Something I LOVE to do...

Medical mission trips are something I have always loved to do. My mom and dad have been doing them for as long as I can remember. That is where I found my interest in dentistry. I really wanted to be a surgeon like my dad and because of it  I got to see a lot of surgery by the time I was 6 years old. I would stand on a wooden box, next to my dad and hold, cut, retract and at the end of the procedure I helped wash the instruments and sterilize. This was done in make shift operating rooms that we set up in school classrooms! It seems crazy but it was just normal everyday things for our family. Going on mission trips was fun, exciting and we got to do a lot of exciting things.

One time, my dad told me; "Why don't you go with the dentists and ask them if they would let you pull some teeth" Of course, I thought it was a great idea! My dad just wanted to keep me out of the OR for a vaginal procedure the OB's were doing. So...I went and one of my dad's good friends said, "Sure, I will let you pull some teeth" at the end of the day, I had about 6 rotten teeth in my pocket to show to my dad. I was pretty proud of myself. I showed him the teeth and he said; "maybe you should be a dentist" and that is when the thought crossed my mind for the first time, I was 6-7 years old and I remember it as it was yesterday.

I have probably been to as many as 40-60 medical mission trips all over Mexico throughout my life, some in towns up in the mountains in the middle of nowhere, some in jungles with heat you wouldn't believe and more mosquitoes than I care to remember! Every single trip, I loved!!! I love helping people, I love to love them...and it is my hope and prayer that my boys have that same passion and love to help others. 

Soooo, in 2 weeks we are heading down to Southern Mexico for another mission trip and I am taking the boys. This will be Bennett's second mission trip, he doesn't know it but he will soon enough. They will see other children with no shoes that die for a balloon or a ball!  He will also see children with cleft lips and palates that have not had surgical corrections, children with burnt hands and faces that never got treated! I want them to know how blessed they are!

So, will you join us in our journey? I will post everyday as we go...and let you know how it is going! I will post some pictures of our bags of supplies so you can see how it all works.  Please pray for a safe and productive trip for our group coming from Arizona but also from all over the United States. Pray that lives and hearts are touched and that all the glory goes to Him.

Thanks for checking in, I will keep you posted!

xo, L

PS...Don't forget to post your love stories ladies!!!

This is how we do our exams... with an audience! Here is the dad of a friend of ours that came to help from Florida, Greg behind him and my mom helping translate.

This is one of our mission trips in the 80's , one of my most favorite trips, 1 month before I started dental school.
My dad in the front, my sister in red, my mom behind her and me behind my dad with other friends.

This is our makeshift consultation areas...Fancy huh!!

I will keep posting more pictures as we go!