First Week Experience

Every day is a new experience, absorbing it as much as I can.  After completing my first week of dental care, I have given over 100 injections (doing every type of injections-palatal, PSA, MSA, ASA, IAN, incisive papillae, buccal, lingual, infiltrations-although I still have not done the Gow-Gate injection, a very painful and risky injection), done several extractions, restrained patients during invasive surgeries, many gross debridement and adult prophylaxis, and taught oral hygiene.   It has been a rewarding experience, to tune my skills and become more proficient in my profession.  But more importantly, I am able to show love and compassion to the patients regardless what status I hold.  It is so satisfying when I can solely focus on  the people, not money, schedules, errands, shopping, and possessions.   I continue to show Christ’s love regardless if the patient is a Muslim or sorcerer.

We continue to show people love by not just our lips but also our actions.  We had a very rare case the other day, a patient w/ Ludwig’s angina (you can google it) and being able to save this person’s life will be a testimony of what we do and the love we have shown to him.  I believe in prayer, but I also believe in doing something about it.  I feel like too many times, people will just pray about it and not make an effort in providing a way or care for someone needs.  Faith without works is dead.  Prayer + action= getting something done. 

I have been on the streets and middle of towns, and it amazes me how everyone sits around the open sewages ditches and food is being served right next to them.  The streets are very crowded (I make sure I hold onto my belongings, theft can easily be performed on the streets) and automobiles drive inches from your body.  People are always shoving and pushing, knowing they are not trying to be rude, but it is the culture norm.  Being light-skinned (aka, white) everyone on the street is always presenting their goods to me, in hoping I buy something.   I was even proposed to several times, by desperate mothers in hope to give their daughters better lives.  Having the urge to try something local, a woman approached me with something that appeared to be a type of meat on a stick.  Wanting to give it a try, I handed the woman 1000 Leones (about 20 cents, side note- when I arrived to Sierra Leone, and transferred $100 US dollars, I received about $450,000 Leones, talk about having a fat wallet).  After closer observation, it turned out to be chicken feet.  Great.  I attempt to eat it (see pictures), it had nice a spicy flavor to it, but the fat and bone didn’t appeal to me.  I just had a toe (whatever you want to call it) and gave the rest to the dogs on the street.   Rest assure, I have eaten several things on the street and have not gotten sick since I been here.

Interestingly, walking back from a market area, I passed a gated church.  A service has just ended, and everyone is walking out.  It is interesting to see that everyone is very well dressed w/ elaborate clothing and making an effort in avoiding eye contact with the people on the street.  The church goers talk among themselves while they wait for their transportations.  It appeared they had a nice service.  I don’t think this is what Jesus had in mind.