Rescue Task Force, Temecula, CA (2026)

Rescue Task Force is an agile and innovative non-profit organization whose mission is to alleviate suffering and provide developmental aid to those who have been marginalized by geography or economic deprivation.

07/28/2026

The Sun Never Sets on RTF!!!

Supplies for the Boy’s Dorm in war torn Burma
Honduras Dental team
Cambodia Water Filters
Cambodia Wheelchairs

To see the Rescue Task Force newsletter with proper picture placement, and more pictures, please visit our web site homepage: www.rescuetaskforce.org

July, 2026

Dear Donors, Friends and Supporters in so many ways,

“Around the World, Around the Clock.” That’s an ambitious motto for a small organization like ours. We may be small, but with YOUR help we are mighty and Around the World indeed: Today we bring you mission reports from two continents that couldn’t be further apart.
Steven and Gary

From Steven:

We start in Myanmar (Burma), in self-proclaimed “Karenland”, following up and adding to our November 2025 letter, which focused mostly on our - and their first-ever - dental clinic. In that letter we met Muh (not her real name), who moved with her young child from the relative physical and economic safety of Thailand to help her people, the Karen, across the border in Burma.

Her village, as we discussed and whose name and exact location are not mentioned for security reasons, is the largest and “safest” of the Karen settlements. (Safest is in quotes because no Karen village is safe from the Burmese government, though this village is one of the very few that has not been devastated by bombs). With current occupants numbering around 2,000, it serves as a kind of relocation center for those displaced Karen whose own villages have been destroyed.

Muh is nothing short of an Angel, working tirelessly and with great sacrifice to give Karen children a home and education, and hopefully a brighter future. Despite the many other challenges, she teaches, runs the dormitories, and has adopted several orphaned children who had nowhere to go and no one else to turn to.

Muh inspires me to do more.

Muh and Steven discussing the village last year.

The bomb threats prevented us from seeing Muh on our most recent (May) trip to Karenland, but we remain in touch and a few weeks ago she reached out to us in urgent need for help with the Boy’s Dormitory.

Resources for the dormitory and school were stretched beyond the breaking point, and children were going without food or the ability to study; some even lacked a bed to sleep in.

They are siblings but they have no parents

The Boys dorm.

Saw Moo Pla Shen is 6 years old and in 1st grade.
He aspires to be a medical doctor, and really wanted to go to school, but he is an orphan with no one to
educate him. Now, thanks to Muh, the village, and YOU, his dreams have a chance to be fulfilled.

First up: the kids needed food and some bedding. Could RTF help? You betcha!

Just some of the food YOU provided these desperate boys.

From Muh: “May God Blessing you richly, and may the Lord be with you. I wish you all the best.
After I received the money, I buy day foods like rice, oil, noodles like mama, sweet powder, salt, rice noodles, shallots, chilis, fishpaste. But some money I used to school cost for my students, and buy umbrellas for them cuz raining season is here now. So I take some photo of food and show you now because some foods they eat already done!”

This woman is also orphaned. She helps Muh.

From Muh: “Today I buy a battery for students to read book and doing homework. After school students need to read books and doing their homework their teachers give them. They need to use solar lights and this battery every night.”

“I will try the best as much as I can. I am proud of myself to take care of orphan children’s too much.”

“Without God first and RTF I can do nothing.”

“My dormitory orphan”, says Muh

The four checked children are siblings – and orphans.

We close this section with a final note from Muh, titled “Letter to RTF donors with all of their dreams:”

“… I want to say MILLION THANKS for your help and support. I will try the best, as much as I can for my orphan students. We are not by blood, but know that we’re by heart. (I am asking you to help my orphans 2-3 times for a year please! And it will be enough).
- Muh (dormitory leader). Thank you!!”

* * * * *

And then to the other side of the world –

Our RTF dental clinic in Honduras…

We all know the old saw how everyone hates dentists and dreads going to a dental appointment. RTF’s experience is just the opposite: when we (you) have a mobile dental clinic, people come from far and near, thankful to have access. It doesn’t hurt either that the volunteer staffs invariably bring good cheer and show pleasure in helping their patients.

Today’s mobile dental clinic was held at UNACIFOR Siguatepeque, the National University of Forest Sciences in Siguatepeque, Honduras. It was organized by our volunteer country coordinators, Jesica Martinez and her husband, Ricardo Rodriguez, in concert with Juana Leclerc and the university. (Quick note: Jesica has been working with RTF since Gary first met her more than 20 years ago). The university has 600 students.

The whole team, all volunteer, in front of UNACIFOR

Coordination among RTF, Somos personal de Secretaria de Salud (SESAL), and Juana Leclerc Institute. This included 5 dentists, several assistants, Steven, Jesica, and Ricardo. All volunteering. This is RTF’s first time working with SESAL and Juana Leclerc, but based on today, it won’t be our last!

