2012 Schedule: Haiti - March 16-25 Kenya - July 1-14 Tanzania - July 15-29 Honduras - September 22-29
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What is MRI?
Our Vision Medical Relief International exists to provide dental, medical and humanitarian aid, or other services deemed necessary for the benefit of all people in need, and to network with other agencies to help them fulfill this vision.
Our History Although Medical Relief International was founded in 2005, the ministry really began over 20 years ago with a small group of dentists who responded to an invitation from a mission organization in Haiti to provide medical/dental care. MRI now serves the medical/dental needs in Haiti, Central America, Africa, the Philippines, and is open to serving in any other country where there is a like-minded organized mission who requests our service.
Our Future MRI is expanding our horizons, perfecting a transferable and sustainable model of our holistic approach that will transfer to locations all over the world. This will be accomplished by networking with other organizations and will continue to bring our expertise together in one common cause.
Our Distinctives What separates MRI from other humanitarian organizations? What makes us so special? We don't answer every call for help, but we work with established organizations who are currently ministering to populations in need. We empower missionaries who are in the daily grind, enabling them to reach more people with their message of hope. We also realize that the future of MRI rests in the hands of the next generations. Therefore we invest in students to carry on the work, as well as leading short-term teams to various locations around the world.
Haiti
2011
March 18-27 This year we have a team of 20 individuals that will split into 3 different groups and set up clinics in Port au Prince, Ferrier and Passe Catabois. Each team will have a number of dentists and dental students, and in Passe Catabois we will have a doctor as part of the team to help Dr. Anne Marie at the hospital/clinic. Once we arrive in Port au Prince the groups split up and two teams head for a smaller airport to fly north on a Haitian airplane, which is an experience in and of itself. Then the two teams will travel by vehicle, one group forging over a river in small boats to get to the locations where the clinics will be set up.
To give you an understanding of the need in these areas, Dr. Anne Marie is the only permanent physician for hundreds of thousands of people in the Passe Catabois area. We have prepared for the cholera outbreak to keep our teams safe and even will be taking some supplies and educational materials to help the people in these areas care successfully for this terrible, life-threatening sickness. We depend upon your prayers, for they are essential to a positive outcome of this mission!
Please, please...tell your medical professionals about MRI! Forward them this email, or send them to our website, or give us their contact information, and we will let them know about the tremendous need for them to serve with us.
2010
Janet Darling reports (March 22):End of day and we are beat. 125 patients-85 med/40 dental. Shed a few tears for the interpreters. One lost his 20 year old ...son. The other lost a college friend who was sitting next to him in class. Still the Haitians smile. (March 23)
At 4:45 each morning we awake to a Haitian church service. Now called "The Church Over The Wall." The preacher begins by singing several songs over the bullhorn and then preaches a firey 30 m sermon. Jesus said to let them preach and to rise early to worship. We are repenting for not being able to sleep longer but they are full of joy and gathering every day! Father please forgive us!!! (March 24) So tired...Assisted with 85 year old for cleaning & 1 tooth extraction. He really had beautiful teeth. But then a young girl had 5 teeth removed & really needed more. I now know how to clean, extract, fill, file, & make partials. Don't fall asleep at my place when I get home as I have a new hobby! (March 26) Its our final night in Haiti. Phone is having difficulties with some keys. Worked in Merger today. Most fun was the classes we had for kids. teaching them to brush their teeth while at the same time giving them a floride treatment.
Zack Mays reports (March 23)Not hard to see how so many people died when you see the devastation! Unreal some of the things we've witnessed!!! We are seeing around 130 patients/day and everyone on the team is well. We've also rebuilt one of the houses on campus that crumbled in the quake. Still much to do and never enough time. Pictures posted by Zack on March 28
Michael Mays reports (March 27) Today was bitter sweet...said bye to half of the MRI team as they left this morning, we miss you already! Monday and Tuesday we will be going to a place that has not had any medical attention since the quake so we will need all the prayers we can get. Miss you all
John White reports (March 27) Just a short note. We have been here in Bolosse for 10 days. I have been an Ophthalmologist for 3 days and Dental Assistant/Dentist for 3 days and a construction worker for 3 days. I haven't really used my french in 22 years, but it is coming in handy especially when we are short on translators. It's great to see people smile when you are able to help them read without trouble or relieve them of tooth pain or rebuild the wall to their home.
We also spent some time in Merge, a small town of 2500 in the middle of sugar cane fields that have no business infrastructure left. The people in the shanty towns of Port Au Prince have many times what these people have.The only thing going on in that town is prostitution, gangs and voodoo. There is only 1 small church in the middle of town that is trying to pull the people out of their poverty. The main street is a 2 ft deep ditch that runs the length of the town.
We are heading out to Carforfeuille (sp) on Monday and Tuesday. It's been 2 months since the quake and they have not seen any medical or dental relief. About half the country has not see any aid at all. We'll do what we can with what we have as half the team has had to head back to the states (about 14 persons remaining).
Bill Mays reports (March 29) Today we set up clinic amidst the rubble at a church in a town that has not yet received aid. My friend, Dr. Milo and his wife were killed here. Here is a video of the clinic as we set it up this morning.
John White reportskites in haiti (March 29) I took some time on a break this afternoon to fly kites with some of the kids in Corfuviel (this area has not seen any medical relief since the earthquake). They make them out of 5 pieces of stick, some twine and a plastic bag. We had 20 kites flying in the air from the rooftops. They taught me how to make them dip and do circles. It was definately a highlight.
2009 "What's hurting you?" "Open your mouth wide." "You'll feel pressure, but let me know when you feel pain." These were phrases repeated hundreds of times during this past week with the dental teams that went to 3 different locations in Haiti. The team of 29 included 15 dental students, physicians and dentists, who encountered some unusual emergent situations (a finger amputation that had to be cauterized with an oil lamp, hernia repairs and cyst removals).
This was probably the most difficult and intense trip ever. One of our teams was in a very remote location in the mountains when 6 men with automatic weapons broke into the compound and stole the solar panels off the Cyber Café where they were staying. The police wouldn't come because they only had side arms. Bruce McMartin, the missionary we were partnering with, prayed with his church leaders that God would show His power in retrieving the panels and God would get the glory. “I prayed harder than I really felt inside, knowing that solar panels are never recovered,” Bruce admitted. But over 300 people in the community, in an uproar, fanned out and found them in a nearby ravine. They were incredibly heavy, and had been hidden in order to pick up later. Although the 6 men were eventually found and arrested, there were some sleepless nights (with blankets for doors in the sleeping quarters).
The Haitian people not only received the gentle, healing touch of our medical teams, but also experienced the miracle of answered prayer. The medical teams also gave more exposure and credibility to Pastor Johnny, who is ministering in a new community that has been closed to him and his message. We were able to spend time with mayors of various municipalities and also provided much needed lab jackets to the dental school in Port Au Prince.
What separates Medical Relief International from other medical relief organizations? We empower the missionaries who are in the daily grind, enabling them to reach more people with their message of hope and redemption, in a God who desires a personal relationship with all people, not willing that any should perish.
phrases repeated hundreds of times during this past week with the dental teams that went to 3 different locations in Haiti. The team of 29 included 15 dental students, physicians and dentists, who encountered some unusual emergent situations (a finger amputation that had to be cauterized with an oil lamp, hernia repairs and cyst removals).