PORT NECHES, Texas — 13 Members of a Port Neches church have returned from their medical mission trip to Malawi, Africa.
First Baptist Church Port Neches has been traveling to the country since 2019.
This is the sixth trip that First Baptist has organized, but was the first time they went to administer medical and dental aid.
Dentist Dr. Scott Bartlett tells 12News he will never take his medical or dental care for granted again as after treating people in Malawi who've waited years to get some of the most basic medical care.
"Just encourage them to try to find a way into Lilongwe the capital city and see you know the doctor, realizing that was probably never gonna happen," said Rob Jones, pastor of First Baptist.
Thousands of Mitundu villagers walked miles to Mintundu Baptist Church when the Southeast Texas medical missionaries were there in July.
They stood in line all day just to see a doctor.
"People were living with these infections for years, some of them for years and no access to care," Bartlett said.
Inside the church where Southeast Texas medical professionals assessing patients and providing care.
"Malaria testing and provide the antibiotics for the cure. There was a lot of just rheumatoid arthritis. So, we were able to get those people on some anti-inflammatory's. We were able to do quite a bit of blood pressure medication even on the dental side," Bartlett said.
Bartlett and Dental Hygienist Shelby Neal work together at Smiles By Design in Port Arthur and teamed up again in Africa to make a big difference.
"In the four days, we probably pulled about 600 teeth, Neal said.
The trip is not only about providing health care, but providing hope as well.
"For them to know that we were there not just providing eternal hope, but physical hope it really opened the doors for them to want to listen to us," Jones said.
Now that these missionaries are back home, they say they have a new appreciation for their lives in Southeast Texas.
"The amount of poverty we saw was truly heart breaking, but they were so grateful," Neal said.
"We know that we made an impact, but you know you always wish you would have seen one more," Bartlett said.
In total, Bartlett says they treated 1,522 dental and medical patients.