Being Brave

We laugh about the fact that Jay does dental procedures for free in Guatemala that you couldn't pay him to do in the United States. Back in Idaho, he referred all impacted wisdom teeth to oral surgeons. Here, he doesn't have that luxury. Because the Church has a policy requiring all missionaries to have their wisdom teeth removed before they enter the mission field, dentists in our clinic pull lots of wisdom teeth.  

So, how do these young people feel when we inform them that they need oral surgery?

"You're going to do WHAT?"

And how does Dr. Harris feel when he learns that he has a bony impaction on the schedule?

"I'm going to do WHAT?""

Many silent prayers are said during these challenging procedures.

This picture on our clinic wall reminds us
that divine help makes success possible.

I also helps that we have other qualified dentists only a few feet away. It's great to be part of a team. Dr. Hogg, for example, trained with an oral surgeon and is an expert at extractions.

Dr. Hogg to the rescue!

Whether it is dealing with difficult root canals, teeth that are falling apart, or stressful extractions, I am grateful to have a husband who is skilled and courageous enough to handle the challenges .

And yes, there are many challenges.

At the end of each successful procedure, both patients and doctors are happy and relieved...

"We did it!"

because they have both been so brave!