Today’s patients are all students at UNACIFOR, and all are on complete scholarships. They are quite poor; some have a disability. They come from all over the country. The university provides housing and food and uniforms, but it cannot provide medical care, and these students lack the resources to get medical help on their own. They are all studying engineering focused on sustainable development.

YOUR dentists, setting up for the busy day.

SELAS supports medical and dental outreach teams across the country, assisting the poor with preventive care and clinical treatment. Juana Leclerc Institute, represented today by Project Manager Kevin Perez, is a Honduran non-profit that fights for the rights of those with disabilities. Juana Leclerc works with communities all over Honduras, communities with deep poverty and many health problems, but lacking the resources to address those problems. They have no social security, and often no medicine. They need help to stay healthy, and work or get an education to make a living.

The dentists volunteered their time and we brought the supplies, including the x-ray machine. (We are now raising funds for machines that drill, fill cavities, etc.) With this arrangement, you paid only for the supplies, meaning you provided treatment to many more people for pennies on the dollar.

Jesica, left with some of the supplies. Ricardo, right trying out one of the “dental chairs”

Work started days before the clinic, as we procured supplies, arranged transport, and collected the names of the patients most in need. Mobile means mobile: our “dental chairs” were reclining lawn chairs – inexpensive and reusable. They worked great!

The sterilization area

Steven setting up the x-ray station

Appreciative students gathered outside, waiting for their names to be called.

Soon, the full team goes into non-stop action.

Every doctor is either actively working on a patient …

… or restocking or sterilizing instruments. They work like a well-oiled machine.

Forestry students have a thorough dental inspection before any work is done.

In the past, at these clinics, my only job was to do whatever the doctors needed. That’s still true, but now I am also in charge of our x-ray system, which means processing the captured image and coordinating patient details. Sometimes I help hold the patient steady, and sometimes I get to capture the image myself! Our precious x-ray machine, which you, wonderful donors, provided, is always busy

As the doctors take the x-ray, we process the image for their and the patient’s review.

The doctors consult the image and each other

Then show the problem to Maria, who captures the image on her phone.

One of the times I captured the x-ray myself

I wrote how much these students were looking forward to this clinic. See for yourself:

Four engineering students, looking happy as clams :)

Trust me when I tell you it was non-stop action all day:

Busy, busy, busy.

After the work is done, each patient leaves with supplies to maintain good dental hygiene.

YOUR all-volunteer team of compassionate dentists:

Dr. Claudia Regina Flores Rubio / Dr. Marlen Xiomara,

Dr. Ruth Lucila Alvarenga Rivera

Dr. Marta Lorena Fiallos Ruiz / Dr. Nora Rosario Rodriguez Henriquez

5 Dentists, 8 dental stations, and almost 70 very satisfied patients who can continue their studies with one (BIG) fewer thing to worry about.

THANK YOU RTF DONORS!!!

Steven

* * *

And then back again to the opposite side of the globe…

Cambodia: Gary’s report on Water Filters and Wheelchairs;

Thanks to you, another 40 families in Cambodia, now have clean, safe water… And a big “Wow”- this time a paved road!!!

Dr. Vannak, our friend and colleague of many years, whom you have met in previous letters, is the chief of Ministry of Health in Kabong Thmom Province and invited (asked) us to come and do a water filter project for some needy families in his district.

“We bring you greetings from your many friends in America. And this special gift – Clean Safe Water!!!”

Thanking Dr. Vannak and the community leaders for having us come, and for arranging the distribution.

You put the dirty water in the top and fresh, clean water come out the bottom. The filter action of the ceramic clay unit collects particles and colloidal silver kills bacteria and parasites on contact! (Rated 98% effective by MIT!)

Rapt attentions. This means tomorrow no more boiling or buying their drinking water!!! And also, is a blessing to them, and the environment, not to have to chop down trees for firewood.

Some curious on-lookers

AKUN!! (Thank you)

Heading home with your clean water…

And some house calls…

Mrs. D**g Horn, 55, is handicapped and is supported by her sister who works in near-by factory.

This little lean-to shack is her home.

I saw Dr. Vannak slipping her some money and Bodet explained to me they were buying her
new tarps for her roof. Bodet and Na also pitched in so she could by some necessities…

Mr. Ba does local construction labor. They get their water from a neighbor’s well that has to be boiled

No more!!! Thanks to you!!!

Fist Bumps – the kids love it!!!

As we were leaving Na, Gary’s wife, stepped back to the shack and gave then a $20 bill. Big money –
about 3 weeks labor income.

* * *

Cambodia Wheelchairs

More wheelchairs in Prey Vieng Province. More mobility and some dignity!!!

Mrs. Jell Aohn is 80 years old. She suffered a stroke three months ago that left her unable to walk.
She is supported by factory-working family members.

