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While the world makes strides to recover from the pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 isn’t over yet. Around the world, accessible health care is needed now more than ever. Ongoing restrictions and lockdowns have been tough on our health care professionals, families, and local leaders. This means that the ways care is provided have changed—especially for organizations like Medical Ministry International, which brings health care services to developing nations through one and two-week Project Teams and works to establish and support Health Care Centers, increasing access to quality care. Medical Ministry International provides spiritual and compassionate health care to countries around the world. Their work brings together traditional faith and cutting-edge technology to make health care more accessible everywhere. Stories like Claudia’s and Maria’s show the incredible value of compassionate support and spiritual care—both of which are made stronger through donor support. The work of Medical Ministry International is only possible thanks to the generosity of donors worldwide and the incredible commitment of international leaders. Every day, these outstanding leaders assess their communities’ needs, establish trusting relationships with local health care providers, and shape programs based on the unique needs of the population they serve. The impact is overwhelmingly positive. In 2021, international leaders supervised the care of over 41,000 patients on project teams and local initiatives, and an additional 86,000 patients were cared for at partnering Health Care Centers. That means over 405,000 life-changing health services were affordable and accessible for vulnerable people worldwide in need, from vision care to general surgery, to education, and so much more. In Azerbaijan, MMI has provided 10,000 vision services each year through the Caspian Compassion Project, a Vision Care Center in Baku. MMI also works with the UNHCR to provide glasses to internally displaced people currently settled in Baku. This year, you can help provide health care to even more people across the world. Donations to MMI make it possible to provide vulnerable people in remote regions of the world dental care that reduces pain and revives smiles, vision care that restores the priceless gift of sight, and life-changing surgeries that give people the ability to live the lives they deserve. As Health Care Centers grow, they become largely self-supporting, in which case the organization assists with specific needs for land, buildings, renovations, and equipment. While donor support makes an incredible impact in all areas of MMI’s work, there are many more ways to support accessible health care worldwide. By joining a one or two-week Project Team as an international volunteer participant, you can put your skills to use and make a difference, building medical capacity for the long term. With your help, MMI gives isolated communities a chance to fight back against extreme poverty, creating lasting change through compassionate, holistic care. Apply now to volunteer or donate online to support local health care programs. Visit www.mmi.org

TUrning Shattered Dreams Around Claudia is an enthusiastic teacher from Ghana who has many ambitions for her future. Her story is yet to be written, whether it’s pursuing higher education, starting a family, or serving her community. But her life came to an abrupt halt in her late 20’s, when she developed non-cancerous growths called fibroids in her uterus. Each day, she woke up weakened by pain and fatigued by a steady loss of blood. Unable to work, Claudia had to take leave from her job several times. “My life was at a standstill as I was always in and out of hospitals. My finances went down the drain, my dream for further studies shattered,” Claudia says. It became clear that a myomectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the growth, was her only option. Not only was Claudia’s anemia impacting her quality of life, but the fibroids in her uterus could also destroy her chance of having children. Fortunately, your compassion allowed MMI to be there! Despite a long and difficult surgery, the growth was removed, and Claudia began her journey to recovery. With your help, Claudia received financial support and personalized care. “MMI was very caring,” says Claudia. “They called me, prayed with me and even visited me at home when I was discharged. The surgeons also made time to follow up with my doctors in Ghana.” Today, Claudia says her life has all but returned to normal “by the grace of God.” And it’s also thanks to donors like you! While she continues to focus on living a healthy life, she believes the future will only get better with God on her side.

See Life-Changing moments Last March, a Medical Ministry International team traveled to Chuspiyacu, a small village in a remote region of Ecuador, to set up a mobile clinic. At noon that day, the team met Maria. Her reason for visiting the clinic was immediately clear: she had trouble seeing and was experiencing pain in her legs. As a rural farmer, Maria sews her own clothes and makes a modest living, growing beans, potatoes, and corn. But she was concerned—tasks that were once easy had become much more complex, and her husband had recently passed. With no one else to rely on, how would she feed or clothe herself if her body stopped cooperating? After a short assessment, Medical Ministry International provided pain medication and physiotherapy exercises to significantly improve her condition and reading glasses. She was given a needle and thread, familiar tools to put her new glasses to the test. After a few moments, a huge smile broke out across her face. For the first time in months, she was able to pass the thread through the eye of the needle!