Hola mis amigos!

Our last day in clinic and we worked HARD. Despite all exhaustion and very sore backs, we gave it our all until the last patient was finished. When asked around the team if they would prefer another day of clinic or our planned fun day for tomorrow, everyone said clinic. If that doesn’t show where our hearts are at, I don’t know what does. I admire the team’s work ethic and drive to share the Gospel and heal others. The village of Experimental was so welcoming and we were happy to be there. Somehow, the energy is still high and smiles are constantly shared amongst us. One thing I love about writing these blogs is reflecting on the day and always seeing the good through and through. This morning did not start off the best. We loaded up the bus and started to head down the street when we found out our bus had a flat tire.  (The wheels on the bus did not go round-and-round). So, we turned around and looked at each other like “what happens now?”. The solution came easy– we would take half of the team in the translator’s van with the truck, and when our bus was fixed the rest of the team would join. Although this set us behind an hour, our efficiency has increased throughout the week and we still treated an abundance of patients. Tomorrow we will take a break and will be going to Catalina Island! To all of the parents out there– everyone will be wearing sunscreen!

A few wise words from our D4s who have been our lifeline this week:

“I had fun helping the first years progress throughout the week. It was cool to see as we got further on throughout the week they became much more confident and knowledgeable. I really enjoyed getting to know the guys in my small group. All of the guys were in one small group and I’m excited to go back to school and continue our friendships.” -Zane

“It was enjoyable getting to know all of the first year students and exciting to see them grow over the course of the week. I was able to provide care but be very hands off by the end of the week. It was super exciting to see because I remember going as a second year and having the same feelings that they are having now towards sharing the Gospel with unreached people and increasing their knowledge in dentistry. It was a huge blessing to see the care we were able to provide to the Dominican people and ultimately share the Gospel boldly. I had fun.” -Nolan

“Having only heard stories from the previous years trips, I was in no way prepared for the abundance of love and care that emanates from this group of people. From the smallest to the largest task, our group has always been ready to serve. While not the most physically rested, this week has been such a reprieve from the busy ‘normal’ day.” – Lauren

Gracias a Dios,
Margaret B 🙂