Mrs. Aut Chin is 86 - very old and unusual here in Cambodia.

Before her stroke several months ago she walked around the neighborhood every day.

Little Sok Kana, age nine and in the 3rd grade, fell from a table while playing at home and suffered a spinal injury that has left her paralyzed from the waist down. She has been out of school for six months, but now, thanks to you and a paved road in front of her home, she can get back to class – she is very excited!!!

Neit Sumdun was in a motorbike accident three months ago and lost his lower left leg

There is no way his family could afford a wheelchair, and a prosthetic leg is out of the question for them, but with time he will be able to get around with crutches and his brand new, RTF donated, wheelchair. Thank you, donors.

His wife very much appreciates this blessing!!! He is a big guy!

After five years of progressive diabetes and its complications, three months ago Mrs Pien Sakon had to have her lower left leg amputated.

This is her first wheelchair – she had never even dreamed of having one – and then you came… Thank You.

Lifted to a new life…

Now 70 years old, Mrs. Rom Somall, fell and fractured her hip thirteen years ago, causing spinal damage that has left her unable to walk and barley crawl.

The family are poor rice farmers and this is her first ever wheelchair… and is she happy!!!!

So sad…

Ja La Hoon is only 35. She was diagnosed six months ago with a brain tumor.

She is now blind and deteriorating fast. Her Husband and two teen age daughters put on a brave front
but are, understandably, grief stricken

* * * * *

Around the Clock, Around the World: Yes we can, and yes we do!

Thank You for using Rescue Task Force as your Ambassador to these and so many hurting hearts, and lives.

Every Donation is Important – And very much needed.

God Bless you richly for caring and for sharing your hard-earned dollars that make the work of RTF Possible over these many years… 38!!! years!!!

Yours In Service,

Steven Gary
Larry, Bob, Bodet, Andrea and the RTF Team(s)
Steven: (610) 642-3100 Gary: cell (951) 595-1525
Messages
Direct Dial - Cambodia: 011 855 8787-5968

Rescue Task Force
27636 Ynez Road L-7 #357
Temecula, CA 92591
Phone (messages): (951) 595-1525
www.rescuetaskforce.org
[email protected]
[email protected]

PS Your spirit of giving can continue for many years by simply remembering RTF when you write or next update your will. (Tax ID # / EIN 27-3504467)
And, when you do so, please let us know how you would like RTF to recognize you and your gift.

06/30/2026

Rescue Task Force - Big Smiles, Hidden Tears…

To see the Rescue Task Force newsletter with proper picture placement please visit our website homepage: www.rescuetaskforce.org

Let there be light…’
A RTF solar light project for a remote community

Water Filters - 40 more families with safe, clean water

RTF’s Pediatric Dental Care

More Wheelchairs – More Precious Smiles!!!

June 2026
Dear Donors, Friends and supporters in so many ways,
Thank you for using Rescue Task Force to touch the many hearts and lives in so many ways…

Please indulge me in repeating something… It is like having a Cadillac Escalade out in the driveway. But… If there is no gas in the tank – it ain’t going anywhere!!! Your donations are the fuel that drives and makes the following, and so many (All!!) RTF projects happen

Thank You!!!

Please enjoy the following report of some of your recent accomplishments.
Gary Steven

* * *
Cambodia, Water Filters;

A couple of months ago we did a water filter project at the Assembly of God church in Kandal province.

The pastor’s wife, traveling around the village, saw that the villagers were sharing their new water filters with neighbors [it’s an old but true axiom that the less people have, the more they share to help their neighbors], “Could we provide more filters for these people???”

YES!!!

Church: Pastor Thoeng on right
“Greetings from your friends in the USA who send you this gift of clean, safe water…”

You put the dirty water in the top and good, clean water comes out the bottom. The filter collects particulates and a special medicine (Colloidal Silver) inside the filter kills germs, bacteria and parasites on contact as the water passes through…

Clean water.

“… Tomorrow, no more boiling or having to buy your drinking water!!!”

In a previous letter I mentioned about the year-round Christmas trees we often see at churches here in Cambodia… I love it!

After the presentation and short class on the care and cleaning of the filters we mention to the audience that this is clean water for the body. ‘Please, come back on Sunday and Pastor Thoeng will tell you about the…Water of Life.’

(Pastor reports to us that from our last visit two more people
from the community have joined the church!!!)

They are waving “Hello” and “Thank You” to you!!!

Heading home with your very special gifts…

40 more families with their own clean, safe water.

And then some house calls…

Mrs. Tem Srey Mom sells cut flowers for ceremonial bouquets
There are four people in the home and they get their water from a neighbor’s well – water they then need to boil. No more!

Mrs. Srey Neang is a cook at the local community middle school.
There are five people in the home and they get their water from a well – with a hand pump. (Then they must collect and chop firewood, boil the water, etc. You now know the drill.)

