LLU School of Dentistry Dentalgram

Dentalgram

September 2002

Students return from mission service

This year, students and alumni have provided dental care in the continent of Africa, Armenia, Belize, El Salvadore, Gilbert Islands, New Guinea, Pohnpei, and Ukraine. Following are some of their memories, expressed in letters to alumni and to the office of service learning.

Marian Kim (front row, 4th from left) poses with friends she made while providing dental care in Belize. She is one of many dental and dental hygiene students to provide care in dental clinics around the globe this summer.

Marian Kim and Heather Rosaasen went to Belize. Here are their reports:

Thank you so much for sponsoring me to go on the mission trip to Belize! I really had a great time. I learned and experienced way more than I could have ever imagined. And it didn't hurt that the country of Belize was so amazingly beautiful.

Thank you again, and please know that going on this trip has given me the encouragement that I didn't even know I needed to get me through this next year. It was an awesome experience.God bless!
—Sincerely, Marian Kim, DH’03

Heather Rosaasen, DH’03 (third from left), poses with members of the team that provided dental care in Belize. Pictured are (l-r): Marian Kim DH’03; Dr. Koren Borland; Heather; Claudia Rodriguez, DH’03; Elizabeth Park, D4, Maggie Lam, D4, and Jennifer Lim, D4.

Thank you so much for your support in my mission trip to Belize. I had a fantastic experience that I will never forget. We worked hard and I learned so much. We had lots of fun getting to know the people of Belize. God Bless.
—Heather Rosaasen, DH’03

Eunice Hong went to Belize:

I want to thank you once again for giving me the incredible opportunity to travel to Armenia and further bond with my Armenian friends and family. It’s funny that even the third time around the experience is still new and fresh and beautiful.

We worked hard treating the dental needs of the children during the day and sometimes into the night. But we were also able to just live with the kids and the locals. The simplicity and unselfishness of the people, smiling despite hardships, was very refreshing and grounding. The love that is shared never seems guarded or rationed.

Some of my fondest memories that help me through stressful times at school are the sounds of water gushing down the river and the sight of the beautiful mountains right outside our rooms. Thank you for allowing me to soak in these wonders yet again!

I always learn from the rich Christian history of the country and the old, old, OLD churches still standing. I once saw a man slowly and carefully riding horseback down a mountain (literally down a mountain with no apparent path), gently carrying a lamb in his arms. I was taken back to biblical times. How amazing! That was such a beautiful and precious sight. No wonder Christ used the examples and parables that He did! I will remember that moment for a long time.

I could go on and on and still not feel as if I properly described my time in Armenia. It truly was a mission trip except that I was the one ministered unto rather than the other way around.

So, thank you once again. Please also thank NASDAD and the LLU Alumni for their amazing support.
—Sincerely, Eunice Hong, SD’02

Melanie Leiske went to Ukraine:

Melanie Leiske (left), poses with a patient in Ukraine.

Thank you so much for making it possible for me to spend my summer break on a ’02 LLU Mission Trip in the Ukraine sharing God’s love through dentistry. Our team’s main goal was to provide dental care to some of the children who were affected by the Chernobyl Disaster.

First we toured Dental University of Kiev and exchanged lectures. We worked with dental residents throughout the rest of our stay. LLU dental hygiene students with two dental hygienists presented a PowerPoint presentation on dental hygiene. The Dental University of Kiev planned to start a dental hygiene program but various reasons halted this process. After our presentation a government official who was in the audience, would like to possibly fund this project along with his sons. You never know how extensively God will use your humble efforts.

Our group was based at the Sanitarium Ukraine where Chernobyl victims and busloads of orphans receive dental treatments.

Melanie Leiske, DH’03 (third from right), shows her new friends in the Ukraine how to properly brush their teeth.

Fathers, mothers, and grandparents were elated to have their child or grandchild receive better dental care than they themselves had. It’s awesome to see a precious child change from being terrified when they walk through the door and after their initial dental visit their fears subside, and they later brought friends and relatives for dental care.

We provided dental care to children from an orphanage and a baby orphanage for those with disabilities. Some of the disabilities we saw were those you wish you could only see in textbooks as an example, and not in person. It was really sad! I wish we could have done more for the orphans but hopefully through some act of kindness demonstrated they got a clearer picture of Jesus.

Thank you once again for all of your support through generous donations and prayers. It made all the difference and I’m looking forward to my next mission trip. I can hardly wait until we spend eternity with our Heavenly Father.
Take care and God bless.
—Sincerely, Melanie Leiske, DH’03