More Dental Bus Adventures

There’s not much going on mission trip wise in our lives right now.  We are still working with the Dental Bus.  On Saturday, September 19 we took the bus to El Centro Hispano Health Fair in Durham.  Mema went with us for her first trip on the bus. This NC State student John (or Juan in Spanish) was an interpreter.  I enjoyed talking with him and he tried to teach me a little Spanish. See that line of people all the way across the picture?  That was part of the line of people trying to get onto the Dental Bus.  It was a wild day.  Jolema was in charge of the dental part of the fair. Then on Sept 21 and 22 we took the bus to Shallotte for our first overnighter. Here is Jennifer the dental assistant and Phyllis the receptionist.

We Passed the Test

Monday Billy and I took the Dental Bus to Fayetteville for the Cumberland Co. Fair. Unfortunately the fair was closed that day so we did not get to eat any fair food. This was our last training before being able to go out solo.  Joanne, the bus coordinator, worked with us and she said we passed the test.  Now she is going to expect to get a lot of help from us. It really is a great ministry and we meet the most interesting people, some of them being patients. The nicest dentists and assistants volunteer their time. Hygienists working the outdoor chair.

Pulling Teeth

Thursday morning I was called by the Dental Bus coordinator, Joanne with an emergency situation.  The bus was in Grifton for the week and the driver had fallen the night before and had to have 6 staples in his head.  She needed someone to relieve him so him and his wife could go home.  I agreed to go even though I am not fully trained and would be working on my own. Dr. Kawn from Charlotte was the day dentist. Super nice guy. We had two night dentists and one assistant.

One of the night dentists did not have an assistant so he asked me to help him once.  I had to assist with with a tooth extraction.  I really didn’t like doing that and hope I don’t have to do it again, but of course I probably will if I am asked.

After this experience I am so thankful that I have always been able to visit my dentist regularly.The group coordinating the patients was from Charlotte.  They were a great group of people to work with.

Today (Friday) Billy went with me so he could drive the bus back to  Cary.

Medical-Dental Bus

While Billy was in Colorado he got a letter from NCMB about needing Bus Drivers/Hostesses for the Medical-Dental Bus.  I thought that might be a good project for us.  We could serve on the bus as often as we felt like we could and not have to go too far away from home.  Billy said that if that was what I wanted to do he would try it. Today we went for our first on the job training at Love Memorial Baptist Church in Goldsboro .  We have to complete three trainings before we get shirts and a name tag and can take the bus out ourselves.  I personally think it may take more than three trainings before I will be comfortable with it.  There is a whole lot to learn.  The main thing I learned today was how to sterilize the dental tools.  We were trained by the nicest couple, Edith and Doug Robbins from Cherry Point.  They have been working on the bus since 2001. This is Millie, one of  the hygienist, with one of our younger patients sitting very calmly in his father’s lap.  We served 35 patients today.

To learn more about the Bus click the link-

Medical Dental Bus

We are back in….

Sunday Drive

By Ann

When traveling on a Sunday morning I have always wanted to stop at a random church for their morning worship service.  We have tried this before but it never seemed to work out that we would be at the right place at the right time.   With the help of  the internet and a mapping program this was easily accomplished.  I calculated that we would be at Cookeville, TN about 10:30. I chose Popular Grove Baptist Church from about 10 Baptist churches in the area mainly because of its proximity to the interstate.  Once we sat down in the sanctuary the Senior pastor came over to greet us.  He told us he was raised in Wilson, NC.  We enjoyed worshiping with them.After church we started looking for somewhere to have lunch.  After much discussion and neither one of us wanting to pick a place we finally decided on The Bean Pot Restaurant and Country Store in Crossville, TN.  It reminded us a lot of a Cracker Barrel……except instead of rocking chairs on the front porch they had really old washing machines. Billy let me stop and do a little GoodWill Hunting.  I picked up a devotion book for free and a small spice shelf for a dollar. We then made it back to North Carolina.       It was a beautiful sight.

We are spending our last night on the road at WallyWorld in Morganton, NC. 

A Rainy Day

Not much to report today.  We have been in rain most of the day.  We stopped at one thrift shop and I bought three books for a grand total of 45 cents.  Here we are crossing the Tennessee River with a view of downtown Memphis. Welcome to rainy Tennessee.  World's Tallest Three Crosses of Calvary

This is the world's largest set of three crosses.  The tallest cross is 150 feet and they are located right on the interstate for all to see.  They are very large, white, and built to withstand 70 mph winds.  They are at  Bellevue Baptist Church,  just east of Memphis, the largest church in the Southeast.(27,000 members)  Information obtained from Roadside America.com

This afternoon we took a detour off of I-40 to US 64 to meet Billy’s cousin Don Pierson in Savannah, TN.  He is the Director of Prayer for the TN Baptist Convention.  He was in Savannah for an On Mission Conference.  We spent about an hour talking with him at McDonalds.  Then Billy and I had a catfish dinner at The Hut since this is supposed to be the catfish capital of the world.