Mrs. Sokhorn (pink shirt) is 70 and very active!!! She and her daughter make their living by harvesting Jasmin flowers and selling them in bulk to florists. Her daughter makes some extra income from selling ceremonial floral decorations.

They buy their water in 5-gallon reusable bottles for $0.50 each.
They make a bottle last for 3 days…That means in less than four months they will have saved the cost of the filter – which lasts for years!

(Not to mention the villagers who would otherwise have to chop down trees to boil their water.)

A very happy Mrs. Soknoy, 78, gets her water from a well and has to boil it ... until now!
Her daughter does janitorial work at a local school.

This mission’s team

(L to R) Pastor’s wife, Pastor Thoeng, Bodet, Gary and Na

* * *

Dental care – Cambodia
Dr. Minh, DDS, our RTF volunteer dentist of many years, has his private clinic in a somewhat rural area. He provides free dental care to children from the surrounding villages whose parents cannot afford to take them to a city for treatments.

Thank You Dr. Minh

Thank You RTF supporters!!! You provide about $250 a month for analgesics, antibiotics, various medicines, and the disposables Dr. Minh uses in caring for these precious kids.

Chin Sokmey is 9 years old with a dental abscess.
His parents are farmers and she wants to be a school teacher.

Rinsania, 9 years old, from Haingor Primary School, grade 3.
Her mother is a vendor and she wishes to be vendor too.

Kun Buntha is 6 years old and in grade 2.
He came to the clinic with a dental abscess
His parents are vendors and he wishes to be a farmer.

Can Lee, 7 years old, from Angsoeng Primary School, Grade 3.
Severe tooth pain with pulp exposure.
Her parents are farmers and she wishes to be a medical nurse

* * *
Let there be light…..

Soung Commune in northern Cambodia has about 1,300 residents.

The people here are primarily farmers, growing rice, rubber trees, mangos and cashew nuts.

Bodet was talking with Dr. Vannak, who for many years has been an RTF financial supporter, project coordinator and manager of incoming shipping containers of pharmaceuticals and

medical equipment, and who is also the Director of the Ministry of Provincial Health and the Provincial Hospital administrator.

That discussion led to talk about community development and how RTF could assist an entire community…

They have (HAD) a very hazardous roadway to travel at night with big travel starting at around 4:00 AM with villagers taking produce to markets.

The community had raised $3,500 for solar street lighting but the project was languishing for want of another $2,000 for the final 20 units.

RTF to the rescue…

The villagers do the labor!!!

Dr. Vannak and Gary

You touch many lives in many ways!!!

* * *

Wheelchairs

But first a little flash back…

Pastor Thoeng (who you met above in the water filter new) assisted us with Wheelchairs last May. A few weeks after that distribution Pastor saw this lady, one of our RTF wheelchair recipients, out-and-about, travelling along the street, and snapped this picture from his car…

>>>>>>>>

Last week, on the other side of the country…

A different request… For a walker!

Mrs. Pe Sarab is 68 and suffers severe arthritis of the hips and legs

Mrs. Het Syein has been bed-bound for eight months – unable to stand or walk from arthritis.

“Now I can go out and go to the bath and toilet. Thank You!!!

Her husband picked a basket of fresh mangos for the team. Mmmmm

Her family’s business is selling road-side snacks – sugar cane drinks. That, along with rice farming provide basics, but not nearly enough to provide for a wheelchair. Thank You

After organizing the mission with the community leaders, Na told me that for this mission
we will also need four pediatric wheelchairs –

My heart sunk...

I knew it would be sad depressing day…

Healthy, happy kids do not need wheelchairs…

Little Yong Ba Neyt is now 6 years old and is developmentally disadvantaged. The family are very poor mango farmers and any sort of wheelchair has been unquestionably unaffordable.

You can see she is growing and getting big.
Mom sends her great appreciation for this fantastic help.

Moon Kon Sian, age five, is also getting bigger – and heavier by the day…

His mental disability also prevents him from being able to walk – or even scoot.
Father is a cement worker and is often away at distant construction job sites.

So sad… So sweet… Routh Sa Kaan is only six. Her family are rice farmers – very poor.

Peek-A-Boo….

Their back yard Another very happy family – Thanks to you!!!

Tat Ratie is thirteen and was born with severe disabilities.
His father is a cement worker and his mom works at a nearby factory.
Grandma cares for him during day.

Joking, teasing and big smiles - at the scene…

But…

In times past, my daughter Andrea and I used to tease each other about waiting till we got back to the hotel for a good cry. I guess it is a part of being old.
Now I can barely hold back the tears hiding inside till I get into the van.

* * *

Next Letter…

Steven’s very special Honduras Dental Team mission and RTF assistance to a dorm for children inside war-torn Burma. And more wheelchairs and water filters, And ???

