McAlester News-Capital, McAlester, OK

Local News

March 26, 2008

Churches’ efforts help others to see

By Susan Brittingham

So many of the young orphans in Mexico have seen a lot of sadness in their short lives, but now they can see that there is beauty in life, too.

And the free dental care gave them even more to smile about.

Back in October, members of the Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Longtown began collecting old eyeglasses to take to the Hands of Luke Orphanage in Juarez, Mexico.

After reading in the News-Capital that many of the orphans were having trouble reading books — which could be their tickets out of poverty — the people of Pittsburg and Haskell counties clearly saw what they needed to do.

Soon the members of the church were up to their eyeballs in donated glasses. Altogether, about 3,000 glasses were taken to Juarez last month, according to Pastor John Fream.

There were so many pairs of glasses that even the adults got some. “As we got into days two and three, word spread and the waiting lines became longer,” Pastor John Basden said. “The children of the orphanage were first priority and many were fitted with glasses.”

Dr. Craig Kennedy, of McAlester, and Dr. Billy Hill, of Checotah, began the eye screenings soon after the medical mission team arrived in Juarez.

Getting to the orphange was “a grueling 15 hour trip” and the mission group worked nearly non-stop for three days, Basden said. “During the three-day mission approximately 400 people received eye exams and were fitted with used eyeglasses,” the pastor said, adding that they ranged from prescription strength lenses to simple reading glasses that cost less than $5 at discount stores in America.

A crew of volunteers checked through the inventory of used glasses, found the proper prescription and fitted them onto people who probably had resigned themselves to a blurry world.

The mission work included more than making sure people can see the world around them clearly. Knowing that aching teeth can make life miserable, the mission included dental care, too.

“During an earlier trip to Juarez, Oak Ridge set up two dental offices that were put to use on this trip,” Basden said. “Stigler dentist Dr. Jack Sellers, along with Drs. Terry and Mary Ann Work, who flew in from Scottsdale in Arizona, treated both the children of the orphange and many adults that had a wide range of dental problems.

“They had had little or no dental care prior to coming to the Hands of Luke Orphange. Dr. Work is a private pilot and a member of the Flying Dentists Association of America.

“Melissa Baldwin, a dental hygienist, and her mother, Phyllis Watts, cleaned and applied protective sealant to the children’s teeth,” Basden said, adding that the two women are members of his family.

“At the conclusion of the three-day mission, about 125 dental patients had been treated. Treatments included dental exams, cleaning, protective sealants, fillings and extractions, along with instruction on correct dental hygiene.”

Basden said the group of non-medical volunteers assisted the five doctors with treatment, language translation, clerical duties, equiment set up, and the distribution of several hundred gospel tracts.

“Our thanks go out to the doctors who served, the volunteers, and the many people across Oklahoma who donated their eyeglasses,” Basden said. “Old glasses can still be donated at Shelton’s Market in Stigler or in McAlester at the First Baptist Church, or the Baptist Center, or at Oak Ridge Baptist Church.”

For more information, call Basden at 918-452-3523.

Contact Susan Brittingham at 421-2029 or e-mail sbrittingham@mcalesternews.com.

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