brought Deanna, another pediatric therapist, and they treated all of our 19 special needs children, and trained Aquilino, our staff therapist, to continue with their treatment. Anna also brought Lindsey, an artist, who painted a mural and decorated the center.

The quote, “Build it and they will come” is a reality here. A man from San Matas de Forfan, a 3 ½ hour drive, came to us to see if we had a walker for his 6-year old son who was now learning how to walk. This man had just heard of a young girl that we had helped the same way just 2 days before!

Our medical center still needs a lot of furnishings. If you would consider this and our continuous needs for medicine, prayerfully as we reach out in this poor area of this equally poor country, to extend the Good News of Christ along with mercy and love to “the least and the lost.”

God bless you as you extend your gratefulness to God during this Thanksgiving season and say a special prayer as we continue partnering with you in this ministry that is touching so many lives.

With great thanks,

Jack Larson
Director, Mission Emanuel