Thank You for using Rescue Task Force as your Ambassador
to these and so many hurting hearts, and lives.

Every Donation is Important – And very much needed.

God Bless you richly for caring and for sharing your hard-earned dollars that make the work of RTF Possible over these many years… 38!!! years!!!

Yours In Service,

Gary Steven
Larry, Bob, Bodet, Andrea and the RTF Team(s)
Gary: cell (951) 595-1525 Messages Steven: (610) 642-3100

Direct Dial - Cambodia: 011 855 8787-5968
Rescue Task Force
27636 Ynez Road L-7 #357
Temecula, CA 92591 Phone (messages): (951) 595-1525
www.rescuetaskforce.org [email protected]

PS Your spirit of giving can continue for many years by simply remembering RTF when you write or next update your will. (Tax ID # / EIN 27-3504467)

And, when you do so, please let us know how you would like RTF to recognize you and your gift.

05/26/2026

Tears of sadness – and Thanks to RTF (You)… Tears of joy!!!

To see the Rescue Task Force newsletter with proper picture placement, and more pictures, please visit our website homepage; www.rescuetaskforce.org

In this letter: Refugee relief, hospital supplies, filters, wheelchairs, and more …

From Steven

Dear Donors, Friends and Supporters in so many ways,

Not long ago, I was at home in Philadelphia, making preparations for upcoming missions in Honduras (next letter) and Cambodia, when we received a 911 (emergency notice): the single hospital serving the Karen refugees in Burma, whom YOU have been helping, was just bombed, along with the community school and church. Residents of many villages had scattered (again) to the forest, now lacking not only medical care, but also desperate for food and supplies. Could RTF help? In short order, my tickets were booked and I was on my way. 40+ hours later, after passing through Taipei, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai, I was meeting with Pastor Weerachai, our Burma/Karen coordinator, and Pastor Payak, our driver and translator.

Helping the Desperately Needy

Pastors Weerachai (left) and Payak explaining the situation to Steven

The hospital, church and school had each served many villages.

Advance warning of the bombings had spared most of the villagers’ lives (see below), but the hospital was the only facility in the region with even a modest level of advanced care: the loss was devastating. We were there to help bootstrap hospital services, but first, we needed to get provisions for the villages’ residents, most of whom had survived but were living only on what they could find in the forest.

Early the next morning, we set out.

At the warehouse, we loaded tons (literally thousands of pounds) of rice, oil, salt, and protein (sardines and dried fish – note Steven holding a big bag of dried fish!).

Warehouse staff carrying rice to our trucks (video clip posted soon to our YouTube channel)

We needed to get smaller sacks of rice (“only” 44 pounds each), because the displaced villagers who would be meeting us would need to carry the rice for hours to their fellow displaced refugees.

Our trucks were loaded; we drove to our boat launch for the clandestine journey into Burma to meet the refugees. So many Karen were affected that we needed boats sent to two distinct rendezvous locations: Pastor Padoh, who has helped us before, and his team went upstream, Steven and his team went downstream. We were warned that this was the most fraught Burma mission yet, with intense scrutiny from the military. We needed to stay very clear of any checkpoints and waste no time on the Burma side. Pastor Padoh would take the (even) more dangerous route.

Down the long slope to our boats.

The young men carrying supplies to the boats are Burmese, but they cannot return. Too dangerous.

One of the boats: “God Army”

Our boat trip was (fortunately) uneventful – but we were told very clearly that no time was to be wasted on the Burmese side of the river. Bombings were continuing, and we would have very little notice if the military spotted us. We needed to unload quickly and allow the Karen to melt back into the forest with the food provisions.

We landed on a barren shore, and soon the refugees began to appear, emerging from the forest in twos and threes. They had walked for more than four hours to meet us, and hid in the forest until we arrived.

The Karen emerge as we arrive.
“Quickly, quickly”, we are told.

A relay team of sorts was set up on the shore, quickly tossing the heavy bags and boxes to the crew and emptying the boats with remarkable speed. This food will supplement whatever they can catch and gather in the forest.

Pastor Padoh’s team (left), and Steven’s team ( right).

Once unloaded, the supplies were divided among families for the long walk home.

Mrs. Chertu (left) Some supplies (front) were reserved for the new makeshift hospital.

Mrs. Chertu (above, left), 51 and a mother of 3, from the village of Pohta, tearfully explains that her home was bombed, her mother killed, and her husband permanently blinded. She lost all her possessions. The next day, RTF – YOU – provided her with new pots and pans, plates, etc.

And so began the arduous walk home -- but now with hope in their hearts.

The day was already full, but there was more work to do as we went to survey the hospital damage, speak with a surviving nurse, and learn what supplies were most urgently needed.

Back in the boat, down the river, and up the path to what remained of the hospital. (The church and school had been obliterated. There was nothing, and no time to see.) We were “guided” through the wreckage by Nurse Tisay who explained what happened, but who was clearly nervous about staying very long.

