THE LAST PATIENT

With our last patient Hermana Paau from Panama

I found a book while cleaning out the other day that listed ALL of our patients while we were in Honduras. It is amazing to see the numbers of people that we have treated. This last Thursday we were able to treat our very last mission patient. It was fitting that it was a sister from the CCM. Her name is Hermana Paau and she is from Panama.

Hermana Paau needed to have three wisdom teeth extracted. Wayne was in heaven when he realized that his last service would be an angular, impacted lower wisdom tooth. I was thrilled that I knew what he was talking about.......it's been a good two years.

A FILLING FOR THE ROAD

A few months ago when we were starting to use the xray system we found out that I have a little cavity. It just showed up on the xray. Last week Wayne and I had a few minutes while waiting for a driver to pick up missionaries at the Clinic.....so I got in the chair and Wayne filled my tooth.

It was fun knowing exactly what he was doing and the sounds that it makes in your mouth. I guess I am now officially a dental assistant......

BUSY BUSY CLINIC

All of the chairs being used in the clinic

This last week we were able to fill all of the dental chairs in the clinic with patients. It was so good seeing every chair being utilized at the same time. We had Dr. Mark and Diane Johnson there for the week with some of their office staff (Monica and Jane). They were great to pitch in and do whatever showed up at the clinic. We got to have them work on missionaries, CCM missionaries and both boys and girls from the orphanage. We even got to spend some time in Central Market and at the Relief Map. They had a great week here....and will hopefully be able to return again!!

Waiting room filled with patients from Tio Juan's

Jayne, Monica and Dr. Mark and Diane Johnson

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Fillmores getting ready to see patients at Tio Juan
You can see the first patient in the chair....

We are so thankful to have Paul and Joanne Fillmore here for a couple of months before we go home. It has been fun being able to show them the things that we have been doing here....and watching them take over and do it their way!!!

Boys waiting their turn for checkups...with Leidi
She is our contact at the orphanage who arranges all the dental exams

One of the most rewarding things we have done is to go to the Tio Juan boys orphanage and do dental exams. We were able to take Fillmores there for this experience. We were able to do visual exams on about 50 boys....getting them in a "bank" for work to have ready for visiting dentists. We take along the portable x-ray just in case someone needs to have a closer look.

Getting an x-ray

While we were there it was the Easter season. The orphanage had a great display of what the Semana Santa processions look like. It was complete with people outside the cathedrals as well as carrying the huge displays. We really enjoyed looking at it.

The lobby at Tio Juans
with their Semana Santa display

Close up of the display

FILLMORES ARE HERE!!

We are so excited to announce that we have another missionary couple here to serve with us in the Clinic. They are Paul and Joanne Fillmore from Mesa, AZ!!!! Paul served his mission here in Guatemala so he is fluent in Spanish. They have done MANY humanitarian service tours the last one being here in Guatemala last May. We are so thankful to have someone else help with the patients we are seeing at the Dental Clinic. We are ready to have the volunteers start coming.

THE BEST SMILE IN THE WORLD

Giving instructions after treatment

We are enjoying working on all of the children from the orphanage. We have enough work lined up to keep us busy for many many months to come. At least until we are ready to go home....

This last week we had several of the boys that we did exams for come to the clinic for their "emergency treatment". We are trying to take care of those things that are causing pain or could cause pain very soon. We have been doing LOTS of endo (root canals) and extractions. Almost every patient that comes to the clinic has at least one tooth that is decayed off to the gums. Sometimes Wayne just has to dig around to find the root tips that are left to get the remaining part of the tooth. (You can tell that I am using layman's terms for all of this dental stuff still!!)

The other day we had a little boy about 13 years old. His name is Adan. He came to the clinic with one of his laterals decayed off to the gum. The first thing that they always ask is "Are you going to take out my tooth?" Wayne explained to him that we were going to do a treatment that would help him keep his tooth. We wanted to try that first.

We did a root canal, post build-up and then did a restoration on the post to give Adan a new tooth. He had no idea that is what we were going to try and do. After the treatment I gave him a mirror so that he could see his new tooth. As he looked in the mirror you could just see the smile come across his face. HE HAD A NEW TOOTH.....where before he had a decayed stub. I will never forget that smile and how it spread across his face. It was one of the miracles I have seen here. We had been so busy that I hadn't thought to take a before picture of him.

