A cascade of the ill seeking medical help:
One person comes up and asks if we can drive his wife up to the clinic to see Dr. John. Once the community hears about the upcoming trip, the mothers with babies with fevers want to come along. Then Fr. John hears about Miss Jean who has a huge growth on the right side of her face. He suspects that the problem comes from decayed teeth that have never been removed. Thus do people come together in search of medical help.
The ride up to Leonardo and the clinic:
When Toyota made a double cabin truck have low four, perhaps they foresaw the road up to Leonardo. With the rains, the clay and rock road becomes a bumpy and slippery mess. With so many passengers at the back of the truck and within, it is a small miracle that the tires don't go flat or the motor quit. But the truck kept chugging up the steep inclines at the pace of a person walking.
Going after the lost teeth:
After attending to more than thirty four children and adults, Fr. John saved the best for last. He sat Miss Jean in the dentist chair and began to inject the Novocaine to deaden the pain. Lots of other people would tell the lady: take these antibiotics and come back when the swelling has gone down. Fr. John will give her plenty of antibiotics, but he knows how difficult it is for this lady to make a return trip, and so he goes after the teeth that have made a wicked infection in her mouth. How happy we all were that this kind elderly priest could remove the decayed teeth without too much trouble. The Novocaine took well and the patient did not struggle in the chair.
Gone for eight hours without food:
All of the people on the truck went up the mountain and back down to their homes, over eight hours away from food ... and who knows how many had something to eat before we left. But at the end of the day they were very happy with the attention offered and received. Fr. John is known as "Dr. Pills", because he gives copious amounts of medication to his patients and their families. The big blessing on the way back down the mountain? We had no rain to fall on the little children suffering from colds and the flu. Tell us about a more blessed Monday!
The priest who lifts weights in his 70's:
At the end of the day, when everyone has gone home and his clinic is extremely quiet, Fr. John turns on the news and lifts weights from his other dental chair that serves as a recliner. He does this exercise to keep his muscles toned for the job of pulling teeth. May the Lord raise up thousands to take his place in the world, one day.
