Brazil seems so long ago...

So back in Toronto. Brazil seemed so long ago. They day l stepped off the flight l started orientation at Mt Sinai and boy has it been overwhelming, the information the responsibilities, the hours, the physical & emotional toll from the patient population. We learnt the basics in dental school about trauma huge swellings infections but rarely does a dentist have to deal with them cos they are usually referred to sinai. Which puts the owness on us to read up on management etc studying is no longer for exams but for the patient l am putting people to sleep on monday. As for the hours, there are several rotations the earliest ones start at 7am with the day ending at 6/7 with all the paper work. On top of that are calls at nites, so if the pager goes off at 2am we have to go in and address the case. The story is the pager has a habit of going off in the middle of the most amazing dreams. And the patient population other dentists don't want to treat There are the mentally challenged and disabled where WWF moves and tons of TLC is needed to keep them still Or the drug addict who comes to emerg in the middle of the nite with a facial swelling or street kid with a broken jaw from a fight. Residents from last year say that you become a different person, likely harsher after a year because that is the only way to cope....hope that doesn't happen to my heart. l am feeling a bit overwhelmed even as write this. l think my body became automatic the first two weeks as l didn't get a chance to rest as my first weekend was packed with weddings (surprisingly wasn't tired ....defin need another blog dedicated to that) and then the second weekend remembering dad as it has been 3 years along with the supa back.

Saturday nite after cleaning up after a BBQ l laid in my bed wondering if this was going to be life for the next year....tired and slightly brain-dead. And what about all l had learnt in brazil? The practice of the presence of God prayer ? l was reminded that it was God who had brought me to sinai and that He would give me strength ....not my own ...but his

Sunday morning God continued to show me that he was the one in control. First thing Jenn (Ng) called cos her parents were at retreat and she didn't have a ride down. Past couple months God has really blessed me with this sister who has a real passion for the campus but also youth. We picked her up and she shared with much enthusiasm her nite shift with paramedics team but also excitement from prayer and things on campus. l was wondering my energy went but also passion to serve lord. Really pray for that to be rekindled

Also realized how much l missed praying with brothers and sisters at church for our church for our community. This sunday was also the first sunday the mission team from New Brunswick would be staying in our church. Of course the word mission brought back memories of Brazil...

(palm ran out of battery here.. will finish later =p )

so it seems that i blog better on the plane than any where else. Maybe because its my form of procrastinating. l actually should be reading my books on anesthesia aka. drugging pple up. instead, figured l would finish the blogs about brazil and maybe add a bit more. forgive my lack of capitalization and punctuation, as my palm key board seems to have gone wack.

Brazil - continued...
So left off with the choice between Jenn and Yvonne to go to Pocone with Kevin. So the next morning Jenn went off with Kevin while we set up the boat for patients. We were going to do things a bit differenty; instead of the whole boat going up the river, the smaller speed boats wou go up stream and bring people to the boat.

The morning started off really slow, as it took time to get to the villages and back to pantavida boat. But by 11 o clock the line up formed once again. There was quite a bit of commotion on the boat as evangelism and kids programs were happening on the top deck, next on the list was eye care, then nurses and doctors, physiotherapist and the last stop was the dentist. By this time, Yvonne had become fluent to teach the little kids to brush their teeth so that happened before each of them laid down in the chair infront of me.

Of course I didn't see the whole boat's operation, as I was mainly in the room, however was reminded of the bigger picture in the evening when we all gathered at the table and shared all that had happened.

The highlight of that day for me though, was when Jenn came back from Pocone. Yvonne and i were exhausted from the commotion on the boat and rested in a room before dinner. Jenn returned to the room, covered in dust from the bus ride back but extremely excited. In great detail she described her day in Pocone. With her background in Spanish she picked up Portuguese really quickly, and Kevin and her were Dr. Lucianne's side kicks at the dental clinic.. They used skits and acting to explain to the kids about oral hygiene but also a bit about the gospel. It wasn't as dreadful as Kevin had made it sound.. =p

On the bus ride back though God answered Kevin and my prayer for Jenn in ways we could not have imagined. For the past couple nites, being a group of girls (Kevin was considered a girl as well), relationships was a topic that came up again and again. Well on the bus ride back, Jenn started talking to Kevin again about relationships, and Jay, a member of the texan team joined in. His love story with Naomi his wife, was quite an illustration of God's humor but also divine plan. Both Noami and Jay grew up in Brazil as missionary kids and had met once when they were kids in brazil, and 20 years later they united in marriage. But what Jay shared was more than a love story, rather his testimony about how God had worked in his life.

That naturally led into a conversation with Wilson and the rest of the Brazil worship team about faith. Wilson, l think came down pretty hard on jenn challenging here notion of faith, telling Jenn she had to read the bible every day and that the best book to start with was John. Wilson made Kevin promise to call Jenn everyday to make sure she was reading the bible. Kevin and l were talkng later that nite, that if either of us had suggested such a thing it may have sounded condescending but in the context in Brazil God had His timing.

After detailing the excitement from the day Jenn opened her crisp new bible. l will never forget the look of curiosity and eagerness on her face as she turned to the table of contents and asked what each the books of the bible are about. l think l must have hyper ventilated as l described each book Over the past year l have had a renewed passion for the Old testament appreciating the richness they shed on the New testament. Still can't believe I had a chance to share that with Jenn and Yvonne. Yvonne was saying how she had grown up hearing stories from the bible and reading the picture bible but now she wanted to read the bible for herself =) The running joke afterwards was reading John on the Jon and every nite, after Jenn and Yvonne talked to their boyfriends, we would sit in our beds reading John

As l sit here reflecting, l am humbled by how God answered our prayers way beyond our imagination. And that it was a matter of His timing and not ours. And as I recount Jenn and Yvonne's desire to read God's word, can't help but pray for that passion to be rekindled at TCBC and on my heart especially are the youth. Especially since now as l am back in planning mode, need to remember its God's timing and the work of His Spirit to rekindle the desire and excitement of His people to read His word, but still excited to be a part of that.

The next day we woke up with much excitement as we had decided to all go to Pocone together. And the dental medical and optometry would be set up in the Pocone Baptist church. lt was a 2 hour bus ride and by the time we had gotten there a line up of over 60 pple had formed We didn't have dental chairs any more so in lawn chairs and contortions of the back we performed the dental work

ln the evening in the main town center an evangelistic rally was held. The Toronto team didn't go, so Kevin and A didn't get to sing our Portuguese songs however we were told over 100 declared an interest to know Christ as their personal savior Though stats aren't a goal I am amazed as l think about the fact that over the span of 1 week over 400 people have come to accept Christ. And the numbers don’t end there as the mission team not only built us up but also revived the local churches as they continue to disciple they new believers.

Was talking to Yu about the differences between the States and Canada, with particular reference to Christianity. He noted how in the States, particularly in southern states how Christianity is much more in your face. l could see how the texas team was definitely much more open about their faith and eager to share, they had their testimonies ready and translated. The Brazilians we met were defin open to it but l can see how back Canada it might not work so well. However l am reminded as l read Luke how Christ made the message relevant in the form of parables etc. The next step for me will be to bring the experiences and lessons l have learnt back home