Adan and his new tooth...this smile doesn't show how he reacted
when he first saw it...

It doesn't get much better than that!!!

Another satisfied participant.....I think he is the cutest!!

CLINIC WEEK

A typical tooth needing to be extracted
Typical for missionaries that have not had their dental
work completed before they come on their mission

One of the fun things about having our friends come to visit us in Guatemala is the opportunity to work in the dental clinic. Mark and Debra were great sports about it and we spent three full days in the clinic working on missionaries. Wayne and I had gone the week before to the CCM and had previewed the 102 (!!!) new Latino missionaries that had reported for their missions. It is the largest group that they have had in awhile. Out of these missionaries we had about 18 that needed dental work. We scheduled them for the time that Mark could help us out in the clinic.

Mark and Debra Blaisdell in the dental clinic

What is amazing about these missionaries is that many of them have never had dental work...have probably never had anything put into their mouths to check their teeth. Many times the filling that we diagnose at the CCM turns out to be a root canal when we get them in the chair and take x-rays. We had several of those last week......which just added time onto their visits. One particular missionary was from Honduras. His name was Elder Zelaya. We did about 8 fillings on him as well as 4 extractions. He was a trooper and it was apparent that he had never been to a dentist. He was extremely nervous and didn't quite know what to do with blood in his mouth.

After working on Elder Zelaya Wayne got "the rest of the story" from President Steimle. (The Steimles are the new President of the CCM...wonderful couple from California). It seems in his entrance interview with President that he told about getting ready for his mission. Elder Zelaya's entire ward helped him to accumulate the clothing that he needs for the mission. It took them TWO years to be able to help him. One of the sisters in his ward HAND-STITCHED his suit. We were so humbled after realizing that we were able to work on this servant of our Heavenly Father. What an example to all of us. How many of us whine because we don't have our favorite white shirt? We have really thought alot about Elder Zelaya.

With one day of CCM missionaries
Elder Zelaya is in the front in the white shirt

Another great moment for me was watching the missionaries who were waiting for the others to finish. On their own they put their chairs in a circle and were busy studying and discussing things. It was adorable!! They are so young and ready to serve. They will be fantastic missionaries....and great leaders when they return home.

I love to see missionaries studying!!

During the week we were able to help a young man get his papers ready to submit for his mission. Brother Guran and his father were at the clinic when the missionaries from the CCM came to get their work done one day. Turns out that one of the missionaries was the perspective missionary's cousin!! So we had the future missionary, his dad, and his cousin all there at the same time. It was really fun.

Elder Guran (in the middle) with his cousin and uncle

We had an exhausting week...so much so that Mark, Debra, Wayne and I were perfectly content to spend their last day just hanging out...and not touring!! You know we are tired when that happens. THANKS BLAISDELLS!!!

TWO AMIGOS IN THE CLINIC

Wayne and Mike working side by side in the clinic

One of the most fun things we did while Mike and Linda were here was to work in the clinic. We saw 39 of the boys from Mi Casa Tio Juan. All but three of them need work. We figure with the over 350 children in the orphanage and all of the future and full time missionaries here we will be able to fill the schedule when the dentists start to come in January. Here are some pictures of our week:

Our first full time missionary....he brought the entire District
(It was the gringo...he had broken his retainer...but
two of the others needed dental work also)

One of my favorite pictures of the Tio Juan boys waiting
This group is between 8-10 years old

Another thing we are going to start doing is to go to the CCM (Guatemalan MTC) when new missionaries arrive to do a quick dental check. This way we will be able to take care of any teeth that could be potential problems while the missionary is serving. While Mike and Linda were here we went to the CCM for the first time and "previewed" 39 missionaries who had just reported. There were only 3 that needed any dental work. We are sure that this is a direct result of the brigadas...Wayne would ask them were they got their work and they would say when the American dentists came down. Next week there are 80 new missionaries coming....wish we had Mike and Linda here!!

The missionaries preparing for their exams!!

Checking the missionaries

Linda and Mike with one of the CCM missionaries
they saw in the clinic

AND...........Take a close look!! Who is this missionary?