Nurse Tisay leads us up the hill (left).
The sign for the hospital (right) was still intact … but I was not prepared for the devastation.

Notice the hospital beds, circled in red. While the hospital had only 12 (evacuated) patients when bombed, it held over 100 when at capacity.

Nurse Tisay among the wreckage

Again, we were urged to leave quickly. Bombings could resume at any minute if the military saw signs of life among the ruins. As bad as this was, the school and church were worse: nothing remained but rubble.

We hurried back to the boat, where, safer in the water, we consulted with nurse Tisay as to what supplies were most needed.

Nurse Tisay, speaking with Payak, Weerachai, and Steven (behind the camera)

It would be a long while, if ever, that the hospital would be rebuilt. Miraculously, with help from the walkie-talkies YOU provided several years ago, the patients, all seven nurses, and most of the medicine and medical supplies had been evacuated before the hospital was hit. Now they had to set up triage and care in the jungle. They needed tarps, flashlights, and so much more.

Our mission was clear: get what was most needed for the make-shift hospital, and supplies for Mrs. Chertu (from the day before).

We were up bright and early the next day and started procuring the hospital necessities.

Hospital supplies: 1,600 square feet of black tarp, 20 headlamps, lots more food.

Our truck freshly loaded with supplies for the hospital and Mrs. Chertu

We had a bit of a journey over rough terrain to get Pastor Padoh’s home, where we met Padoh, Nurse Tisay, and the boat driver who would deliver everything.

Pastor Padoh And Nurse Tisay

The prior day Padoh had run the boat which brought food to 30 families of Mohkahkee village and the boy’s dormitories featured in our November letter. Only some of the village houses were destroyed, but it was not safe to remain, so everyone was living in the jungle. I asked when it might be safe to return. “We have no idea”, I was told. But thank goodness for your walkie-talkies, that saved their lives and continues to keep them informed.

Pastor Payak (left) with supplies for Mrs. Chertu: chairs, a floor mat, cooler, pots, pans, plates, bowls, spoons. Steven (right) with the boat driver and some of the hospital supplies.

This was the end of our current mission in Burma. But the needs remain pressing and I expect to return in the coming months.

* * * * *

Leaving Burma and Thailand behind, I was thrilled to fly to Cambodia and meet up with dear friends and fellow RTF Board members Gary (Becks) and (Phai) Bodet.

Keeping People Safe … While Helping the Environment

First up: 40 water filters to needy families in Kampong Speu province. Gary and Bodet explain how the water filters work – as usual, to a rapt audience.

How many of you boil your water, asks Gary?
Almost everyone raises their hands.

“The Gary Show” also entertains:

Gary makes a joke about how the filter helps the bowels … and the audience responds with glee.

Steven and Gary after the presentation.
And the first of many thank-yous.

No more burning wood to boil. No more wasting money on plastic bottles of water.

Taking the filters home.

We often make home visits after filter distribution. Sometimes to families who could not attend.
_ _ _

Mrs. Mek Rong is a widow with two daughters who work in a garment factory nearby. Until today she had to buy water or pump it from the nearby lake and boil it, collecting the wood herself. No more! Finally: water she can “trust”, she says!
_ _ _

Bol Goey, 73 years old, lives with her daughter, Pai Wood. She ekes a living by babysitting, so is very thankful she no longer has to buy or boil her water. Akun! Akun! (Thank you! Thank you!)
_ _ _

Mr. Jin Liss, 69, and his wife, Men li Ha. Jin used to do contract work for the government, but is now retired. Like the others, he has gotten his water from the lake and boils it. The new filter is much safer and saves them money and effort. It’s a great relief to Jin and his wife.

Jin showing Bodet and Steven the lake serving as the local source of water. It is not clean, and left unboiled, very unsafe. Thank goodness for RTF. Thank goodness for YOU!

* * * *

An Ounce of Prevention …

The following day we went to visit our colleague, Dr. Minh Khin. Dr. Minh is a Thai-trained Cambodian dentist who teaches at the dental school in Phnom Penh, but whose passion is children’s dental care. He has practiced for 35 years, runs free and low-cost dental visits for school children, and has partnered with RTF on a number of dental clinics. We have also helped him procure medicine. When I saw Minh last, he advised me where to secure inexpensive supplies for our then-upcoming dental clinic in Burma.

Minh, with Dr. Kimyon, runs 3 permanent clinics and one mobile clinic, covering 3 provinces and serving 50 Primary schools comprising 7000 students. Visits are Monday-Friday, every morning and afternoon. Schools bring the students to the clinics, and Minh also has trucks to get students when needed. Since today was not a school day, the clinic brought the children using its own truck. Without Minh’s clinics, almost all of these young people would either never see a dentist or only too late after permanent damage was already done.

