“He doesn’t like to eat; he says it hurts too much.”
As MedSend alumna Erin Connally, DDS, looked into young Javier’s* mouth, she at once spotted the culprit behind his mother’s statement. All his primary (baby) molars and upper front teeth were abscessed. She glanced at his chart and noticed his weight was significantly lower than expected for a six-year-old. Thankfully, she had the skills and opportunity to do something to help.
Dr. Connally has been bringing good health and hope into underserved communities in Peru since 2009. Currently, she is the project manager and principal dentist for Hope Dental Clinic based in Cusco, Peru. Hope Dental is a mobile ministry that brings dental care and the gospel to remote Quechua communities.
During each mobile clinic outreach, Dr. Connally and her team provide Biblical teaching as the patients wait for treatment. Her husband, Brendan, has developed a system of teaching the Bible to oral learners. They use audio Bibles and picture books drawn by a local artist to engage those that normally are unable to read the Bible on their own.
Javier was one of 70 kids Dr. Connally and her team treated through the mobile clinic recently in the village of Ccachona. Although most of them are from non-Christian homes, they all take part in a weekly Bible club hosted by a small local church. The pastor reports that they are combating poverty and neglect by giving the kids a safe place to spend their Saturdays, and sometimes a healthy meal. Anemia is especially high in the community where Javier lives.
“We pray that healthier mouths mean that kids like this young boy can live healthier lives, and we give thanks for our partner ministry that extends Christ’s love on a consistent basis in a community in desperate need of gospel transformation,” Dr. Connally shares. She’s also thankful for the support from MedSend donors that allowed her to go to the mission field as a young dentist.
A Path to Global Impact
“We are so grateful for MedSend! MedSend allowed us to leave for our mission field in Peru very soon after I graduated from dental school. We are so glad that we were able to come to the mission field when we did and establish our ministries right away,” Dr. Connally tells us.
Because of generous financial gifts from our family of donors, work like Dr. Connally’s is being done across South and Central America, Asia and Africa. When you give to MedSend, you make it possible for skilled doctors and healthcare professionals to bring health and hope into communities with little access to quality medical care. Through our US Pathway, our Grant Recipients train national doctors, bring relief to vulnerable communities, and offer the gift of hope. Will you partner with us today in creating lasting global impact through healthcare missions?
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