......that's right..thanks for the house call Dr. Mike!!

BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS

Dental chairs installed and ready to go!!

I never thought that I would see Wayne excited to open a box of syringes...but it has happened. This last week as we opened the dental equipment that has been donated to the clinic, we were both amazed and humbled at the donations that everyone has sent. Thank you, thank you to all those who have been a part of the start of this clinic. We are excited to get it open and to continue the vision.

Wayne opening up his box of syringes

The past couple of days Bill and Robbie Taft were here to install the equipment. It was amazing to me how quickly it all happened. I guess that is what happens when you have the experts doing the work. They arrived on Thursday afternoon and we got to the clinic around 3pm. With the help of Edvin Dardon and Aurelio Hernandez and of course Elder Tomkinson, they basically had the units hooked up and we were home by 7pm.

Getting the first chair level...four more to go

The crew at the end of the first day

Friday was spent fine-tuning the equipment and making sure that suction and water, etc were working. They said that it would take about a half day for them to finish. We were so glad that they were able to finish the work and get back to their families. Such a great blessing after the week that they spent here before waiting for equipment to arrive.

Bill and Robbie....the experts

Boys will be boys....let the expert do it

The clinic is top-notch and will be a wonderful addition for the orphanages of Guatemala. We already have some missionaries that are in need of dental care....so hopefully we will be up and running in the next couple of weeks.

WE GOT EQUIPMENT!!!!!

Bill and Robbie Taft along with Elders Tomkinson, Taylor and Bawden

It has been like waiting for Christmas morning to arrive. We have been waiting for the dental equipment to get to Guatemala and then to the dental clinic for about two months. This last week Bill and Robbie Taft flew down from Utah to install the equipment. NO EQUIPMENT....Thanks to the Tafts for their patience. But yesterday........

WE GOT EQUIPMENT

About 3:00pm Wayne and I went to the dental clinic and were able to receive the shipment. It was so exciting. We lined up the chairs and they are all ready to install. The generator and compressor are in the proper place. We have boxes and boxes of supplies to open and inventory. It is here....and it is better than Christmas!!!

Elder Tomkinson meeting and directing the truck

First things off the truck

Lining up boxes....

Those chairs are BEAUTIFUL!!

First chair in place

The hard-working crew

Five chairs all in a row......!!!!!

IT'S ALMOST THERE!!!

Finishing the outside...starting to paint

We are getting to the stage with the dental clinic where we can see the end in sight. Things are going really quickly, and we are hoping to be able to have a finished project in the next few days. Today we went there to see the main room all painted, lighting and electricity installed, and the landscaping starting. Here are a few quick pictures:

The main clinic room...there will be five dental chairs here

Working on the tile in the reception area

One of my favorite pictures
This guy is working on the main door

Taking out a tree stump so the landscaping can happen
The workers took turns working on this!!!

THE MOSAICS

Elder and Sister Albert in front of one of the mosaics

So many people have commented about the mosaics that are going to be in the dental clinic that I just had to do a special blog on them. Hermana Judy Albert (from Durango, CO) has spent hours, days, months on them. They are amazing. Last week they hung them in the dental clinic. As they went to move them, the boards buckled and many (underlined and exclamation point) of the tiles fell off. We were all sick....the Alberts were scheduled to leave this week. Wayne and I went out Saturday morning and helped scrape the glue off of the mosaics that had fallen. That gave Judy and her husband Charlie the time to reglue and redesign the mosaics.

Wayne and I scraping tiles to repair the murals

I just must say that they really are AMAZING.....I feel so blessed to be able to look at them every day. They tell the story of Tio Juan....the man who founded the orphanage here. Tio Juan means Uncle John...that is what the orphans call him. He is the man in the mosaic with birds on his shoulder. There is a rooster, dogs, as well as orphans in the picture. Wayne is going to use it as a visual aide when people start coming to volunteer here. This is the focus of the dental clinic....helping these people. If you lose that purpose, you are there for the wrong reasons.

Judy wiping off the grout

Charlie putting the pieces back together

Thanks Judy for a great contribution that will stay here for many years!!! We are so glad that you were able to be here......this is actually their second mission and they are planning on coming back to help build some more humanitarian projects....