My day in the dental clinic

I had another amazing day in the Philippines. Working in the dental clinic in Paril was a change of pace from working in the schools, but still intense and exhausting and wonderful. I saw many of the same students we had in class on Monday and as soon as we jumped off the van they were shouting "Hi Rebecca!", "Hi OJ!", "Hi Rachel!". I think they remembered all of our names. I got to pull my first tooth today as well, although I'm not sure it counts because all I had to do was give it a little twist and it came out. I also saw a few things that made me tell Jay that I don't think I can ever go to the dentist again (because now I'll have a visual of what's going on in my mouth when I hear or see certain instruments)! There were some really cool restorative cases today and the student dentists did an awesome job of making the people of Paril's smiles more beautiful than ever- I could tell how much it meant to them to have full, white teeth where there was once black decay. It was hard to leave Paril and some of the girls I have befriended there. There were many hugs, photos being taken, and laughter and tears. One student broke my heart as she began crying when I told her I wouldn't be back tomorrow. These students, teachers, people of Cebu have truly touched my heart in a way I could never have imagined before coming here. They are the most gracious, generous, and kind people I have ever met in my life. I truly hope to take their humility home with me, to be more grateful for all the wonderful things in my life, and to be much less selfish and more thoughtful of others. This has been an experience I feel so blessed to have had; the Philippines will always be a special place to me and I will never forget the lessons I've learned from the people here.
Rebecca Hall, Communications Team