On Saturday morning January 26, 2008, 30 people from North America met 5 more people in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to begin a two week missionary project. Six Asburians were among those to arrive in the DR. People from North Dakota, Connecticut, Michigan, California, and Canada in addition to the people from Wichita, Fort Scott, Arlington, Andover, McPherson, Marion and Kansas City were represented.

The group had a mixture of physicians, medical students, dentists, nurse anesthetists’, pharmacists, nurses, physicians’ assistants as well as almost 25% of the group who had no medical experience at all. We all worked together for 2 weeks out of a camp made for us in a Christian School and orphanage in Monte Plata, which is a small town about 2 hours away from Santo Domingo. We were divided into a medical and a surgical team that helped care for local Dominicans. The medical clinic team was able to travel by school bus each day to a different village to provide primary care services, dental services, health education and evangelical witness to the people. A total of 798 patients were seen by the providers and 2910 prescriptions were given out during our stay. Dental services were provided to 120 Dominicans also.

The surgical team was able to make use of a local hospital. We brought our own supplies and equipment and were able to see 163 patients in consultation for surgical problems. Surgery was performed on 108 of those patients during our stay. We were able to provide all the supplies and anesthesia for these procedures with donated materials.

The real blessing received was that through the work of those present, 37 Dominican’s heard the gospel and received Christ as a personal savior. Each of these people was then connected with the local churches to provide discipleship as they grow in their faith. This represented the 12th year that someone from Asbury has gone to the DR on a mission trip and next years trip is already being planned for January 24 thru February 6, 2009. Keep those dates in you plans, either to go, help send someone or be a pray warrior for those who do go.