Our next clinic required a trip to an IEM church in the jungle village of Achinkovil. While it was a nice open building, there was nothing between the waiting room and the patients. That is not a good thing… it is much better if those waiting have no idea what awaits them. :o)
The power didn’t last long but I really liked the little flag buntings hanging from the ceiling!
There also wasn’t any bathroom or running water here. Just the jungle and the well…
The clinic in Achinkovil had a few challenging patients but none as much as a young woman who needed a tooth pulled. She came in, had her shot, chickened out and went home. About 30 minutes later, Dr Rick looked in a woman’s mouth and said, “I’ve seen this woman before.” (He may not recognize a face but he always knows a tooth. LOL) She was back. Her husband brought her. Rick finished numbing her up and once again she was not a cooperative patient. When Rick said he wouldn’t take her tooth, we were sure her husband was going to hit her. But he let her go and told Reji that he had already taken her to a dentist to have the tooth removed and she had punched him. I guess we should be glad no one got decked! Sometimes I wonder what she did because she really needed the tooth removed…
The pastor at this church commutes hours every Sunday to preach there because he does not feel safe having his wife and kids in the village. Not only are the men there scary but wild animals prowl around the church, including boar, elephants and tigers! We saw a deer while we were there but I was really hoping to see an elephant… Reji took my wish as a personal challenge! :o)
The following clinic a few days was much closer to the campus at another pastor’s house. As we were driving, I spotted an elephant in a farmer’s field. Before I knew it, we had stopped, turned around and were driving right into the field! Reji had promised I would see an elephant and we were going to see one no matter what! The poor van was not meant for off-roading but we made it. Whew!
We got to be pretty close to her but since she was not a very tame elephant, I didn’t get the ride that Reji was hoping for…
Just like I’ve always heard, she was chained to a tree by only a small chain that she very easily could have broken free from. After all, she was used for logging. But having been chained there since she was small, she had no idea she could simply walk away. I think she was pretty content just eating anyway…
While us three white people were busy staring at the elephant, we had amassed quite the crowd to stare at us… LOL
Thankfully the elephant excursion didn’t make us too late for the clinic. They had learned that we didn’t break to eat, so we had tea BEFORE we started. Then we cleared out the bedroom for the clinic. The waiting area/opening program was under the tarps they put out front. The clinic stayed pretty bright when the power went out but Vipin had to pretty much work by flashlight to sterilize. :o(
We were really thankful for the tarp because, like every day, it poured!!! 
We even had an easy case that gave Reji the chance to try his hand at “plucking” teeth…
Several church leaders and pastors came to the clinic both for dental work and to meet the Americans…
Varghese came to see what the clinics were like. He was a great translator, but he didn’t feel the need to come to one again… LOL
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