Ecuador 2012- Kent

       This week has been nothing short of incredible. The vast opportunities dentists have to serve others through mission work is one of the biggest reasons I'm in dental school today... and I never dreamed I would be able to begin serving in that capacity two years before I had planned! Thanks to the awesome leadership, patience, and teaching ability of Drs. Nelson, Darren, Matt, and Hunter, I was able to serve others in a tangible, life-impacting way, all in the name of Jesus.

Colossians 3:23-24 says,

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

       It has truly been an honor to share God's love by serving the people of Ecuador and meeting their physical needs, not for my sake, but to glorify God and further His kingdom.
       One of the most memorable moments for me this week happened on my first patient on Wednesday morning. He had about ten very badly broken down teeth that all needed to be extracted, but was extremely fearful of having any teeth pulled because, like so many others from Quito, he was given no anesthesia for the procedures dentists have done in the past. I would be pretty apprehensive, too! With the help of a translator, I was able to reassure him and explain that I will make sure the anesthesia works so he doesn't feel any pain at all. After thinking it over he told me I could take out three teeth... which barely scratched the surface of what needed to be done! I made a deal with him that I would take out the first three and after that, he could make the decision and let me know if he wanted to keep going. Within just a few minutes, many thanks to the great teaching skills of Dr. Darren, the three teeth were out before he knew it. He immediately told the translator that we could extract the remaining teeth on the maxillary arch, AND all the broken ones on the mandibular arch. That moment was so meaningful to me because I felt like it was the first time I had a patient truly give me their trust. When all the extractions were done, he kept saying "God bless you!" over and over again. This simple act of extracting broken teeth clearly made an impact in this man's life.
       The best part came at the end of he day when Dr. Darren told me that my patient from the morning went to the SIFAT director and told him that was the very best dental care he had ever received in his life. Wow. That was pretty awesome to hear, but it broke my heart to know this man had suffered for so long because of the fear of pain at the dentist.
        I want to wrap up my novel by thanking all of you who have kept us in your prayers this week and even before we left. The clinic was an overwhelming success and each one of us learned and served in a greater capacity than we ever thought we would.
      If you've read this far (I applaud you), I want to share with you the verses I have been praying over this trip and ask that you would continue to pray this over our team as we return to our comfortable lives in the states.

"At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison - that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." Colossians 4:3-6

       I began praying these verses because it seemed so extremely relevant to this trip. That God would open a door for the Gospel to be shared, that it would be shared clearly (language barrier), and that we would be wise in our actions and speech. But for those of you who have been on a mission trip know, its easy to be on a "spiritual high" for God while you're away, but its even easier to fall back into the same routine and forget these experiences when you get back home. Please keep us in your prayers that we would continue to be servants in the name of Jesus in our everyday lives, not just when we're in a foreign country.

Kent
Third Year Dental Student