On my previous visit, I asked Minh “What would be the single greatest help we (RTF, aka YOU) could provide?”

“Steven”, he replied, “we are in desperate need of SDF, and we just can’t afford it.” He then explained that SDF (silver* diamine fluoride) is a highly effective anti-microbial that stops decay and blocks potential decay for 6 months – the same interval between each child’s visit to Minh’s clinic. It also helps with pain. SDF is particularly useful for children as it helps avoid drilling, or worse, extraction. The dentist needs only to clean the teeth and then brush on the SDF. A single SDF tooth treatment in the USA may cost $25 or more; RTF and Minh can provide it to these children at about 27 cents – or close to 1/100th of the cost back home!

[*Silver has anti-microbial properties. Colloidal silver is brushed onto our water filters.]

RTF purchased the SDF, and today we visited to watch it in use.

Dr. Minh
A bottle of SDF

Low cost. High impact. Especially for children. I was sold!

Minh’s focus, and ours, is prevention – thus the SDF. (I tried to translate “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, but I failed miserably). And, of course, Minh provides toothbrushes, toothpaste, and careful instruction, too – and coordinates with the teachers to ensure the children brush at school.

Waiting to be seen: no one looks concerned!
Steven looks on as Minh explains and the nurse applies the SDF.

None of the children today who have been seen by Minh since first grade show any cavities!

Kimyon (in pale blue), has run this clinic since 2009, and has worked with Minh (dark blue) since 2018. Here, they explain the clinic foundation to Gary, Bodet, and Steven.

The light speeds up the SDF curing process (to about 20 seconds) and increases the density and hardness of the SDF application.

Gary poses with this newly cleaned 9-year-old, as Minh presents him with replacement toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Smiling patients about to head home ….
As Steven high-fives them goodbye

* * * * *

Bootstrapping a new hospital

Another day, another project: when I am in Asia it is every day, nonstop – just the way I like it! (Of course, none of this is possible in Cambodia without Bodet, and Gary)
Today, we deliver and inspect a long-awaited full cargo container of medical supplies. You saw the debarkation in our last letter.

What a blessing! We arrived at the brand-new hospital of Tboung Khmum Province, to be greeted by our colleague of many years and many projects, Dr. Vannik Keo, the Provincial Director of Health, and 20 double-pallets, mostly stacked more than 9 feet high, and comprising perhaps 4,000 cubic feet, of perfect, brand-new hospital supplies.

The photos above are of just a portion of the hospital supplies YOU delivered.

These supplies comprised a cornucopia of hospital necessities: everything from surgical kits to biopsy supplies, from dialysis packs to orthopedic braces, pacemakers to surgical scrubs, and much, much more. For brief example:

The doctors were giddy with excitement. Construction of this new hospital had only just finished and it was now being furnished. It will serve up to 300 inpatients a day, 100 outpatients, and up to 10,000 people per year! YOUR generous donations of $6,300 (for transit fees only), in conjunction with our beloved project partner World Emergency Relief, which provided the supplies, worth $408,000 – and a new hospital is born!

$408,000 for $6,300 – or $100 worth for $1.58 -- that is powerful!

(A quick word about WER: If it takes a village, perhaps RTF is the mayor, WER the chief procurement officer, and you the citizens. Thank you, WER. Thank you, beloved citizens!)

Left, Steven, speaking with an ophthalmologist, as Bodet translates and the others listen. They will soon start cataract surgeries. At right, Gary and the nurse inspect the contents of a box.

The hospital has a staff of 300, including 58 general doctors and 11 specialists. (Doctors earn up to $900/month, and nurses up to $700/month.) Most of these trained in Cambodia, but many had further training in China, Vietnam, France, and other countries. Only people who can afford to pay for care will need to do so. The rest will be covered by the government through a program known as National Payment Certification Agency (NPCA).

Bodet, Gary, Steven, Dr. Vannik, and some of the staff excitedly review the cartons.

Cystoscopy Pack (left): Sterile disposable surgical pack, designed for examination procedures in the lower abdomen, such as bladder or urethra. Its components ensure a resistant and waterproof covering adaptation in the surgical area to be treated. A Lap Chole pack (right): tools and supplies needed for Laparoscopic cholecystectomy; a minimally invasive surgical technique used to remove a diseased gallbladder; supplies can also be used for C-section deliveries.

The hospital has many wings:

General Ward building
and a building for pediatrics and gynecology.

Until RTF came along, the hospital was unsure it would be performing dialysis …

But now dialysis will start in just a few weeks!

Supplies for cardiac surgery and pacemakers

Gary fitted with a full leg-brace from among the orthopedic supplies … and look! He can dance!

With love and gratefulness, from the doctors and staff, from future patients, and from Steven, Gary and Bodet: Thank you RTF donors! Akun! Akun!

