An African Orphanage

AN AFRICA ORPHANAGE MISSION TRIP FOR CHRIST THAT BROUGHT SMILES TO HUNDREDS

Dr. Ryan M. Jouett, DDS, LVIM, FICOI, is known for his selfless walk with Christ as a Christian book author on relationships, in his tireless work for Young Life, and in his outreach and mission work.

When an opportunity arose for Dr. Jouettt and his wife Amanda to go to Uganda on a church medical mission team, he knew it was his opportunity to witness God’s word, and simultaneously help bring healthy smiles to a population in need.

As with most medical missions, the medical team served as the ‘attraction’ to get people to come and hear about Jesus. The trip lasted seven days, but will forever be seared into the collective memory of the team for a lifetime.

The setting was remote and rural, the language different, but Dr. Jouett immediately bonded with all those he met over the universal language of Christ’s love, and the worldly common denominator that mankind shares in the wants and desires for safe and happy lives.

The team headquartered near the local sponsoring church and related orphanage. Word quickly spread in advance of the team’s arrival to the neighboring villages, so that upon arrival, Dr. Jouett found lines of patients in the hundreds awaiting their turn to be seen by him.

Nurse practitioners, ER physicians, and family medicine doctors set up their pop-up shelters and folding lawn chairs alongside Dr. Jouett’s makeshift dental office, which was also under a 10’ X 10’ tailgate tent. Of an average of 200 patients per day, approximately 75 to 100 were there for dental needs.

Translation was courtesy of the staff of the local church, and the long lines served as a fitting opportunity to share the word of Christ to those as they waited to be seen. Showing the lengths that the people of Uganda would go to in order to receive quality care, one committed mother traveled a great distance down a red clay dirt road through the jungle with her 28 year oldhandicapped daughter on the back of her moped so she could have her daughter’s wisdom tooth removed by Dr. Jouett. The operation was done using a picnic table as a makeshift operating table, while Dr.Jouett and a medical team administered anesthesia.

The week went by fast, and the work was exhausting with the lines of patients extending seemingly forever, but everybody was seen, people were brought to the Lord, and the medicalteam felt uplifted over work well done.

When asked what he recommends to others wanting to do missionary work, Dr. Jouett said he has found that by doing local outreach missions yearly, and global missions once every 5 to 10 years, most people can strike a balance between their work life and our spiritual responsibilities to joyfully spread the word of Christ. To learn more about medical mission trips, and Dr. Jouett’s journey, you can contact him at 979.846.6515.