 News Marco did not need to say anything—the instant smile that burst across his face when he put on his new glasses let everyone know he was overjoyed.
Although he’d suffered with poor vision for years, Marco had never been able to afford a visit to the eye doctor. His first opportunity for an eye exam came during the Samaritan’s Purse Community Medical Outreach at West Burnsville Baptist Church in western North Carolina. The March 28-29 event provided free vision, dental, and medical care in Jesus’ Name. More than 100 of our medical volunteers, hailing from 16 states, showed God’s love to 294 patients.
Marco drove two hours to our clinic. He said that since he commutes to work, the glasses he received from Samaritan’s Purse will make his drive much easier.
Every eye patient picks out their frames while their lenses are made on site. Upon completion, the glasses are fitted to the patient.
Marco’s experience at our clinic was unique because his new glasses were presented to him by Edward Graham, Samaritan’s Purse chief operating officer. Graham walked through the lens-crafting process with our opticians and then blessed Marco with his first-ever pair of glasses.
Graham also saw the work of our dental and medical teams and encouraged them as they served people in need from Burnsville and other nearby areas.
“Burnsville is a community I’ve been in several times since Hurricane Helene,” Graham said. “Samaritan’s Purse came here with helicopters and disaster relief, and then we started rebuilding homes that were destroyed. We want people to know that God loves them so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ.”
Larry Raymond, Community Medical Outreach program manager, said that caring for spiritual needs is just as important as meeting physical needs. At every step of the patient experience—check-in, the waiting room, the exam, and being discharged—staff members, chaplains, and volunteers are ready to listen, pray, and share the eternal hope of the Gospel.
“We’re seeing God moving, and we’re just following His footsteps,” Raymond said. “He keeps giving us new opportunities to reach people.”
Welcomed with Love
Elvia and her son Eddy called Burnsville home for many years. But after a tree sliced through their house during Hurricane Helene, they moved about an hour away to Morganton. Elvia still commutes to Burnsville for work, and her worsening eyesight was turning the drive into a stressful and potentially dangerous situation.
Financial struggles had kept her from seeing an eye doctor for nearly four years. She had to pay the funeral expenses for both her mother and father, and then other bills started piling up.
“I have needed glasses for a long time,” Elvia said. “I’m very excited to be here today.”
Eddy was only at the clinic because he drove his mother and had not planned to receive any medical services. But after encouragement from the team, he decided to have his vision checked and discovered that his prescription needed updating. Like his mother, he also left the clinic with new glasses.
Eddy is thankful for the doctor who prayed with him and helped ease his nerves. He said that he and his mother felt loved from the moment they walked through the church doors.
“It feels like a family here. We felt really welcomed. Everyone wants to get to know you.”
In addition to vision screenings, patients were thankful for our dental team that provided cleanings, fillings, and extractions.
Marilyn Stanley is a dental hygienist from Boone who served in Burnsville, as well as in Marshall last year, because she knows what it means to be in need—and not know where to turn. She thanks the Lord for sending Samaritan’s Purse volunteers to help after her home was damaged by a mudslide during Hurricane Helene in 2024.
Stanley was thrilled when she learned about the opportunity to use her skills to serve people through Community Medical Outreach. She especially enjoyed doing dental cleanings for children, as her background in pediatric dentistry helped her put the boys and girls at ease.
“I’m so thankful to be able to give back,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the next outreach.”
Felix Martin del Campo, a dentist and Samaritan’s Purse board member, has served during multiple Community Medical Outreaches. He continues to volunteer because he wants to see people come to faith in Jesus Christ.
“Everyone who is seen here has had someone share the Gospel with them. Sharing the Gospel is why we’re here.”
Coming Alongside Local Churches
Every Community Medical Outreach starts with a local church partnership.
“We want to empower churches to serve the community, to wrap their arms around the community, and to expand the outreach that they’re already doing,” Raymond said. “The goal is that the church reaches their neighbor.”
Samaritan’s Purse partnered with West Burnsville Baptist in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. We are now at work building a facility on the church property that will help serve as a base for our U.S. Rebuild teams that are rebuilding, replacing, and repairing homes in the region.
The Community Medical Outreach is a continuation of our partnership and our commitment to come alongside local congregations as they stand as faithful witnesses for Christ.
“I was in awe when Samaritan’s Purse staff said they wanted to do this community outreach clinic here. I was just elated,” said Chris Fox, pastor of West Burnsville. “We’ve had a lot of prayers and preparation. We did a 40-day prayer focus and prayed for God’s will to be done during this time.”
Pastor Fox had been at the church less than two years when Helene hit. Despite the horrific devastation, he was overwhelmed with gratitude to God for how his congregation worked together to care for their community in the Name of Jesus. He sees the recent medical outreach as a way for the church to continue building relationships and investing in the people around them.
“We’re here to reach out to the least of these. People are hurting, and they’re wounded spiritually and in terms of their health needs,” he said. “My prayer is that after this outreach event, people will truly see the love and the light of Jesus Christ and how much His people care for them. Ultimately, I pray that they would come to have a relationship with Him.”
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