Gideon’s presence at the dental clinic was a rare sight as the life expectance of the people of Africa is 43, Gideon was 65. Dressed in tweed, wool dress coat, plaid shirt, dark gray pants and flip flops, he looked like he was going to church. It was obvious that he was dressed for better than what we were going to do to him that day. He had traveled by foot from the slums of Kibera where we held the first clinic to the dump of Dandora where the second clinic was held, nearly an hour by car.
Gideon had not been able to be seen in his home of Kibera and had been told if he could make it to Dandora, we would make sure he was seen. As he and others waited, they were told the story of the saving grace of Jesus. Ministers noted with a cross on the patient’s record those who accepted Him as their Savior. Gideon had a large cross in the corner of his 3 by 5 piece of paper which served as his dental record, giving name age and complaint. Through his hours of waiting in Kibera and now Dandora, he had come to know our Lord.
As many others did, Gideon also pointed to multiple teeth that were hurting him, molars in all four quadrants. Most broken down to the gum line. Because of his travel and persistence in seeing us, Dr. Phil decided to go ahead and remove all of them. It wouldn’t be an easy procedure in the U.S. with the right equipment.
As I assisted the dentists, it had become my protocol to pray for the patient as they were being numbed and again as the procedure began. I cringed as I heard the snap of the extraction, knowing they would be digging the roots out. I breathed easy as Gideon’s first 2 teeth came out without that snap, but there were 3 more that took nearly 30 minutes. Dr. Phil’s back was strained, sweat poured around his goggles. He had to be exhausted, so I started praying for him too. How could Gideon possibly be happy with what he had just gone through? But just like so many others, he thanked us for he could now eat.
I worried then and still wonder how he traveled back to Kibera with his mouth packed of gauze. Gideon came with nothing to the clinic, but left with much more than the ability to eat. He had come to know our Lord during his wait. He had left Dandora a brand new person. As I said goodbye to Gideon, I told him I would see him in heaven. As tears filled both of our eyes, I realized that Gideon would probably beat me to heaven. You see he was 65.
Gideon had not been able to be seen in his home of Kibera and had been told if he could make it to Dandora, we would make sure he was seen. As he and others waited, they were told the story of the saving grace of Jesus. Ministers noted with a cross on the patient’s record those who accepted Him as their Savior. Gideon had a large cross in the corner of his 3 by 5 piece of paper which served as his dental record, giving name age and complaint. Through his hours of waiting in Kibera and now Dandora, he had come to know our Lord.
As many others did, Gideon also pointed to multiple teeth that were hurting him, molars in all four quadrants. Most broken down to the gum line. Because of his travel and persistence in seeing us, Dr. Phil decided to go ahead and remove all of them. It wouldn’t be an easy procedure in the U.S. with the right equipment.
As I assisted the dentists, it had become my protocol to pray for the patient as they were being numbed and again as the procedure began. I cringed as I heard the snap of the extraction, knowing they would be digging the roots out. I breathed easy as Gideon’s first 2 teeth came out without that snap, but there were 3 more that took nearly 30 minutes. Dr. Phil’s back was strained, sweat poured around his goggles. He had to be exhausted, so I started praying for him too. How could Gideon possibly be happy with what he had just gone through? But just like so many others, he thanked us for he could now eat.
I worried then and still wonder how he traveled back to Kibera with his mouth packed of gauze. Gideon came with nothing to the clinic, but left with much more than the ability to eat. He had come to know our Lord during his wait. He had left Dandora a brand new person. As I said goodbye to Gideon, I told him I would see him in heaven. As tears filled both of our eyes, I realized that Gideon would probably beat me to heaven. You see he was 65.
