"If you have a tooth pulled, you will go blind," Dr. Craig Hovic, a Colorado Spings dentist who has served on seven United Methodist Volunteers in Mission teams, was told over and over by Cambodians seeking dental help.
Irene Mparutsa is the United Methodist missionary my church Longs Peak UMC supports in Cambodia (aka Kampuchea). His 2010 VIM stint was his third trip to Cambodia, a flight of 13 time zones. Irene welcomed them, got them through Cambodian Customs (renowned for confiscating medical equipment, anesthesia and anything else of interest).
Cambodia is 95 percent Buddhist and 68 percent agricultural. The VIM team's purpose was to witness Christ's love by a ministry of healing. No American propaganda, no Christian proselytizing, simply service.
The first stop was of necessity to the Cambodian Department of Health to explain the mission and make the necessary payoffs. Hovic was surprised by the heat. Transportation was primarily by oxcart or motorcycles. It is dangerous on the roads at night. When they moved to the Mekong River, it was REALLY hot, the water polluted, and the sunsets breathtaking.
The clinic was held in three locations, the first in Irene's small United Methodist church, a new building with an active congregation. It was the best facility, even accounting for no running water or electricity. In a country of sugar cane and no diet soda or dentists, teeth crumble. Considerable effort was dedicated to distributing tooth brushes and teaching children about oral hygiene, i.e., how to brush. Dr. Hovic said the two dentists focused primarily on extractions, since there was no power for their drills or lighting. The dentists generally got the room with a window, as flashlights did not have a strong enough. Each doctor, dentist or optometrist had an interpreter. Dr. Hovic learned the Cambodian for 1-2-3-4, the number of teeth the patient could indicate they wanted pulled.
Their second clinic was held under a tarp, and the third in a pre-Vietnam War era clinic. The clinic was "a disaster," Hovic said. "It would never pass OSHA."
Hovic said that the holocaust from 1975 to 1979 of two million of eight million Cambodians murdered by the Khmer Rouge--the educated, the decision makers, those wearing glasses--was obvious in the extreme youth of the population. No old people. Today 50 percent of the population is under 22 years old. A huge leadership gap is slowly being filled by emerging young leaders.
After the medical team's visit, Irene is handling the referrals to medical care in Phnom Penh. Most patients' families go along to provide food and security during a hospital stay. Longs Peak UMC donated funds to defray those expenses of country folks in the big city.
Irene Mparutsa is the United Methodist missionary my church Longs Peak UMC supports in Cambodia (aka Kampuchea). His 2010 VIM stint was his third trip to Cambodia, a flight of 13 time zones. Irene welcomed them, got them through Cambodian Customs (renowned for confiscating medical equipment, anesthesia and anything else of interest).
Cambodia is 95 percent Buddhist and 68 percent agricultural. The VIM team's purpose was to witness Christ's love by a ministry of healing. No American propaganda, no Christian proselytizing, simply service.
The first stop was of necessity to the Cambodian Department of Health to explain the mission and make the necessary payoffs. Hovic was surprised by the heat. Transportation was primarily by oxcart or motorcycles. It is dangerous on the roads at night. When they moved to the Mekong River, it was REALLY hot, the water polluted, and the sunsets breathtaking.
The clinic was held in three locations, the first in Irene's small United Methodist church, a new building with an active congregation. It was the best facility, even accounting for no running water or electricity. In a country of sugar cane and no diet soda or dentists, teeth crumble. Considerable effort was dedicated to distributing tooth brushes and teaching children about oral hygiene, i.e., how to brush. Dr. Hovic said the two dentists focused primarily on extractions, since there was no power for their drills or lighting. The dentists generally got the room with a window, as flashlights did not have a strong enough. Each doctor, dentist or optometrist had an interpreter. Dr. Hovic learned the Cambodian for 1-2-3-4, the number of teeth the patient could indicate they wanted pulled.
Their second clinic was held under a tarp, and the third in a pre-Vietnam War era clinic. The clinic was "a disaster," Hovic said. "It would never pass OSHA."
Hovic said that the holocaust from 1975 to 1979 of two million of eight million Cambodians murdered by the Khmer Rouge--the educated, the decision makers, those wearing glasses--was obvious in the extreme youth of the population. No old people. Today 50 percent of the population is under 22 years old. A huge leadership gap is slowly being filled by emerging young leaders.
After the medical team's visit, Irene is handling the referrals to medical care in Phnom Penh. Most patients' families go along to provide food and security during a hospital stay. Longs Peak UMC donated funds to defray those expenses of country folks in the big city.