The Wright Report

Belize Dental Clinic Outreach Update:

November 2015  •  Dr. Gary Wright, DMD

Well, here we are finally! After over two years in the making, we are now ready to start providing patient care to the poor and underserved local people in Orange Walk, Belize Central America. This all started over 2 years ago when Patty and I went to Belize with our brother and sister Mark and Abby King on a mission trip. Mark and Abby are pastors of The Lords House of Prayer (LHOP) in Lancaster City. They are the parent umbrella church overseeing and supporting the Life Ministries Church in Belize under the shepherding of Pastor Reuben Leiva.

While we were in Belize, Pastor Reuben asked if somehow we could come and provide dental services to his people. We thought about it and gave it prayerful consideration and just placed it in the Lord's hands. Soon, it was time to upgrade my office and its dental equipment - but what to do with the existing equipment that had become worn and old but still worked fine? It became evident that I should send the equipment down to Belize so it could be used in Reuben's dental clinic. "At least we will be able to get involved in his dream to have a dental clinic!" we thought, not knowing that we would become involved in more ways than just donating equipment.

Reuben had another dream to build a church building in Orange Walk and they broke ground and started the process. Many volunteer teams went down to provide the necessary labor, materials, and knowhow. It was determined that the back section of the church building would be dedicated to providing the space for the dental clinic. Plans were sketched and teams of people from LHOP went down to build out the clinic, make cabinets, run electric and plumbing, and make it a nice place for the people to have their dental needs met. Reuben came to Lancaster and bought a bus from Friends in Action in Elizabethtown (a missionary minded company providing equipment and supplies to the mission field free of charge), loaded it with equipment and supplies, and drove it down through Mexico and into Belize.

This October, Patty and Abby went down to clean, organize, and get the clinic ready to see patients! We arranged for a dental equipment technician from Puerto Rico to fly to Belize and spend two days with Patty and Abby and get the equipment connected, serviced, and functioning to begin patient care. We have called many organizations and they have provided supplies for free and at great discounts for the clinic. We had to apply and get authorized through the Health Department of Belize providing our dental licenses and certifications as well as providing lists of supplies and equipment that we are taking with us so that they would be received by the Customs Department.

On Thanksgiving Day, Patty, Abby, Mark, and I will be flying down to the clinic to finally start patient care. We will be there through December 4th. On December 6th, there will be a big dedication ceremony and celebration at the new church, dedicating the church and the dental clinic. After this first time, we will know better the patient needs, the clinic needs, and better equip ourselves for future outreaches.

The clinic will be available for other dental teams to go and provide free dental services so our hope is that the clinic will be functioning throughout the year. Please keep the clinic and the people of Belize in your prayers. We will not only help the people with their dental needs but show God's love as well, providing a chance for them to know Him better or even for the first time! Thank you for your interest and your prayers as we endeavor to reach out beyond ourselves.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Wright

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