(Note...Dana was so sweet to create a montage for us and I will share it here whenever I figure out how to upload it. It has a lot of the pictures that I will posting in it, but sharing more than once is OK, right? After our December trip, I will be creating a montage (maybe with Dana's help, but she doesn't know that yet...until right now...hi Dana...did that get your attention? LOL!) with a lot of pictures from October, but also pictures from our other trips, including December, to be used whenever we speak publicly. I am so impressed with how hard Dana worked to capture every little detail of our time in Guatemala. In case I haven't said it before...we love you, friend!)
Alright...pictures from the dental clinic....
We were so blessed to have the help of a World Race team each day we were there. They were quick to help in any way that was needed, spent time with those waiting in line and ministered to/prayed with children and their families as they waited for their names to be called.
Kasey, our dentist, is incredible. The love she poured into these kids while she worked amazed me. I could go on about her all day, but will just say...Kasey...you were more of a blessing to me, personally, on this trip than you will ever know. I love your heart! In addition to Kasey, 2 dentists that work with Servants 4 Him also worked at the clinic...another blessing. Without their equipment and their help, we would not have been able to hold a dental clinic so soon.
I love this picture. Kori (an AAB board director) was a huge help during this trip and always. Without knowing it, she did a great job keeping me grounded and having the most organized person I know travel with me really spoiled me because I never have to worry about things getting done if she is around. How I will make it through the next trip without her there is beyond me.
One of my favorite pictures EVER and I don't know why. Every time I felt overwhelmed inside (because with so much going on and knowing so little about dental stuff, it gets a little overwhelming), I would walk outside and see this and begin to catch my breath quickly.
C. was one of the nurses that traveled with us and will be returning with me in December. I cannot say enough about how much watching her fall in love with the people of Pueblo Nuevo meant to me. I will be talking about her much more over the next month, I'm sure. For now, all I can say is C. - THANK YOU! You are blowing me away!
I am so happy that in 3 weeks, this won't be a problem for many children in Pueblo Nuevo anymore!
Sweet Claire...another one of our nurses. I love this woman and her gigantic heart! (I told y'all that you would hear this from me a lot...did you doubt it?) This was at the end of the clinic when we could not see any more patients and Claire went outside to help pass out our remaining toothbrushes, toothpaste and medication and to see what types of needs were left unmet.
This is probably my favorite picture of all from the trip and I can't explain why. I barely know Claire, but I do know her heart and it is beautiful. I can just feel her compassion in this picture and it still brings me to tears.
I will never forget this moment. Many of the children that we met in June had been told that we were coming back and they were expecting us. So many remembered me which really shocked me. Jesenia and Mildre are two of the children that really grabbed the hearts of some of us in June and when they walked up to me on the first day of the clinic like they had known me their entire lives to hug me and to tell me (through a translator) that they remembered me, I didn't know what to think. They both arrived very late the first day and because they were so far down on the list, we were unable to get to them this trip. As the second day came to an end and I realized that we were not going to be able to see them, I began to panic (really...heart racing, on the verge of tears, short of breath panic). Both need dental work badly, but so did everyone else on the list above them. There was nothing I could do at the end of the day, but tell them that I was sorry. Tears and more tears flew when they both came to give me a hug and to tell ME that it was OK. I will never forget what it felt like to have to watch so many people walk away because we could not see them all...and I know that it was just the first of many times that I will have to do that during my life.
And Dana...well, she spent the entire time behind the camera so we have very few pictures of her, but I will be posting a few over the next few days. I will try to post pictures from our family visits in the next couple of days.
No comments:
Post a Comment