Dental Outreach: March 5-7

So, Tom brought down five dentists this past week to do two days of dental outreach both in Cofradia and in Mojocuautla. Last year when these folks came down I was in Virginia, but this year my trip is in April. So, I'm really thankful I get to experience this. It's quite different from regular teams that come down. These folks are pretty relaxed, but man do they work hard and fast! We started around 8:30 both days, and they worked until lunch (and often past the quitting hour) and then headed right back to work until around 5 or so in the evening! They only did pullings and fillings, and in two days they probably saw about 50-60 patients total between the two towns.

They divided into two teams: 2 of them headed up to Mojocuautla each day with a portable dental unit, and three of them stayed here in Cofradia utilizing our dental clinic and a lounge chair from some neighbors. I don't know how they did it in Mojocuautla, but here they did easy pullings in the lounge chair outside the clinic and they also used that chair to numb folks up that would get worked on inside the clinic. Then in the clinic they did fillings and more complicated extractions. They got their system down pat pretty quickly, and things went really smoothly!

I had a good time working with these folks here in Cofradia and getting to know them. They were a fun group of people, and it was neat to see how the local people responded to them as they filled and pulled their teeth. Several of them commented to me that this was such a blessing to them as they sat waiting to have 2-3 teeth yanked from their mouths! And then when they were all done, they walked away smiling with their mouths full of cotton and all numbed up! My mind couldn't quite wrap around it, but it was obvious that these folks really appreciated the opportunity to have an end to their pain...and isn't that what it's all about anyway?

It was neat to meet local people that I had heard about or never seen before. And it was a challenge for me in general, too, because the night the team arrived I completely lost my voice...out of nowhere! So, the first day of dental outreach I spent translating in a whisper!!! But the second day was better, and it continued to improve from there. It was certainly a lesson in patience and perseverance!

I'm sorry I don't have any pics for you, but I'm sure you can imagine. Thank the Lord for dentists who are willing to donate their time and resources to the needs of these towns! Here's to their return!