Waiting for Dinner

We are sitting in a lovely hotel in San Salvador waiting for dinner. We've been driving all day and our only sustenancee was two Mrs. Field's most wonderful chocolate chip cookies. I'm not complaining, mind you, but some veggies would be nice at this point. Preston and Vaugna King and Kim are giving instruction to the dentists and doctors who are here to do a major dental brigade for pre-missionaries. Prior to the clinic opening in the morning, everyone needs to be taught how to make use of the new on-line system. There is no way to explain what happens in a brigade. David Sheets, the director of this massive humanitarian method around South and Central America, has been doing this for many years. Many thousands of missionaries are able to serve because of brigades like this one.

Just a brief explanation of what these brigades are will hopefully paint a picture of people from around the globe who donate, over and over, incredible ways of providing dental care. Just now, as we drove into the hotel, there were two doctors in the lobby. One, a Dr. Prince told us this is his 7th brigade. Another man, whose name I did not get, told us that this was his first one. He was from Atlanta, Georgia.

These men take their office - literally - from their place in various cities. Chairs and all are unscrewed from the floors and packed into trucks to be airlifted into places in Central America. When they get to the area where the brigade is stationed, the chairs are recovered and placed in a chapel, in this case San Salvador. Each station is set up as a complete dental office. The gyms hold 20 mini-offices. There are labs, X-ray areas, orthodontics, surgery set up in classrooms and on stages. Teeth are extracted, cleaned, cavities filled, jaws restructured, and on and on. For 10 days these dentists and technicians and doctors who give all the physical and medical exams will work from early morning until late at night. This brigade, which begins in the morning, will be our third opportunity to experience the bee-hive of miracles in the making.

The last brigade served 930 young men and women. This brigade has over 500 pre-missionaries signed up. Buses will come from all over El Salvador, most having driven all night, and deposit young men and women from every corner of this beautiful country. Their work begins as they step off the bus. Hair cuts, mission photos, used clothes....are just a few of the service given during these days.

Many of these dentists, doctors, technicians, and the families of these people who serve from all over the US use this time as their vacations. This is a great expense for these people and yet many have been doing this service for 20 years. Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala are countries who have been sites multiple times for these brigades. I'm so grateful I have a chance to rub shoulders, even just for a few days, with great people such as these.