Dentistry!

I am happy to share another bit of news from Dr. Bruce Gross.  It's also good to actually be in Thailand now, along with Dave Dunn and Dan Higgins.  (Happy Birthday, Dave!)
Jon Ulm

Dentistry

This week Dr. Eddy and his wife Ramona came to be with us to teach dentistry.  He has a dental practice in Myanmar. They both have a burden for the lost and were eager to teach in our Barefoot Doctor program again this year.

   

Dr. Eddy focused on preventative health and oral hygiene.  He instructed the students in the importance of brushing and flossing. They also learned about periodontal disease and how to treat common dental ailments.  Each student then practiced teaching about dental health to the rest of the class, just as if they were talking to their villagers.

In Myanmar, dental hygiene is not stressed as it is in America.  Many people have terrible dental health and often build up thick plaque on their teeth.  If not treated, they will lose their teeth prematurely, usually one at a time, with pain, and often with infection that spreads into other parts of their body.  

Enter, The Scaling Machine:  Eddy instructed the students in how to use an Ultrasonic Scaling machine to remove the thick plaque.  After instruction, each student practiced using the scaling machine on each other.  Upon completion of the Barefoot Doctor course each student will be able to take a scaling machine and basic dental instrument pack home with them. With this machine and their skills learned this week, they will be the most sought-after people in their villages.  And you know the heart of the barefoot doctor – they can’t separate delivery of health care from sharing their faith in Christ.  

Thank you Dr. Eddy and Ramona.

Pray that the Barefoot Doctors will find favor with the village leaders and with the villagers.  Holy Spirit, go before them to prepare the hearts of those who will hear the plan of salvation by our students.  May the villagers be receptive and hungry. 

Thank you for your prayers. 

God is Good!!

Bruce

Ying Sau, another beloved Barefoot Doctor

Dr. Bruce interviewed another one of our Barefoot Doctors, a brother named Ying Sau.

Ying Sau and Dr. Bruce Gross

Here is Ying Sau's story . . . 

Ying Sau lives only 30 minutes from the China border, high in the mountains.  He is married with 4 children.  His village has electricity but no running water, so he uses water from the stream.  He has phone service and internet (sometimes). 

He went to Bible College for 4 years and is the pastor of a church of 300 people (there are only 500 people in his village).

There is no hospital in his village.  The government has a clinic that is staffed by a nurse, but only on occasion.  The nearest hospital is in China, but most of his villagers are not allowed to go there.  

The next closest hospital is in Myitkyina, Myanmar.  If you aren’t too sick, you can go to the hospital by motorcycle and it takes 1 full day.  If you are too sick to ride a motorcycle, then it is a 2 day trip by car. 

Ying Sau told me, “There is an “evil spirit teacher” in my village who came to me seeking medical care.  I attended to his medical needs and then prayed for him.  The evil spirit teacher has never come to our church, but he has allowed all 7 of his children to attend.  Some have come to the Lord.  And, his brother and 2 sisters are also coming.  They have not become believers, yet.  We are praying for them.”

Ying Sau also relates that his interaction with the community has blossomed since he has become a Barefoot Doctor.  It has opened up many opportunities to share the gospel of Christ.

I asked him what we can pray about.  He said, “Chairs for our new church building”.

I sense that revival is in the air in his village.  Pray for God’s anointing upon Ying Sau as he preaches, for the Holy Spirit to draw the lost in his village to Himself, and for the Holy Spirit to soften the heart of the evil spirit teacher (and for chairs).

New church building

Side of new church building

Another Amazing Story!

As medical training is continuing every day, Dr. Bruce took some time to make another video for us.

In this video, he shares Nan Sar's experience when she went to help a village she had never visited before.  Her story is amazing!

Thank God for our faithful brothers and sisters who share their medical knowledge and Jesus wherever they go!

Please pray for them. Thank you for your support.

Second Week of Medical Training is Completed

This just in from Dr. Bruce Gross ...

We have just finished the second week at the 2020 BFD program and have great reason to celebrate.  The students have done an excellent job.  They have studied hard and their test scores reflect their hard work.  I applaud their tenacity in learning and desire to share the Good News in a dark and broken land. 

Parting Gifts given to Jove by Nin Whe

We also are thanking Dr. Jove Graham tonight.  He has made a huge impact on the program with his excellent teaching, research, and organizing the medication order for the meds that we will send home with each student.   Thank you, Jove, for a job well done.  He is going back home to California tomorrow and he is anxious to see his wife and baby girl, May, who is only a few weeks old. Godspeed, brother Jove.

Dinner outside given in Jove's honor

Saying goodbye to Jove

Case Presentations Continue ...

We are 10 days into the 2020 Barefoot Doctor Program.  

This year the cornerstone of our education is centered around Case Presentations by the students.  Each student, over the course of the next 5 weeks, will present about 5 cases that they have seen since last March.  The student presents the history, the physical examination, their diagnosis, and the treatment that they prescribed to the rest of the class.  They will also show at least one picture of their patient.   

Then as a group we discuss the case.  The students are asking great questions this year.   I can tell that they are developing their critical thinking skills, which is required for them to accurately diagnose and treat their patients.  Critical thinking helps them to get beyond the patient’s presenting complaint of “abdominal pain” to the correct diagnosis of “appendicitis”. 

So far we have had cases of appendicitis, scabies, lice, thyroid goiter, asthma, bladder infection, vaginal infection, acne, Tuberculosis, strep throat, fractured leg, alcohol withdrawal, eye infections, and others.  They are great cases.

  This picture is from one our student’s case presentations.  The student saw and accurately diagnosed and treated this patient.

The students are very attentive since the presentations have moved from “theoretical" to actual patients that they or their classmates have seen.

Students taking notes during a student presentation

Thanks to your support, our students saw over 4,500 patients since March of last year!

  Their goal is to pray for every patient and share Gods love and salvation through Christ.  But even if they are not able to share about Christ, the patient is treated with love and compassion in Jesus Name. 

We cherish your continued prayer and support.  

Bruce Gross 

Dean of School

Reflections from Dr. Jove Graham

Dr. Jove has been with the students for a little over one week now.  He will finish his teaching responsibilities for this year at the end of this week.

He shared the following thoughts about our amazing students.

Since I had previously seen the students they had an additional three weeks of medical instruction, as well as a year of seeing people in their communities. I've been very impressed with their progress! 

They have become more habituated to using rudimentary differential diagnoses (a list of possible diagnoses and reasons why each is more or less likely), and this has corresponded to their diagnoses having more logical basis as well as having more diagnostic accuracy.

The students also appear to possess far more self-confidence in presentation. While it may be stereotypical, there seems to be some basis in the idea that the Burmese education system favors rote memorization and lack of questioning of their instructors. After three years, I think we've made some progress in cultivating their inner rebel! 

As a result, students have been questioning different management styles in different cases and asking better questions regarding other student's questions.

Because of their increasing confidence, we've been able to base more of our instruction off cases that the students have seen. While they are far from perfect, it has given me additional confidence in what they are doing. 

Over the last several years, we have also been able to have contact with the students over the internet and give real time feedback on cases that they are seeing.

I'm excited to see what progress we can make this year!

Dr.Jove Graham

Video Introducing One of Our Students

Dr. Bruce shared the following video with us.  Enjoy!