Ya mon!

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Treasure Beach, Jamaica as part of a dental missions team. The group consisted of about 21 people, including dental students of all levels from my school, as well as dentists, hygienists, and pre-dents. A few videos and pictures from the trip..

These are from the villa I stayed in. I loved it because it wasn't near anything touristy and the views were so beautiful. We also had Jamaican cooks come in to make us breakfast and dinner every day. I've never had such good Jamaican food! Honestly, I was fully prepared to rough it that week-I thought the living situation would be more like sleeping on the floor of a hut somewhere, with minimal showers and cramped spaces and other inconveniences, so this was a pleasant surprise.

             

So ok. I've only just finished my first year, and didn't expect to be able to do much that required real dental skills. Yet another surprise-the first day, the dentists leading the team assigned a 3rd year and myself to a chair to do extractions, and by the second day they gave me my own chair to pull teeth by myself! Never mind that I had barely seen an extraction done before..

But I also loved this-I learned so much in the span of four days that would have taken me forever in school due to all the red tape and scheduling. Not to say that rules aren't necessary, especially in sue-happy America, but I appreciated that the dentists treated me like a responsible dentist-in-training, trusting that I was capable enough to do what I could, and if the case was too difficult, trusting me to turn to them for assistance. But perhaps their trust was one of urgency-there was so much that we needed to do, and the days were so fast-paced, that all hands really needed to be on deck. In any case, by the end of the week, I was comfortable giving injections (I had done exactly one prior to this trip), and pulling out teeth like a champ. :)

On the last day we took a boat tour to do some sight-seeing. In addition to getting up close to scary crocodiles and happy dolphins, we sipped coconut water fresh from the trees as we took turns jumping off a rope swing into the water. We stopped by the Pelican Bar, which is a hut in the middle of the ocean, and lounged. A good ending to the trip.

 
A short tour of the clinic.

Every morning, the pastor would lead the patients and dental team in a hymn and prayer. Not pictured, but every morning we would also have our own devotion as a team.

This entry is getting long, and I could keep going, but ultimately, this is the first volunteer project I've participated in that I truly felt fulfilled. It aligned so well with my beliefs, my interests, and I felt like I was actually doing something to help others. With other volunteer projects, I wandered aimlessly (literally and figuratively), not making any true headway in offering aid due to my lack of needed skill at the time. I don't mean to say any of this out of pride, or to put other projects down, but just that there was a joy in serving in this capacity as it resonated with me personally. I want God to use me as a dentist, and to use my education as a way to love and serve others. I'm grateful for this experience.