Dan White...
BY JERIANN BAYLEY
He lives just around the corner. Dan White and his wife Sandra have resided at Holly Lake for 13 years. Dr Dan is a semi-retired dentist. You might see him at the golf course on the Ranch, or at Lake View Dental Center in Mineola. While many of us are taking off for a couple of weeks to Maine, Colorado or the beach for a respite from a Texas summer, Dr Dan boarded a flight July 2 headed for his 12th annual two weeks bringing dental care to residents of Latvia, a third-world country located in Northern Europe on the Baltic Sea. From 1940 to 1991, it was a republic of the U.S.S.R.
Along with fellow dentist Bob Davis of Longview, these men join a mission team from the U.S. bringing the Gospel as well as better dental health to a country where there are hardly any dentists, and there is only one small dental school.
Portable dental equipment, a chair and air compressors are already in Latvia and are moved to whatever locality the mission team goes to each year. That location this year is the small community of Daugaphils close to the border with Lithuania. Patients treated are mainly adults, having fillings and extractions. Most children in Latvia are treated by the government, so Dr Dan says there are very few of them as patients. Because Latvians living in rural areas rarely travel, and getting to a dentist might be 30-50 miles away, the dental services provided by this mission team are much needed.
Dr Dan says Sam Bradley, mayor of Hawkins, was instrumental in involving him in this dental ministry. Bradley was active in a Baptist International Crusade group, and asked Dr Dan if he would like to be a part of a mission group and work on teeth. He has been a part of teams to the border with Mexico and to the Phillipines, but his favorite place has been Latvia.
He says it is a wonderful country, with great people and a really unique and difficult language. Members of the mission team usually act as translators for the dentists. He will stay in homes, has stayed in apartments at Christian schools and at a home for unwed mothers. Dr Dan pays his own expenses getting to Latvia and while staying there.
When asked why he does this dental ministry every year, he said, "Because the need is so great, and as a Christian I feel called to do it. Our Lord said to serve others, and I can do this dental ministry because I care about improving the dental health of the Latvian people we serve."
Dan White is our neighbor. He is doing awesome, amazing and caring work for our neighbors halfway around the world. Have you made the acquaintance of your neighbors here at Holly Lake?
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