updates

Updates on people and
organizations in the book

THE SHANNON FAMILY: (as of 1996)

John Shannon resigned as director of Medical Group Missions in 1983. In 1985, John and Sheila left the Dominican Republic and returned to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where they continue to live. They live in a multi-cultural area with neighbors from China, Germany, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, Eastern Europe, and a variety of Central American and African countries.

John works with the Light House Harbor Ministries, a Christian outreach to seamen who visit the port of Vancouver from all over the world. He is business manager and supervises volunteers who staff a drop-in center where the seamen can phone home, socialize, and share in Christian ministry, entertainment and recreation.

Until recently Sheila worked for the Vancouver Health Department as nutritional counsellor to Latin American women in a Pregnancy Outreach Program, and as Spanish interpreter for community nurses (some of them former Medical Group Mission participants). She keeps in close touch with several Latin American families and volunteers in Christian outreach to single mothers from a variety of cultures.

Sheila writes: "When we were living with our children at La Posada on the beautiful Caribbean shore, we always pictured them as being scattered abroad in adult life. So we are pleasantly surprised to find all our children now living in Vancouver, and coincidentally, all within walking distance."

Anne graduated from Wheaton College (Illinois), returned to the DR and married Carlos Gómez in 1983. They worked for a time with Medical Group Missions, and Carlos trained as an ophthalmologist at the Elias Santana Hospital. They subsequently divorced, and after teaching school in Santo Domingo for two years, Anne moved to Vancouver (1991) with her son, Steven, who was born in April, 1986. They have their own apartment in John and Sheila's home. Steven has been able to visit Carlos and his family in Santo Domingo in the summer months.

Helen received a Bachelor's degree in science at Queen's University (Ontario). She went to Vancouver in 1986, worked at a family drop-in center and spent several months with the John Perkins family at their Harambee Community in Pasadena, California. In 1989 she married Len Dyck and has just completed a Masters Degree in Anatomy at the University of British Columbia. She works in the Pathology department in a lab where she did much of her research. Len teaches in the Biology Department of UBC.

John (known as "Johnny" in this book) was the first of the family to go to Vancouver in 1984 after he finished high school at Stony Brook in New York. He trained as a computer technician and works with Xerox Service Center. He has taken some biking trips and enjoys hiking the local mountains surrounding Vancouver. He is building a model railroad with Steven. In October 1994, he spent three weeks in the DR visiting old friends.

Joan ("Pinchie") graduated from Seattle Pacific University (1991) with a degree in Special Education. She currently works as a grade five teacher in an inner city school in Vancouver, BC. She is involved in her church, being a deacon and a member of the missions committee. Joan loves to travel. She spends a lot of her free time creating- paper crafts, card making, photography, book binding, scrap-booking, and journaling.

ANTHONY (TONY) CAMPOLO, Ph.D. is professor emeritus of Sociology at Eastern College, where he has served for more than 30 years. With the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education/Tony Campolo Ministries (EAPE/TCM), Dr. Campolo has provided the leadership to create, nurture and support programs for "at-risk" children in cities across the United States and Canada, and has helped establish schools and universities in several developing countries. He's a regular guest on wide-ranging television programs like Nightline, Crossfire, Politically Incorrect and CNN News. He co-hosted his own television series, Hashing It Out, on the Odyssey Network, and presently hosts From Across The Pond, a weekly program on the Premier Radio Network in England. The author of 28 books, his most recent titles are Revolution and Renewal: How Churches Are Saving Our Cities (Westminster John Knox) and Let Me Tell You a Story: Life Lessons From Unexpected Places and Unlikely People (WORD). Learn more about Tony at his website, www.tonycampolo.com.

TERRI DEES left her teaching job in 1997, and shortly thereafter, became Youth Director at Trinity United Methodist Church. She remained in that position for four years. In 2001, she returned to the ministry of teaching in the public high school, where she is actively involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She enjoys being in the same school with her husband Bill (football coach), son Zach (senior), and daughter, Sarah Kate (junior). Terri remains active with the youth at church as well, leading a Senior High Bible study, and continues teaching our adult Sunday school class.

KATHY & LAMAR STAUFFER continued their involvement with Medical Group Missions until their retirement in early 1994. Since 1978, LaMar has been Secretary of Property Coverage with the Mennonite Sharing Program out of Pennsylvania, which allowed him to continue his involvement with Medical Group Missions. Kathy works part time at a local Family Health Center. They live in Pennsylvania. Their son, Dino, is married and works in carpentry. Daughter Doreen does night duty home nursing for families whose children need respirators. Daughter Debra is married and is a medical program coordinator with Merck. Debra's daughter Rachel is the only grandchild as of this writing.

SUSAN, the nurse who looked after La Posada's pharmacy after Kathy Stauffer left, lives in Kentucky with her husband, David, and three children, Anne, Jonathan, and Christopher.

JACKIE PARKER became a medical doctor, and practices in Pennsylvania. She and her husband, Dr. Barry Silver, have two children – Lindsay and Danny.

The medical ministry we had at La Posada is now called MEDICAL MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL (MMI). MMI is more active than ever. Their move from La Posada was a painful one, but ultimately proved to be for the best. The ministry has grown tremendously since they have been headquartered in Santo Domingo, complete with the invaluable telephone and other conveniences. For project information, a current calendar and Fact Sheet, contact the US office of MMI: P.O. BOX 1339, Allen, TX 75013-0022, Phone: (972) 727-5864, Fax: (972) 727-7810, E-mail: mmitx@mmint.org. The Canadian address: 15 John St. N., Suite 301, Hamilton, ON L8R 1H1, phone (905) 524-3544, and fax (905) 524-5400, e-mail: mmican@mmint.org. MMI's web-site address is www.mmint.org.

MMI projects continue to grow in size and location, and as of this writing, number around 70 annually. MMI now builds hospitals and trains indigenous staff to run them. Project participants from North America continue to pay their own way to offer medical assistance to needy people in underdeveloped countries, and with those who help in the countries MMI serves; MMI has more than 3,000 volunteers annually. Together, these efforts see more than 250,000 patients annually in many different countries throughout the world.

MMI still collects used eyeglasses by the thousands for distribution in several countries. Eyeglasses, surgical/medical supplies, unexpired medicines and medical equipment in good working condition can be shipped to the Texas warehouse: MMI Eyeglass Collection Center, 3101 North 21 St., Suite J, McAllen, TX 78501. Medical supplies and equipment can be sent to the Pennsylvania warehouse, 106 Shamrock Lane, Parkesburg, PA 19365. E-mail: mmipa@mmint.org.

Madonna Yates wrote a wonderful book called Million Dollar Vacations (1984, reprinted in paperback, 1993), documenting her family's adventures on six medical projects. Madonna's book is from a medical professional participant's viewpoint. Copies are available through the MMI/Texas office.