* * * * *

My time in Cambodia was, sadly, winding down. But we had one more, very special mission left: one of my favorites – wheelchair deliveries.

RTF is not a massive organization. We cannot cure cancer. Or wipe out a plague. But we – YOU – can make enormous differences in the lives of ordinary people. There is no ADA-compliance in Cambodia (or most of the countries we service), few ramps or easy access to wheelchairs. People who cannot walk or afford the “luxury” of a simple wheelchair must crawl or be carried – or simply stay where they are. Leaving the “house” (you would call most of these dwellings “huts”) is often impossible, and even simple toileting can be a burden, both for the disabled and for their family, which alone is responsible for their care. BUT RTF cares. YOU care. And we are there to help.

Lifted to a new life

On this blessed day, YOU changed 4 lives. Forever. We coordinated with Pastor Heng Touh, of the Assembly of God Church in Kandal Province. As you will see, this area is known for flower production. The Pastor and his wife introduced us to these four lives.

Sre Mohm, 63, had not left the inside of her home for 18 years. Until today.

Sre has high blood pressure, which her family believes led to a stroke. She lives with her son, his wife, and their children. They are poor. They make flower arrangements and garlands for weddings and special occasions. Sre does her best to “scoot around” inside, but that’s as far as she’s been in 18 years.

Sre Mohm being lifted to a new life.

Today their home is filled with laughter, mostly from Sre Mohm herself, as she giggled and laughed almost non-stop during our visit. The laughter, the smiles tell us everything we need to know (video clip posted soon to our YouTube channel). She scoots around on her butt every day, but for almost 20 years she has not been past the threshold of the house.

Today I had the absolute pleasure of wheeling her up to the street, fresh air, and sunshine. 😊

Sre gets a start from her son-in-law
Sre laughing with Bodet in the fresh air.

“Listen”, says Gary, “I don’t want to hear about any speeding tickets.”
_ _ _
Groh Tzaon is 75. Despite spinal surgery after an injury, she has been unable to walk for several years. She lives in a small flower-picking community with her son and his family. None of the residents own their land, and can be displaced by the government at any time. But they are close to a canal and to fields of jasmine. They get paid in the jasmine they pick, which they can sell for about $0.57/lb. (!) (Jasmine are small flowers, see below)

Lifted to a new life

Groh Tzaon is grateful beyond speech with Bodet (left) and Steven (right)
_ _ _
Ood Long is 71. Last year, she fell, possibly from a stroke. She cannot walk. She lives with her grandchildren, ages 15, 10, and 9. Their parents, her children, work (and live mostly) in a province hours away, near the Thai border. She directs her grandchildren to cook, etc. She and her grandchildren also work with flowers, creating necklaces and garlands.

Ood Long with Pastor (left) Heng and Steven (right). She will get in chair only when her oldest grandchild gets home from school.
She feels blessed by you, and she sends her blessings in return.

Left, strings of jasmine and a type of clover (used for earrings), to the right jasmine fields

_ _ _ _
Ohk Deen. 82 years old, has been physically disabled for two years. One day he woke up and could not walk. He has also been blind from cataracts for 10 years. He had surgery for his eyes, but the family could not afford lenses, nor later, a wheelchair. He had worked in a government hospital before his blindness. Now he lives with his daughters, who work in a garment factory.

Before we presented the wheelchair to Ohk and his family, we all went over to introduce ourselves and say hello.

Gary invited Ohk to take a good “look” at him. Ohk did, and was delighted from tip of Gary’s long (he should “see” mine) Western nose, to his universal (and similar) bald pate!

Phalie, our main driver in Cambodia, carrying Ohk to his new chair … and expanded life.

One, two, three … lifted to a new life!

A very big AKUN! (Thank you!) as Ohk, steered by the village chief and cheered on by the Pastor and his wife, waves goodbye to Gary and to YOU, beloved RTF donors. 😊

In our next letter: a dental mission in Honduras, and more…

Thank You for using Rescue Task Force as your Ambassador
to these and so many hurting hearts, and lives.
Every Donation is Important – And very much needed.
God Bless you richly for caring and for sharing your hard-earned dollars that make the work of RTF Possible over these many years… 38!!! years!!!

Yours In Service,

Steven
Larry, Bob, Bodet, Andrea and the RTF Team(s)
Steven: (610) 642-3100

Gary
Gary: cell (951) 595-1525 Messages
Direct Dial - Cambodia: 011 855 8787-5968

Rescue Task Force
27636 Ynez Road L-7 #357
Temecula, CA 92591 Phone (messages): (951) 595-1525
www.rescuetaskforce.org
[email protected]
[email protected]
PS Your spirit of giving can continue for many years by simply remembering RTF when you write or next update your will. (Tax ID # / EIN 27-3504467)
And, when you do so, please let us know how you would like RTF to recognize you and your gift.

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