PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA--Pierre First United Methodist Church is sending a medical mission team of 13 people to the Dominican Republic May 15-25.  The team of two doctors, a pharmacist, three pre-med students, one physician’s assistant student, an undergraduate student majoring in education and other adults will assist people in the Samaná peninsula.

The Volunteers in Mission (VIM) team will work under the guidance of the Iglesia Evangelica Dominicana, Dominican Evangelical Church (IED).  The IED Church is the oldest Protestant church in the Dominican Republic. It is the product of U.S. Presbyterian and Methodist mission work in the late 1800's and celebrated its 90th anniversary as an independent church in 2012.

Ardell and Gordon Graner, originally from North Dakota, and United Methodist missionaries in the Dominican Republic, have established needed connections and relationships for the team’s efforts.  The group will stay in Santa Bárbara de Samaná,  a town and municipality in northeastern Dominican Republic and the capital of Samaná Province.  Each day they will travel to different areas in the Samaná peninsula. 

This region of the Dominican Republic has not had a medical mission team reach out to them previously.  “We will be providing general procedures and medical checks, mass deworming and health education,” said Julia Jones, VIM team coordinator.

The team will bring much-needed medicines and medical supplies to the villages they visit.  Medical supplies are being purchased through Blessings International and in the Dominican Republic. 

“We have several of the medicines and medical supplies purchased and hope to purchase more when we arrive,” said Jones.  The medical supplies are costly and donations are being accepted to cover the costs. 

The team also plans to distribute toothbrushes to many of the people they serve.  Donations of cash for medicines and medical supplies are needed.   There is also a need for toothbrushes—single or packs of multiple toothbrushes.  Donations can be sent to Pierre First UMC, 117 N. Central, Pierre, SD 57501.

Jones will be making her eighth VIM trip.  “The fruit of this trip will be a relationship with the people in the Samaná peninsula. We are going to learn the real needs of the people there.  It needs to be about what they would like. We would like to make this a continuing effort.”