Dr. and Mrs. Briscoe left the KC airport on August 6, 2005, headed for Barquisimeto, Venezuela. They were part of a dental mission group for the UMKC Dental School organized by Dr. Tom Jones. Their son, Patrick and daughter-in-law, Holly accompanied the group, too. Their mission was to provide dental care to needy children in orphanages and neighboring communities. Twelve dental students, four dentists, one orthodontist, three wives, one dental supply specialist, one interpreter and a retired nurse made the trip to Venezuela.
It was a week of wonder, learning, helping, holding and hugging. Our clinic was located in the Orphanage called, “The City of Children". We have great respect for “Pocita”, the woman who runs this orphanage as well as 3 others. She is a very tiny woman from Italy, who the children adore.
The children were so well behaved and such appreciative patients. Most of them had to lie on wooden benches to have their dental work done but they were so quiet and still. They were so glad to have dental care and for some, it was an opportunity to be free of pain. Their nutrition and dental hygiene are very poor due to their circumstances.
It was a great experience and we felt like we received much more than we gave. The following are pictures of our trip…
