Out Reach

Libreng bunot at libreng ngiti

Their smiles were all perfect even if their teeth were not. Men, women, children, young & old none were as fortunate to be there as the volunteers. Because the Lord knew there was a need for his people, He made a way for this dental mission to become a possibility instead of impossibility. The odds seemed against us, but we had the unfailing Lord on our side.

Orison Swett Marden explained it fully when he said, “Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.” It may have seemed a small feat for some, but the rewards of service will echo all through our lives. The event may not have been life-changing for some, but I know my life will never be the same.

Looking back to that day, I don’t remember any worn or tired faces only the countenance of the Lord lighting up our eyes. The smiles were literally ear to ear and could hardly be limited to just the members. There was no better investment of time than for that one day forgetting about our own needs and tending to those that we served.

Whether it was a friend, neighbor, or complete stranger everyone was welcome. And for every tooth that was pulled, a smile took its place. I couldn’t help but think when was the last time I saw so many people smiling and then it finally sank in. I had never in my lifetime seen so many gorgeous smiles that lit up with the countenance of the Lord. The preparatory steps taken to bring us to that memorable day were so fun-filled the dedicated volunteers hardly saw the Dental Mission as a service but as a blessing.

Glorious rays of sunshine blessed us as we started the event. And although it rained just after 2 pm, it did little to damper our soaring moods. The day began in honor of the spirit of service and in turn we repaid the dentists, professionals, and volunteers with our gratitude. As I arrived, we all nervously went through our mental checklists of things that could go wrong, supplies that were still missing, but the opening prayer turned that all around. Once we left our trust to the Lord, everything else fell into place.

There was a constant exchange of teeth for smiles and vice versa. Physically and mentally not one person was left fatigued by the day’s events, but our spirits were well above the clouds that hovered overhead. The gospel has afforded us the understanding that goes beyond just the needs of our members, but also the needs of our communities. In light of that, I can hardly wait until our next mission.