Mercy In Action:
an overview
Mercy in Action is a Christian non-profit organization founded by the Penwell family over a quarter century ago dedicated to mercy ministry among the poor around the world. Mercy In Action exists to bring hope and healing to the poorest of the poor, wherever they are found, by serving with practical acts of compassion, as did the Samaritan in the story told by Jesus of what it means to "Love God and love your neighbor". Our focus has been on Maternal and Newborn Health, and Primary Health Care for Children under Five, because these populations are the most vulnerable and most likely to die in the poorer areas of our world. Because of our focus, we are involved in Midwifery education and Primary Health Care training.
The Vision
We believe God's heart is for us to care for the poor, especially the children of this world. One of Mercy In Action's main goals is to provide midwives and medics to meet the felt needs of the poor, by educating midwives, primary health care mission medics, and children's workers. Those dedicated to Biblical justice can learn practical skills to serve in the two-thirds of our world where people live in inhumane conditions of poverty and neglect. Currently somewhere around 32,000 children under five years old die each day in the third world, and over half a million mothers die from complications of childbirth each year. The vast majority of these deaths are unnecessary and easily preventable, and that is why we believe in training medical missionaries and public health educators. Orphans and the fatherless are on God's heart, and He desires that we would "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God". In a word, our vision is to rescue from death and suffering when we can, and share in death and sufferings when we cannot, in both cases offering the ministry of our presence, as a representation of Jesus our Lord. In doing so, we find that we meet Jesus among the poor and suffering, for as He once said so famously, what we do or fail to do with the poor, we do unto Him.
The Penwell family has set up charity clinics in Asia, Latin America and Alaska, with all services free to the people, and run these ministries with grass roots donations from caring individuals. We teach health care and mercy ministry all over the world. 2009 marks the 29th year since the beginning of this ministry, and more than 12,000 babies have been delivered free of charge for the poor in Mercy In Action's Birth Centers and literally tens of thousands of lives have been saved or healed in the medical outreaches. Countless numbers have been prayed for and felt the comfort of love. In addition, hundreds of Mercy In Action graduates have been equipped and released into service around the globe.
Donor contributions help us buy medical supplies and food for the poor in the Philippines, and help us travel to train others in health care and midwifery in surrounding countries such as Nepal, Cambodia, and India.
The Founders
Vicki and Scott Penwell founded the ministry that became Mercy In Action around 30 years ago. Vicki is a Certified Professional Midwife, Licensed Midwife in New Mexico, and health educator. Scott oversees all aspects of Tech Support, Publishing and building and physical support for the mission. For years they have lived and worked in Alaska, Asia, and Mexico, setting up clinics, birth centers, medical mission outreaches, malnourished children's feeding programs and schools to help the poor. As of this update, they have just come back from several years of living full time in the Philippines to be nearer their parents in the states to help with health problems as they arise.
Vicki's educational background includes a Master's of Science in Midwifery, and a Master's of Arts in Christian Studies (seminary degree) with a major in Missions/Intercultural Studies. She is also an ordained pastor. Vicki teaches often in churches and mission's conferences on God's heart for the poor. She is a frequent guest speaker at University of the Nations and YWAM's health care schools all around the world, and has spoken at the International Confederation of Midwives Congress in Vienna, Austria. She has published articles in both national and international journals on missionary medicine and maternal/child health, and has a chapter in the new book edited by Robbie Davis Floyd entitled "Birth Models That Work".
Scott's educational background includes studying journalism at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. While at UAF he worked in the photography archive department, in publications for the Department of Natural Resources, and taught labs and classes at the university and the attached Tanana Valley Community College. Scott has years of experience working in Information Technology and oversees communication between the staff and students in the states and the Philippines. In prior years, Scott homesteaded in the wilderness of Alaska and is adept at building log cabins and subsistence living. Both Vicki and Scott know how to run a chainsaw!
Scott and Vicki have been married since 1978 and have three grown sons; Sean, Zak, and Ian, and two daughter-in-laws; Amanda and Rose, who all love Jesus and are involved in various aspects of the family business of missions and healthcare. And, happily, they have 5 beautiful grandchildren!
Ongoing Ministries
Mercy In Action is currently sponsoring several projects in the Philippines.
We continue to support three midwife run birth centers we helped start in Manila, run by Mercy In Action Licensed Filipina midwives who served us for years in our Manila birth center. All of these midwife services are in the inner city slums of Manila, where many women deliver without medical assistance due to lack of finances and the need for trained midwives is very high. Only recently I went with one of our midwives to a tiny house and in the dark backroom assisted a woman delivering a footling breech baby. The result was a healthy baby and happy mother and father, but the outcome could have been very different without excellent midwifery care available to the poor and disenfranchised living in places like this.
