BROOKINGS — The Mission of the Month for September at Mission Coffeehouse at First Lutheran Church is Smile Train Changing the World One Smile at a Time.

Unlike many charities that do many different things, The Smile Train is focused on solving a single problem: cleft lip and palate.

Clefts are a major problem in developing countries where there are millions of children who are suffering with unrepairable clefts. Most cannot eat or speak properly, aren’t allowed to attend school or hold a job, and face very difficult lives filled with shame and isolation, pain and heartache.

The good news is every single child with a cleft can be helped with surgery that costs as little as $250 and takes as little as 45 minutes. Smile Train’s mission: To provide free cleft surgery for millions of poor children in developing countries. To provide free cleft-related training for doctors and medical professionals until there are no more children who need help and we have completely eradicated the problem of cleft.