The patients travel too, some by bus, some by mule for hours or even days across the rugged terrain to receive professional treatment from Real Life Prosthetics practitioners and local medical personnel. Many of the amputees have lost a limb, or two, due to conditions that might seem incredible to those living beyond the Third World. For example, Martha Dabila's leg was amputated due to poor medical treatment after a fall. Mr. Altozar lost his right leg below the knee due to infection from a snakebite. Martha Luz's leg was amputated because of lack of medical care following an accident.

The Real Life Prosthetics prosthetists and technicians, who excel at cutting-edge, custom prosthetics work utilizing highly advanced technology, are able to complete their work under less than ideal manufacturing conditions in the tiny South American village. International travel and portability limitations restrict the technology and tools available to the team, so that resourcefulness is rule of the day. Facilities are rudimentary at best, so they perform gait analysis in a hallway, and fabricate sockets and joints in any available empty room.

To defray the cost of the efforts of Life and Limb Ministry, Real Life Prosthetics contributes its time, skills and materials and uses donated supplies: prosthetic feet from the World Limb Bank, prosthetic components made available by donations, and Icex® sockets and liners provided by Össur USA.

To facilitate patient communications, the team relies on local interpreters, medical personnel and ministry groups.

Despite these constraints, the skills and ingenuity of the Real Life Prosthetics practitioners and technicians combines with the determination and know-how of local medical personnel to help these amputees. Given the will-power of the patients and the determination of local supporting ministry groups, the success can be as striking as seeing patients who needed help just getting in the door, now carrying their crutches home. During its whirlwind annual two-day mission, the Life and Limb Ministry team provides new limbs for 12-15 patients. It also conducts one-year follow-ups for an equal number of past patients. Since 2001, the Real Life Prosthetics staff, now serving with Life and Limb Ministry, has provided free treatment and prosthetics to more than 60 patients.

Moreover, the mission reaches beyond the physical needs of its patients. The expertise of the Life and Limb Ministry team helps patients vanquish hopelessness, and their compassion helps amputees defeat fear, as they begin the process of healing body and spirit.

According to Jonas Seeberg, president of Real Life Prosthetics, LLC, the annual mission seeks to follow the same philosophy that is practiced at the Real Life Prosthetics offices located in Maryland and Delaware.

"We strive to treat the whole person, body and spirit," he explained. "We want to address the physical needs of the patients, so they can live more productive lives, but we also want to bring them compassion and hope for the future. For many of these people it's the first time in a long time that they have been treated with respect and dignity."

The Life and Limb Ministry Team currently consists of Jonas Seeberg, Certified Prosthetist/Orthotist, Chuck Fleming, Technician, and Greg Michalov, Certified Prosthetist.