Tonight we are staying at, where else but Wallyworld, in Murfreesboro, TN.

A Bug Ranch?

The ride today was pretty boring…. but we did see this Bug Ranch…. a small version of yesterday’s Cadillac Ranch. And it was right next door to the Rattlesnake Ranch.  We didn’t get any closer.  I wasn’t even tempted by the antiques. We could see the Largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere for miles away…. but Billy did not stop even though the sign said “A spiritual experience you will never forget”.  I told you he is ready to get home.

We traveled the 330 miles through Oklahoma and I did not see the first thing interesting enough to take a picture of.  The roads were very bumpy too. We made it to Arkansas and have stopped in Clarksville at Wallyworld for the night.

Goodbye Bayfield

By Billy

Last year when Ann & I were in Twin Bridges, Montana  GOD let me know I would be a part of NCBM Work & Witness in 2009.  Then later in the year while we were in Baytown, TX  and David called me to see if we needed help GOD again spoke and I knew I would be in Colorado. Well it was not long before all the pieces came together and I knew our project in 2009 would be Bayfield, Co.  However Satin had his hands all over me and the project.  The closer the time got the more mixed up  life got.  Ann's mom’s condition got worse, my mom’s health got worse,  some of our family issues continued to grow along with much more.  Then came the big issue - Ann would not be able to go due to her needing to stay home and care for her mother.  But I knew that GOD wanted me on the Work & Witness project in Bayfield.  So after many messages from GOD and encouragement from Ann I followed through with what GOD had called me to do.  What a blessing.

From the morning I left home and headed west GOD has stayed beside me.  He has helped me meet many  wonderful people who believe all is possible with GOD at your side.  For the first time in my life I traveled 36 hours straight to reach Colorado.  Then when I arrived in Bayfield I saw what would have turned most people back.  Doug and a helper were  inside a mud covered future slab area trampling in mud trying to finish the rough in plumbing. Where there was not mud there was standing water.  With GOD's help the first team helped make a large mud area turn into concrete in 6 days.  I knew then it would be an awesome summer.

As the days and weeks went by GOD provided us the team members we needed when we needed them.  Word of this project  spread through the community and many surrounding states.  We had several people come to look at how much had been done in such a short time and most of it was by VOLUNTEER LABORS FOLLOWING THE CALL OF GOD.  In addition to the building being built the groups that came and did backyard bible clubs, Upward basketball and cheerleading, block parties and local outreach by cleaning and repairing homes was just amazing.

The building is not complete,  nor do I believe we have sowed all the seed we should have, but I do believe GOD is looking down and saying JOB WELL DONE.

Thanks to a great group of volunteers for following His call.  I also want to thank the church family of FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH -BAYFIELD, Co. for inviting us to come here and to serve GOD.  I feel I can speak for all and say you have made us feel welcome  and blessed.

The rest is by Ann I think Billy is happy to be going home.  Everyone in Bayfield seems to be sad that he is leaving. We said goodbye Colorado… and hello New Mexico. Which went from this… to this…. to miles and miles of this. When we finally got to Texas…. we saw miles and miles…. and more miles of this. This was the most interesting thing we’ve seen so far…. Doesn’t Billy look excited to be at the Cadillac Ranch.  That group on the right was a youth group from a Baptist Church listening to a sermon.

We are spending the night at Wallyworld in Amarillo, TX

The Last Day

By Ann I got up this morning at 5:00  to go back to the airport.  I really was blessed and was able to get on the first flight out at 8:15.  Billy picked me up at Durango at 9:30.  I sure was happy not to have to spend the whole day at the Denver airport. On the way back to Bayfield we spotted these alpacas. I went for a walk and when I was coming back up the church drive I spotted this doe.  She was really close to me and just standing there staring.  She did not run away even when I got a little closer to take her picture. Billy worked on his last job before we leave tomorrow.This afternoon we went for a ride…. to visit a church at Vallecito Lake. On the way back I had to stop to take a picture of Billy’s Home Service initials at this ball field.  OK it really stands for Bayfield High School.Vacation Bible School this week. Boomerang Express

We will be packing up in the morning and starting our journey home.