Meet Some of Our Patients

Maria

September 2017

Many of our patients come from humble homes where parents are forced to choose between providing food for their families or acquiring dental care for them. When this happens, children are taught to endure nightmarish tooth pain without complaint. By the time these children come to see us as teenagers, their mouths show the effects of years of dental neglect.

When Maria came to our clinic, she required multiple appointments in order to be able to serve a mission. On separate occasions, Dr. Hogge, Dr. Harris and Dr. Jergensen each worked on her teeth for donated treatment that, in the United States, would conservatively cost between five and six thousand dollars. Maria’s father supports his family of seven by working in a bakery. To pay for this kind of treatment would be an impossible dream.

We feel it is a privilege to help young future missionaries like Maria, and know she will be a marvelous missionary because her example has already brought others to Christ. When she was ten years old, she and two siblings joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over the next five years, the rest of her family members were baptized. When asked why she now wants to serve a mission, Maria’s answer was simple, “Because I am so grateful.”

Nelson, Mario, Wilma, and Sergio

September 2017

Not all of our patients speak fluent Spanish. These four future missionaries live in a remote village near Senahú / Nauq’, Guatemala. Their native language is Q’eqchi. They traveled eight hours to reach our clinic, experienced difficult dental procedures, then cheerfully made the eight-hour return trip home. Why did they make this sacrifice to serve missions?  

Nelson answered this question by saying that he wants to, “bring more souls into God’s presence.”

Mario’s goal is to “spread the gospel.”

Wilma wants to “invite people to come to Christ.”

Sergio summed it up by saying that he “just wants to help our Father in Heaven.”

Volcanoes, Snails, and Cotton

On a recent weekend, we traveled to Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Crossing the large lake by boat, we stopped in one of the villages along the shore. Each town is named after an original apostle. This village is named San Juan (Saint John). You can look across the lake at the distant volcanoes. All but one is dormant now, but the history of this lake has to be one of turmoil, upheaval and probably death to anyone living nearby.

As we walked along the pier, we watched as a native woman in her tipica blouse and skirt, up to her knees in the water, slowing overturned submerged rocks as if looking for something. We were informed that she was collecting tidbits for dinner. Apparently snail soup is on the menu tonight.

We climbed the steep, shop-lined street, searching for bargains, and enjoying the gorgeous surroundings.

We visited a local shop that sold items made of cotton fabrics, items such as sweaters, table runners, scarfs and carrying bags. One of the vendors offered to show us, from start to finish, the production process. She explained that it all begins with a seed-filled, armful of hand-picked cotton. Once the black seeds are carefully removed, a pinch of cotton is drawn out into a long, consistently thin string of delicate cotton thread. The thread is slowly wound around a wooden, tapered spool. Trudy volunteered to demonstrate the tedious process for us. I was amazed at how well she did. She's a natural!

Next the cotton thread is dyed. This ancient process of dying uses all kinds of natural flower petals and plant roots and crushed plant leaves, each with a different, distinct color base. They even use dried up bugs! What do you think they use for orange dye? Yes, if you thought "carrots," you're right!

Now, a fascinating fact, the women of San Juan La Laguna pick the leaves of a certain plant called Sacatinta, which in English means "to extract color." From those leaves, the women get a light grayish-blue dye for their fabrics. However (and this is the fascinating part) if they harvest those same leaves on the night of a full moon (ewww scary) the dye color turns an intensely rich shade of navy blue. I swear! I'm not kidding! Apparently, the chemistry of the plant is changed so that it results in a totally different shade of blue. Cool, huh?

See the two colors. Amazing!

The native women soak the thread in the specific dye, then boil the thread in banana stalk soup for about an hour to totally set the permanent color into the yarn. Someone, a long time ago, I'll bet from trial and error, figured all of this stuff out!

Look at all the different colored yarns

Next, they stretch the yarn.

And finally begin the weaving process. All is done by hand.

Not just hours, but days go into each weaving project. Then the goal is to sell these items on the street, often for merely a dollar or two.  I really came away with an appreciation for how hard these women work, and how little they earn in return.

A Trip Home

In September, we made a trip back to the USA for Carly's baptism and a required medical check-up for Jay.

We were able to see everyone in our family except McKay, who was in Costa Rica serving his own mission.

Anson, Bella, Sofiya, Mark, Christy, and Hayden
at the baptism

Harrison, Emily, Jackson, Carly, Christian and Sadie
at their home in Johnstown

Julie, Dax, Thomas and Zane
at the Sportsman Park

James, Kate, Grace, Isabelle and Will
in front of their new house

Nate with Pierre, Holly, Jessica, Kendra, Blake, Maddy and Paisley
at Mesa Falls

Elder Simmons
in Costa Rica

Jay, Trudy, Marie and Andrew
at their favorite Mexican restaurant

The trip turned out to be more stressful than we could have imagined. In the end, however, we felt like it was our Heavenly Father's plan for us to return to Guatemala to finish our missions. We were grateful when the authorities in Salt Lake cleared Jay's health and gave us permission to return to the mission field.

While in Idaho Falls, Jay's heart again went into A-fib.
Marie got to push the button to shock his heart back into rhythm.
Way to go, Marie!