Whoa, Mexico!
There is truly something magical about this time of year. The colors of the changing leaves…the dusting of snow on the mountain tops…and our annual humanitarian trip to Ensenada, Mexico, with the Dental Care For Children organization.
And this year’s trip was simply incredible. We arrived in the city in the early afternoon and after some street tacos (of course!), we caravanned up the hills on a dirt road that led to a small, crude church building.
We park our cars and station the van next to the entryway. Then comes the action. With our group of 22 people, we unload all the equipment, supplies, and tools that had been painstakingly packed into the back of this custom-rigged van. (Seriously, it was astounding to see how much stuff came out of the van.)
After a few hours, we had put together 16 makeshift operatories and starting bringing the patients in from the neighborhood. From there it was pedal to the metal until roughly 10:30pm. We were able to treat 26 patients in just a few hours, in a whirlwind of work. After, we closed up shop, had some more tacos (why not), and got ready for Saturday.
The next morning we followed a similar pattern (including the tacos) but were able to treat 50 more patients since we had a full day to work with. I will never forget the smiles on the faces of those patients. One woman, in particular, was simply beaming, took Dr. Eric’s hand in hers, and gushed her thanks over and over in Spanish.
Before it was time to return all of our equipment back to the van prior to leaving, we called the children forward and gave them each a few presents. Nothing crazy – soccer balls, bubbles, stuffed animals and superhero masks. They were so excited and immediately ran to show their parents what they received!
Truly a magical trip. We learned the power of connection with others, how revitalizing that connection can be, and how much perspective and clarity it can bring into your life.
HUGE THANKS to Dr. Tozzer at Dental Care For Children and everyone who made this trip possible! Unforgettable. When all was said and done, we estimated to have donated roughly $100,000 in services over the course of two days. We’re inspired at what can be accomplished when you have a clear vision and a committed team. Can’t wait for next year!
