Clinic day one...Tuesday, October 20th

My eyes popped open. Leanne was staring into my face..."Hey Dean! Get up! It's 7:30." I usually consider myself a morning person, but the sleep was so good and long I needed to coax myself up with reminders that today we would finally be able to work.

There were already people waiting for us when we arrived. Mom went directly to make the list, and we tested out all the equipment. Another obstacle! Jamie discovered that her x-rays weren't turning out. We had brought down new x-ray film fixer, but through the process of elimination found that our developing solution was bad. No x-rays the first day.

Most of our patients the first day were ones that Octavio brought from other villages. He went and picked them up in his beat-up blue car. Some of them lived over a half an hour drive away.

Isaac stepped up to the plate as Dad's assistant, loading syringes, passing instruments, and holding the suction tube during fillings and extractions. Paula and Lily ran the hygiene department, using the ultrasonic cleaner to polish teeth that haven't been cleaned in a long time, possibly not ever. Joby played handyman for all the equipment that tended to break down during the day. Jamie polished teeth and Joe cleaned chairs. Leslie kept up her position as sterilization expert.

The morning ran very smoothly, with a small exception... =) Because the people in the little villages use very little medication, if at all, she freaked out as she was feeling the tingle of the anesthetic and lost her nerve. The little girl in the chair next to her was observing all of this, and decided she wasn't having any of it, and left her chair as well. Mom and Zelina were able to convince the lady to come back to her seat, and found a towel for her to squeeze. She made it through the procedure, and became our biggest promoter as she told everyone waiting, "I didn't feel a thing! I cried, but only because I was nervous. These doctors are great!"

Zelina cooked amazing meals for us during the week, and was also our primary translator in the clinic. We were able to manage pretty well on our own, but occasionally we encountered questions or explanations that needed...well, a little more expertise than we possessed. Fortunately, the church/clinic, the house, and the kitchen/cafeteria were all within a block of each other, so that expertise was close at hand.

Paula and Joby went with Mr. Alfredo to a local school to give dental education and exams to the kids. They did a presentation in each class, translated (and embellished) by Alfredo, and each child was examined for cavities and presented with a toothbrush. We saw several patients as a result of these visits, and more of them learned how to care for their teeth so that hopefully they wouldn't be in as bad of shape as some of the adults we saw.

In talking with Mr. DeHoyos, Dad learned that one of the main reasons for coming to this town was to disciple the local Pastor who's church we were using. As we ministered to the people physically, he and his sweet wife mingled around and visited with the patients waiting outside the clinic. Several times we passed out, "Are you a good person?" tracts, and I noticed several of them in conversation with the Pastor. We are praying for these people, that those who already know Christ would be encouraged and those who don't yet know Him would be attracted by His spirit as it propels our joyful service.

Some of my favorite memories from the trip were the evenings with Octavio's family, Jennie, and the Pastor's family. The first day we arrived, Octavio's wife recognized me from a CD the DeHoyos had given them months earlier. Both musicians themselves, they were excited to hear us play. We brought the guitar and violin to dinner, and had a time of music afterward. Octavio played a bit of violin, and at first was reluctant to participate, feeling bad because everything he learned he taught himself, although he did say he'd take a lesson. With some coaxing from his family, he played some hymns and popular Mexican tunes for us. After everyone had dispersed a bit, he asked me if I'd show him some things, and I had a chance to put my Spanish to the test for my first bilingual lesson! He was a very motivated student, and practiced what I showed him.

Just outside the city, the family owned a sugarcane plantation, which they invited us on a hike to view sometime during our stay. We eagerly accepted for the following evening.