Dr. Phil begins the day at the clinic at 8:30 AM, and he usually sees anywhere between 8-10 patients a day. Some of his patients have to wake up at 3:00 AM to walk to the clinic in order to receive treatment. It sometimes takes the patients two hours to walk to the clinic. Some patients even wait the entire day at the clinic just to be seen. The cost of a typical extraction is about $10 here. With that same amount of money, people can feed their families for two weeks. Phil is giving them free dental care so that they can feel better and so that they don't have to spend the income used for their basic needs. Most of the patients cannot afford dental care. They suffer with different toothaches, infections, broken teeth, and periodontal disease, but they are unable to treat their condition due to lack of funds. Therefore, patients feel very privileged and grateful for all the dental care they receive from the clinic.
Phil goes on outreaches whenever there is a team that arrives from the U.S. The outreaches are usually a week long. They take bus rides to different towns which could be as long as 1 or 2 hour trips, and they stay there all day to see as many patients as possible. Each patient seen receives spiritual counseling and a chance to receive the gospel of Jesus. These outreaches have been very successful with increasing church attendance in that area and makes a huge difference in the community.
Patients waiting for their turn at the clinic
One of the many patients about to receive dental care.
Me and Phil
A happy 5-year old girl
Mauricio is training to be a missionary and plans to go to India and other countries. Now he knows how to take better care of his teeth.
This young boy was so brave when we had to take out a tooth with a very large cavity. If it was not treated, it could be very serious for his health.
Getting the trucks ready to go to a mobile location. We all rode standing in the back of the pick up truck. The ride home was interesting with heavy rain and no umbrella!
Phil, Pastor Julio, Dr. Josue at Pastor Julio's church. He was so grateful that we came because he knows it makes a significant difference in the community and his church.
For this October post, allow me to speak about my husband, Phil, and how he was truly destined to become a missionary. For those who already know him, he has a genuine heart of mercy and compassion, and he greatly desires to let every person know about God's love. Not only does he serve the people through dentistry, but I am actually talking about a person who actually tells a person that walks by him that Jesus loves them. I spent an entire 40 minutes following this guy in a different car going to the camp and witnessed him stop by every person he sees and tells them, "Jesus lo ama mucho!". Translation: "Jesus loves you very much!". And to my surprise, every person smiles and responds very well. I personally am not that brave. Yes it is true that there are a million missionaries out there, but there are those few like Phil that radiate the love of Jesus! I am sharing this tidbit about Phil because I want you all to know that Phil is creating a new atmosphere in El Salvador wherever he goes. Phil loves to pray for everybody no matter where we are... at the grocery store, at the mall, and even in the streets. This has been a great example for me and the girls. Just by having his presence here, seeds are being thrown out left and right. God loves people and desires to heal them inside and out. He reminds us that prayer is powerful and can be done in faith wherever we go. Please see testimony of Dr. Bailey below:
Last week, a team from Lakeview Church, Indiana
led by Pastor Rob Haslert came to serve at Castillo Del Rey. During this
whole week, the evangelist team shared the gospel with over 1,000 people and
over 300 gave their lives to the Lord. They also brought a medical team: June,
Nurse Practicioner; Dr. Jim Bailey, Dentist; Dr John Bailey, Dentist. In
addition, we also have a recent addition to the Castillo Del Rey medical team,
Dr. Josúe Hernandez, Dentist. Dr. Phil and Dr. Josúe were able to join
this medical team, and all together they saw a total of 418 patients. 96 of
these patients were dental patients. 9 of these patients gave their lives to
the Lord and all the patients heard the gospel message. Many seeds were planted
and watered. It is said by the local pastors that after a team comes to visit a
town, there is always an increase in church attendance in this area. Stay tuned for a video we are putting together to show you all the work and testimonies of
lives being changed here each day.
The Camp of Castillo del Rey
Dr. Phil, Dr. John Bailey, Dr. Josue Ramirez and Tamika working at a remote location
Dr. Jim Bailey, Fallen, Phil treating patients
The section where fillings are done
The Medical Section. Patients were seen for health concerns andfor glasses, and medication were given.
The awesome team at the pharmacy that was set up.
As for myself, it has
already been 8 weeks since I have been co-teaching a Basic English class at the
BibleSchool for Castillo Del Rey. Along
with another missionary, Jessica Grace Wolf, we have been teaching the students
basic English with a purpose. This means we have been teaching the students
bible verses, Christian songs, religious vocabulary, and a few grammar lessons
to help them converse in English. This has definitely been a surprise for me
since I never imagined I could ever be a teacher. Most young moms would agree
that when you have more than 1 child, patience and self-control becomes a big challenge.
When we were in Costa Rica,
I had to do a few homeschooling activities with Selah, and that always was a
great test of my character. When Ms. Terri Triplett approached me and asked if
I could help teach English to the Master Commission Students, I thought to
myself, " God does have an interesting way of choosing how one will serve
in ministry." Teaching was not on the radar for me. However despite the
fear and intimidation, I embraced the opportunity to see if this is where God
wants me to be. Every time I step into the classroom, I am always filled with
anxiety, but when I start teaching, a supernatural love for the students simply
overwhelms me and causes me to survive each class. I pray that God fills me
with wisdom and discernment on how to teach each student strategically
and effectively.
Teaching English at the Bible School, Castillo del Rey
Overall,
these students are just amazing... They work so hard and they love the Lord
with all their heart. They are passionate about missions and hungry to win
hearts for Jesus. It has truly been an honor to work alongside each of them,
and it has been a pleasure to get to know all of them personally. My prayer is
that God will continue to guide me and give me wisdom on how I can effectively
equip these students to minister and speak to the nations.. To make Jesus' name
famous all over the world!
Thank you for the opportunity to
serve here in El Salvador.
We are currently seeking monthly financial partners who will help us to
continue this journey for the next year and a half. We have lost a few partners
due to financial reasons but we are trusting that God will provide for us these
next couple of months. If God has given you a heart for the nations and would like
to know how you can send your donations, please click on this link:
