Dental Mission to Congo 2012

Dear Friends and Mission partners

I was privileged to go to Congo, Central Africa to teach primary dental care for three weeks this spring. Here is a short video of a few highlights.

My host, Dr. Luc Mulimbalimba had one of his team members take some video. So, I thought I’d combine it with some of mine with a few photos. I hope you find it interesting.

Dr. Luc directs M.H.C.D. “Mission in Health Care & Development  –  in east central Africa with its main office in Bungoma, Kenya. http://www.mhcdafrica.com/. He is also a newly elected Member of Parliament for his state. They operate one hospital in Kinshasa (Capital), two dispensaries (Luvungi and Uvira), and about 12-14 smaller health stations in the surrounding region in Central Africa, as well as a couple of radio stations. They also direct feeding programs, orphanages, seed distribution etc. In fact they are doing many things. I spoke on the radio about four or five times, teaching dental health and sharing briefly about God love and Jesus’ death on the cross for all humanity. I was told the station reaches 5 million people.

I trained five students in filling teeth (using the A.R.T. technique) and two were introduced to dental extractions. Two additional students were taught A.R.T by one of the other students. Interestingly, one of my students is a major in the Congolese army. They all seemed very motivated to help their people. It was an honor and joy for me to teach them. I was told there was just one dentist in the whole district and that dental services were, for the most part, unavailable to the average person. What a blessing this will be.

In passing:  The people of Congo have greatly suffered as a result of conflict, violence, disease, and poverty. I had one older lady who I treated who has outlived her eight children and her husband. Can you imagine? Four sons were killed all at once in the Rwandan war. She has no one to care for her in her old age. You can just see the pain in her face. I treated another lady who lost five children. “Oh God – Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. May you greatly bless these ladies and all those who have suffered so much in this country and throughout the world. I thank you for your wonderful promises in the Beatitudes to bless all those who mourn, are hungry and are poor. (Lu 6:20-21).”

I was invited by Dr. Luc to return and partner with his mission to start an official dental school in Congo.

Please pray for God’s guidance in this possibility.

Thank you,

Gerry