the end of wisdom

Dra. Kim and Elise after the surgery

Saturday morning marked the end of wisdom.

The end of two of Elise's impacted wisdom teeth that is.

Doctora Kim extracted them using local anesthesia.

The procedure took about 3 hours, 7 sutures, 9 shots, and one brave patient.

It helped enormously that Dra. Kim was so cheerful and confident.

She even made Elise laugh as she joked with her assistants in Tagalog.

She doesn't look old enough to do this job,

but she did famously.

After the procedure, 

Dra. Kim told Elise that this was Elise's early birthday present!

(Though it didn't come free...)

all that swelling even LOOKS painful!

Elise is doing well, with slow but sure recovery.

She's dealt with the normal swelling and pain,

soft foods and slower pace required by this surgery.

Thanks to all who prayed for Elise (and for her mom!) through the surgery.

There's somehow a feeling of vulnerability when doing something like this in a culture that's not your own, as you aren't completely sure if you're communicating accurately, 

and when the expectations of how it would be done in your own culture can't be expected!

But again, we are very thankful for good medical care!

And Elise is thankful it's over.

all fear is gone

Today I sat in the chair as my new dentist cleaned my teeth.

Yes, in these parts the dentist does that job.

As I sat, I realized how tense I had become; 

my fists were clenched, and even my toes felt taut.

It was then that my dentist began to sing out, 

 her voice muffled just a bit behind her mask:

"Because He lives,

I can face tomorrow,

because He lives,

all fear is gone..."

As she continued to sing,

I smiled somewhere between the suction tube and the clamps stretching my mouth wide,

that God had inspired my Filipina dentist to remind me

right there in the chair, to relax and trust Him.

Have you ever been surprised by the tools God has used to remind you to trust?