Dr. Darling - Friday, August 20, 2010

After our showers I washed a load of white shirts and hung them to dry, hopefully getting them ironed tonight. However, I know that won't happen unless we are watching a movie. That's when I get bulk pressing done. Otherwise, it is a shirt here and a shirt there. And, a movie isn't on our agenda tonight.

I am totally ready with what I do for transfers next week. So today, I started on the October transfer. We have fourteen new missionaries coming on October 5th and I want to get the tablero cards for the missionary board made and out of the way. I knew I wouldn't have time to adhere the magnets with the messy glue, but at least the cards are ready. Of that fourteen only three are Americans.

Elder Paz has all the pillows and blankets bagged up and labeled, ready to be taken to the mission home next Tuesday, and Elder Peterson had his nose to the computer making all the companionshp changes and ordering remises for some of the travel that will take place during that time. The new companionships share the cost of a remise to take them to their areas since

luggage and backpacks are involved. If some dishonest person decided to help himself to the luggage, the poor missionary would be without, wiped out of all his belongings. So they go in remises instead of the other public transportation.

Elder Kroff had his ear to the phone all morning making several calls to zone leaders to get an account of their zone money, where it has been spent and how much they have left.

Elder Diaz came to the office to take the English test because he goes home next week. Sister Gulbrandsen came to help administer it because if she ever has to do it by herself, the rules require that she be trained by someone who knows how to do it. Just being here and watching gives her the necessary authority to give it on her own.

While the elder was taking the test, I talked to her a little bit about the medical and showed her how to get into the Medical Log on the computer. She is going to have me train her more in September and she will take it over at that time before we actually leave the mission. Then I can be a resource for her if she needs help, along with the doctor, of course.

Elder Lowry came to ask us what our Friday night plans were and if we could come with him to a dentist appointment he had at 6:30 p.m. up in the Capital. If we could go with him, then he wouldn't have to take his other two companions out of the field to accompany him. They could remain working. We said we could go and, in fact, I wanted to check out this dentist because we recommend him to missionaries because he speaks English and is very up to date and reliable. And, Rich and I have been wanting to make an appointment with him to get our teeth cleaned. So I was glad for the chance to go along.

Dr. Norman Ricardo Darling is the name of the dentist and he had a wall full of plaques and certifications denoting that he was indeed very qualified. He studied dentistry in the United States having graduated from Loma Linda University in California. Elder Lowry tried to carry on his conversations with him about his teeth in Spanish, and Dr. Darling cut him off short telling him that teeth and the procedures he uses are very important and he wants to explain them in English so there is no misunderstanding as to what he finds in his exams and what he intends to do to solve any dental problems. So that was that!

Elder Lowry has to return another time or two so at the next appointment the doctor is taking all three of us at the same time, one after the other. At first, when Elder Lowry called for his appointment he was told he couldn't get in until the middle of September. Then when he found out that he was a missionary, he made the appointment for the next day. We have referred several missionaries to him and even though they go at their own expense, he knows they are reputable and pay for the service on the spot. The cost for having teeth cleaned is 160 pesos -- about $40. A root canal is about 320 pesos which is $80.21. Unheard of in the U.S.!!!! Will we be able to afford living in the states when we return?? We are wondering!

The waiting area was comfortable and it was interesting to me that he only had one dental chair, so he does it all. He doesn't have a dental hygienist that xrays and cleans teeth. He works solo. But he does have a receptionist that answers the phone and makes appointments. However, since this was an after hour appointment, he did the scheduling of our next dental visits.

We were all hungry after the dentist, so we took Elder Lowry to Burger King for dinner. We had to use the GPS to find one. The night life in the Capital is busy and active. It would be a fun place to live for a while just to have the experience of all the hustle and bustle and fancy stores and things to see. It is a stark contrast to where we find ourselves in San Fernando.

We got home at 9:45 knowing this entry would only be started, but not finished before I gave up and went to bed. I was right -- I gave up at 11:30.