Dr. Larry Mueller’s travels have the makings of an adventure story:  “Each year I go to Thailand. I fly to Bangkok, stay two days in a beach house to get acclimated, then get to the Thai-Burmese border with 70 pounds of supplies.  The short answer to ‘where is it?’ is remember the last ‘Rambo’ movie.” 

Thus began his narration of a fast-paced slide-show presentation for the adult faith formation group in St. Peter Parish, Point Pleasant Beach, Jan. 16.

For more than 20 years, this husband, father of six, former Army Lieutenant Colonel,  and physician specializing in varicose vein surgery in Neptune has spent three weeks out of every year providing medical care to the refugees of the Burma’s civil war.  Most of his patients are Karen, a minority group which converted to Christianity 150 years ago. Having fought against the Burmese Army, they are displaced from their homeland and live in the jungles along the two countries’ borders.

His yearly mission began in 1992 after he retired from the US Army and was fueled by his lifelong admiration of Dr. Tom Dooley, Catholic and former Naval officer who worked in refugee camps in Vietnam and Laos in the late 1950s. Dr. Mueller’s time on active duty in Korea left him with great affection and concern for the people of Asia.  

“I was first introduced to the main Karen hospital, with 40 beds and virtually no supplies, in a Thai border village on the Moi River,” he said.  
“I slept on an air mattress, with mosquito nets and a blanket.”

While his days were spent repairing congenital hernias, amputating gangrenous limbs caused by snake bites, and performing skin grafts on burn victims, Dr. Mueller helped to upgrade the hospital’s limited resources. 

“We installed a 10-kilowatt generator, an x-ray camera, a good surgical light, an electrocautery unit to minimize bleeding during operations, and an autoclave to sterilize instruments.” He also sought donations of suture to replace the fishing line which was commonly used.

When he returned in 1995, the Burmese Army had destroyed the hospital and the neighboring villages.  

Dr. Mueller, who is a member of St. Mark Parish, Sea Girt, focused on training medics in many locations along the border instead of setting up another operating room in an unsafe village.   

For the Karens, who had few doctors and no access to medical schools, educating medics in surgical procedure became necessary.   In 2002, Mueller began teaching surgical technique to Karen medics – with only high school education – at Dr. Cynthia’s Mae Tao Clinic in the town of Mae Sot, Thailand, a six-hour drive from Bangkok.

“The clinic is located on the Thai side of the border and is therefore safe from the whims of the Burmese Army,” he explained. “It is the refugees’ only source of upgraded health care. I trained my medics in a two-week course, and we did our first operations the third week.  The first year, they performed one major operation a week, saying within their skill set limits for the 49 weeks I wasn’t there.  Last year, they did 700 successful operations in my absence. They save the difficult cases for when I am there. The people are sponges.  They soak up knowledge.”

He speaks with affection and respect for a people who rebound from civil war and disease with determination and whose appearance sparkles in spite of their surroundings. 

“They are an inspiring, happy people,” said Dr. Mueller.  “Hospitality is the one way the people can thank because they have nothing else.”

During his visits to their homes, Dr. Mueller repaid his hosts by treating them to his magic acts.  A member of Magic Castle, Hollywood, Calif., an organization devoted to magic as an art form, entertainment medium and hobby, the doctor receives joy from “the belly laughs the people get out of a card trick.”

A lifelong Catholic, Dr. Mueller is grateful “to participate in the healing ministry of Jesus in a very special way.  I don’t heal these people, but I am Christ’s instrument.”

He and his wife Rebecca raised their children, Christopher, Meredith, Elizabeth, John, Patricia, and Julie, in the faith and with the belief to share their gifts with the world.   All six have spent time doing service in Thailand. Patricia, a pianist, carried a solar panel in her luggage, bought five keyboards in Bangkok, then transported them to Mae Sot to teach piano to refugees.

Now Dr. Mueller hopes to bring his message to other young people and inspire them to make a difference to the poor and marginalized.

At the end of the nearly hour-long presentation the audience was impressed by the story of Dr. Mueller’s work and lessons learned from a part of the world often overlooked. 

Tracey Mahoney, a leader of the parish’s adult faith group, commented, “I didn’t know the history of the Burmese people, and I was struck with how beautiful the people were. I was impressed how they survive hardship and then just go on with their lives, like the handicapped with the makeshift devices for limbs.  They were so resilient.  I was also impressed by the doctor and his family that they followed a path to do this work and trusted that God had a plan for them.”

For Rose Stueck of St. Peter Parish, whose own life was enriched by her physician’s suggestion that she volunteer for hospice work, the presentation made her reflect on the difference doctors can make in people’s lives. “I was impressed how [Dr. Mueller] has given up luxuries and involved his time and money to help people in Burma.  Doctors can have a lot of influence on people.” 

“What a wonderful outreach,” commented Sister of St. Joseph, Jeanne Morgan, assistant to the pastor.  “This doctor and his family show what Catholic identity is about,” she said.