LLU&MC Scope Autumn 2000-Pakistan Journey

Pakistan journey

School of Dentistry team provides dental care in Pakistan

If you are an alumnus of the School of Dentistry, a faculty or staff member, a student, or a returned missionary, you were represented by all of those categories recently in Pakistan.

Victor Gill, DDS, a dentist and international dentist program preceptor living and working in Peshawar, Pakistan; Quint P. Nicola, DDS, assistant professor of oral diagnosis, radiology, and pathology at LLU; Royce Nicola, senior dental student; and Richard Cross, photographic coordinator, School of Dentistry, traveled to Pakistan the first weeks of April. Mr. Cross was invited to record the activities of the team on still photos and video. Good Samaritan Minis tries sponsored his expenses.

Quint P. Nicola, DDS, assistant professor of oral diagnosis, radiology, and pathology (left), examines a Pakistani patient at the Peshawar Seventh-day Adventist mission compound. Dr. Nicola was accompanied to Pakistan by his son, Royce (not pictured).

The city of Peshawar was the group's final destination. They stayed at the Pesha war Seventh-day Adventist compound for a little over two weeks.

The dental team from Loma Linda, along with an Adventist physician and and nurses, provided health care for many residents of the Christian community living in Peshawar.

The free medical and dental services were offered during an evangelistic crusade held by Good Samaritan Ministries, in cooperation with Pakistan Union Confer ence of Seventh-day Adventists. World Medics, Inc., headquartered in Loma Linda, sponsored part of the expenses for the trip.

Christian proselytizing is forbidden in this Muslim country, but Christians have rights to preach on their own property, and to hold a convention with health and dental clinics, Dr. Nicola says.

Dr. Nicola, who along with his family, spent two terms in the 1970s and 1980s as a missionary dentist in Pakistan [the Nicola family served a mission term at Monument Valley Mission Hospital dental clinic in southern Utah between terms in Pakistan], noted many changes.

Being able to hold evangelistic efforts was not permitted when we served in Pakistan, Dr. Nicola says. The Pakistan Union Conference was able to obtain a government permit to hold the evangelistic meeting on the local mission compound as long as the meetings were advertised only to the Christian community.

Royce Nicola, who graduated with his doctor of dental surgery degree in May, presented health lectures in the Pakistani language.

Royce was born in Pakistan while we were serving as missionaries, Dr. Nicola states. Consequently he grew up knowing the local language. Even though Royce was a little rusty with the Urdu language, he did an excellent job.

Dr. Nicola also put his knowledge of the Urdu language to good use while treating his patients. This trip was Dr. Nicola's second to Pakistan since he and his family returned from regular mission service.

Patients wait outside the Pakistan mission compound dental clinic to see the Loma Linda dentists.

In 1999 I returned to Pakistan with our daughter, Caroline, who is now a student in the School of Nursing, Dr. Nicola continues. We participated in a similar program as we did this past April.

During Dr. Nicola's and his daughter's return visit to Pakistan in 1999, they went to Rawalpindi where the Nicola family lived during their mission service.

We found that the home where we lived was in total disrepair, Dr. Nicola remembers. A tree was growing in what was our living room.

The evangelistic meetings were held in a huge tent erected on the mission compound, according to Dr. Nicola. Each evening, approximately 1,500 individuals from the local Christian community were transferred by bus to the meetings courtesy of Good Samaritan Ministries. Approximately 300 baptisms have occurred in Peshawar during the last three years.

The three dentists treated about 30 patients a day, doing extractions and restor a tions. A physician helping with the project was kept very busy. Local nurses did blood pressure and blood sugar checks.

Pakistan is located in the sub-continent of Asia and has a population of nearly 140 million people.

LLU students participate in SIMS Bolivia trip

If you are an alumnus of the School of Dentistry, a faculty or staff member, a student, or a returned missionary, you were represented by all of those categories recently in Pakistan.

Victor Gill, DDS, a dentist and international dentist program preceptor living and working in Peshawar, Pakistan; Quint P. Nicola, DDS, assistant professor of oral diagnosis, radiology, and pathology at LLU; Royce Nicola, senior dental student; and Richard Cross, photographic coordinator, School of Dentistry, traveled to Pakistan the first weeks of April. Mr. Cross was invited to record the activities of the team on still photos and video. Good Samaritan Ministries sponsored his expenses.
The city of Peshawar was the group's final destination. They stayed at the Peshawar Seventh-day Adventist compound for a little over two weeks.
The dental team from Loma Linda, along with an Adventist physician and and nurses, provided health care for many residents of the Christian community living in Peshawar.
The free medical and dental services were offered during an evangelistic crusade held by Good Samaritan Ministries, in cooperation with Pakistan Union Confer ence of Seventh-day Adventists. World Medics, Inc., headquartered in Loma Linda, sponsored part of the expenses for the trip.
"Christian proselytizing is forbidden in this Muslim country, but Christians have rights to preach on their own property, and to hold a convention with health and dental clinics," Dr. Nicola says.
Dr. Nicola, who along with his family, spent two terms in the 1970s and 1980s as a missionary dentist in Pakistan [the Nicola family served a mission term at Monument Valley Mission Hospital dental clinic in southern Utah between terms in Pakistan], noted many changes.
"Being able to hold evangelistic efforts was not permitted when we served in Pakistan," Dr. Nicola says. "The Pakistan Union Conference was able to obtain a government permit to hold the evangelistic meeting on the local mission compound as long as the meetings were advertised only to the Christian community."
Royce Nicola, who graduated with his doctor of dental surgery degree in May, presented health lectures in the Pakistani language.
"Royce was born in Pakistan while we were serving as missionaries," Dr. Nicola states. "Consequently he grew up knowing the local language. Even though Royce was a little rusty with the Urdu language, he did an excellent job."
Dr. Nicola also put his knowledge of the Urdu language to good use while treating his patients. This trip was Dr. Nicola's second to Pakistan since he and his family returned from regular mission service.
"In 1999 I returned to Pakistan with our daughter, Caroline, who is now a student in the School of Nursing," Dr. Nicola continues. "We participated in a similar program as we did this past April."
During Dr. Nicola's and his daughter's return visit to Pakistan in 1999, they went to Rawalpindi where the Nicola family lived during their mission service.
"We found that the home where we lived was in total disrepair," Dr. Nicola remembers. "A tree was growing in what was our living room."
The evangelistic meetings were held in a huge tent erected on the mission compound, according to Dr. Nicola. Each evening, approximately 1,500 individuals from the local Christian community were transferred by bus to the meetings courtesy of Good Samaritan Ministries. Approximately 300 baptisms have occurred in Peshawar during the last three years.
The three dentists treated about 30 patients a day, doing extractions and restorations. A physician helping with the project was kept very busy. Local nurses did blood pressure and blood sugar checks.
Pakistan is located in the sub-continent of Asia and has a population of nearly 140 million people.

[Scope, Autumn 2000]