We thank you for another year of loyal support. International Health Emissaries has wonderful donors and volunteers helping us sustain our mission of providing dental health care and education to people far less fortunate than ourselves. As you know, it is our policy that IHE teams will only travel to very isolated places that have very limited or no dental care available for the poor. We also offer our volunteers the possibility to become goodwill ambassadors by representing our country in a positive manner and to give them the opportunity to experience the joy of improving the quality of someone else’s life.
This past year, we returned to sponsoring all four dental missions again for the first time since 2019. It was challenging because the governments of the countries where we serve had changed some of the procedures required for American health professionals to qualify to treat patients. Also many of the people that we had worked with in the past as our hosts were no longer available. We had to “start over” with developing relationships with new and sometimes inexperienced people.
The enclosed newsletter describes the last two dental missions to Ecuador and Guatemala in 2025. In 2026 we have treated patients in Belize (April) and Ecuador (May) and will be treating patients in Guatemala (November). We had to cancel Peru this year, but already have a full team ready to return there in 2027.
In addition to our Newsletter featuring our past four dental missions we have included our list of Projects Completed 1990 – 2026 and Projects for 2026. We know that there are many causes worthy of your support. We are hopeful that you will once again include IHE in your annual charitable giving.
IHE’s Board of Directors will host our annual Fiesta for our donors and volunteers:
2:00 PM, Sunday, August 23, 2026
Jack & Tina Faia’s home
8 Sommerset Rise, Monterey
RSVP 647-8742 or fai32@comcast.net
We will have a signup sheet for future dental missions in 2027 – 2028. Missions are normally filled over one year in advance. The Fiesta gives participants of previous missions a chance to share their experiences with you and each other. There will be videos and slide shows of previous trips. It is always a wonderful party with plenty of good food and beverages. We hope that you can join us. If you are unable to attend the Fiesta, but would like to participate in one of our dental missions contact Jack via email: fai32@comcast.net
Our patient’s gift inventory needs clean children’s clothing and all sizes of tennis shoes. You can bring them to the Fiesta or give them to Susie Faia.
Thank you, Thank you,
John Faia
International Health Emissaries
Mission Statement
The first goal of International Health Emissaries (IHE), a private non-profit non-government organization(NGO), is to provide medical and dental care at no cost to indigent people throughout the world who otherwise would not have access to such health services. IHE also works closely with local health care providers and rural schools to support their local programs and to provide public health education.
The second goal of IHE is to provide an opportunity for American volunteers to positively and effectively represent the United States of America. Our volunteers are emissaries when providing these services and gain a special appreciation of the foreign country visited as well as an appreciation of our own country. We give our volunteers the opportunity to make lasting relationships with people throughout the world.