In Calapan, the capital of Mindoro Island,we have developed a Mother Friendly/Baby Friendly Birth Center open 24 hours a day for both births and medical emergencies. For this project we partnered with Ruel Foundation, an existing orphanage run by a couple from New Zealand. Another couple, who are good friends of ours from Canada,are managing the birth center. This is a community where there are many woman who still give birth at home unattended by any trained birth attendant. and often receive no prenatal care. By removing the economic barrier of having to pay a birth attendant, and by reaching out with free prenatal care as well, we hope to improve the maternal and infant mortality rates in our community.
We also hold a medical training and outreach to several different tribes in Mindoro each summer. Many tribal people in our area live a day or more hike into the mountains. Part of our outreach is to bring food to the families with pregnant mothers or malnourished children, and to hold primary health care clinics in areas where there is no doctor.
Other Ministries:
Megan Allen Memorial
Megan Allen
April 8, 1995 - June 25, 1998
Vicki's beloved niece died in a tragic accident in 1998 at the age of three years old. Megan had a wonderful life--she never knew hunger or suffering of any kind, and was loved and cherished by all her family. It is fitting that the memorial to her short life be one in which children who have suffered greatly find hope, healing, and love. Megan's Babies is a memorial ministry outreach to every baby we deliver. Our goal is to give a layette of baby clothes, a hat and a blanket to each new family. Often the parents are too poor to provide even basic clothing, diapers or blankets for their newborn, or medical care for sickness or birth defects. Babies who have special medical needs are helped with this fund as well, such as babies we deliver who need surgery but their parents cannot afford it and would have otherwise had to let them die. Donors can make financial gifts or mail newborn items directly to our babies.
Mercy In Action
C/O Pat Fox, CPA
2118 Grant Street
El Paso, TX 79930 USA
email: info@mercyinaction.com
New or clean, gently used newborn clothing or hats can be sent to:
Mercy In Action
PO Box 30714
Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, 5203 Philippines
Family News
Ian and Rose Penwell
Ian and Rose returned to the states in June ‘08 so Rose could finish her BA in Education. While finishing school in Idaho they also offer home birth services through their new business “The Natural Alternative Midwifery Practice” www.thenaturalalternativemidwifery.com For years Ian and Rose helped lead all aspects of Mercy In Action, and are on the Advisory Board and help teach Seminars and Internships. Ian is a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and holds National Certification as a Wilderness First Responder. He has co-taught with Vicki on various subjects relating to maternal/child health. Ian is cross-trained in midwifery/maternal child healthcare, and is a graduate of the National College of Midwifery and a Certified Professional Midwife. Ian is also a Worship Leader and a licensed Vineyard Pastor. Rose is a Certified Professional Midwife, and is currently in the process of earning two Bachelor degrees, one in Education and one in Midwifery. They have two girls, Irie and Selah, and a baby son, Jamen.
Zak and Manga Penwell
Zak and Manga are currently living in Connecticut where Zak is completing his Masters Degree in Strength and Conditioning Coaching. Manga is a Certified Professional Midwife with tons of experience in the Philippines, where she formerly directed a Mercy In Action Maternity Center before marrying Zak. She also holds a Bachelor degree in Midwifery, and is working on her Masters of Science in Midwifery through the National College of Midwifery. Zak grew up volunteering for Mercy In Action all through high school. They plan to go overseas to work with orphans and pregnant women and babies when Zak’s education is finished. Zak and Manga have two kids, Zoe and Titus, and they spent last winter volunteering with us in the Philippines.
Sean Penwell
Sean is in his fourth year of medical school at Harvard Medical School, on a full-ride scholarship. He is currently applying to residency programs, and will use his medical education eventually to help the poor and underserved. Sean came to visit and volunteer with us in the Philippines in Dec ’07 and Jan ’08, and delivered his first baby on Christmas day in a tiny nipa hut. After that, we all went surfing!
More Family...
Terri Woods is Vicki's sister and an integral part of the ministry of Mercy In Action. Terri has been running our USA headquarters for the past two years, and keeps the books together. For years she allowed us to be full time in the Philippines doing charity work because she was willing to devote so much volunteer time to doing the administration. Currently she is enrolling in midwifery training herself and has now spent over a year volunteering for us in the Philippines. Her daughter Kate, (a midwife) son-in-law Chris, and grandbaby Maia also helped in the Philippines last year. Vicki’s mom also helps with the deposits and bookkeeping.