...But I'm Not Smiling

I have wanted to serve a medical mission since I graduated from dental hygiene school. The timing has just never been right. We were first buying a house, trying to get pregnant for a year, being pregnant, having a baby, pregnant again, etc. Also, it has taken me all these years to get Dale warmed up to the idea of me heading off to a third world country with all of the uncertainties that come with that.

First I found a dentist from Seattle who, with his wife, lead dental teams once a year to Bolivia. How perfect for me. My friend Paddy had gone on several of his missions and was excited for me to share that experience. Well...long story short, that organization fell apart and along with it my hopes of practicing dentistry in Bolivia.

Then I stumbled across Operation Smile. This is an amazing organization that provides cleft palate surgeries for children in under served countries. I personally would not be part of the surgeries, of course, but on their website they make reference to their dental care missions, specifically, to Vietnam.

Even better, my awesome RN friend Erin wanted to serve with me. She would be part of the medical team, I'd be part of the dental team...We'd be the perfect duo of volunteers.

We recently got the ball rolling on the application process. I came home today for lunch and checked my email to find this (ok it's only the first 2 sentences, enough to get the picture):

Dear Jessica,



Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Operation Smile!



Unfortunately, dental hygienists are not currently part of our medical mission teams. We appreciate your interest in volunteering and assisting less fortunate patients.


I don't get it. Was I wrong to assume that dental care programs would include hygienists? Dentists don't like not having help...just ask one. I was sad. Sad. Sad. I wanted to write back but all that would have came out would be
...But...but...but...*sniff*...

Really, I don't get it. They have dental pictures and everything on their site. I can't imagine that they only accept dentists and not hygienists (or assistants). I have valuable skills to offer (don't they know??)!! I can even fill teeth and anesthetize! I can't even give my services away for free?? (Can you tell I am grumpy?)

I feel like I am back at square one. I am frusturated. Right now I just feel like putting this mission on the back burner, again. Then maybe someday I can make the stars line up just right and it will actually happen for me.

BTW...you may be tempted to comment and tell me to re-apply and specify a dental mission as opposed to a medical mission. Thought of that already. There is only one app for all volunteers.