By Dr. David Wolf, Chairman of the RtC Board of Directors
I have been involved with Remember the Children for over 20 years. It began when I treated children in my Indianapolis dental office who were brought here from Romania in order to have medical surgeries that couldn’t be done there. Afterward, Andy Baker asked me several times to join a short-term mission team and provide dental care for Romanian children. He eventually wore me down and I made my first trip in 2002.
I was in total shock by the condition of these children’s teeth. Every single child needed multiple extractions and fillings. I can remember crying the whole four-hour bus ride back to the airport for our return trip. It was then that I felt a calling to return and have made countless trips since. The exciting thing for me to experience over the years was that regular dental care, education, fluoride treatments, and dental sealants have allowed these children to now have healthy teeth with minimal cavities. The Romanian people are extremely grateful for anything you do for them, but I always leave wanting to do more.
It has been rewarding for me to watch the Caminul Felix children grow up. Now they have jobs, many are married and are starting their own families. One of my interpreters on my first trip sent me a wedding invitation when she got married. That was such a “special surprise”. It was an experience of a lifetime as I got to attend my first Romanian wedding since it coincided with one of my trips. Witnessing these children being raised in a Christian environment and being nurtured and supported all their life has been nothing less than AMAZING. I’m certain their fate in life as adults would be far different growing up in a government orphanage or on the streets. They come to realize that God intervened and gave them a new prospect on life.
You go on a mission trip with the hope of helping others, but in reality, my life is the one being enriched by the people I have met and provided dental care for. In 2019, I was fortunate enough to take my first trip to Tanzania. I worked one day at a home founded by the Missionaries of Charity. The nun who escorted my patients in was originally from India and worked under Mother Teresa. It was so humbling to talk to her and see her love for children and adults that were the “worst of the worst” and rejected by society. These were the people no one wanted to be around. For me, it was such a great honor to be able to provide dental care for them.
Each of my three children has been able to serve on a mission trip with me and it has made a huge impact on their lives. We are more than blessed to be born in America and have the many freedoms and privileges that go along with that. Even the poorest of people in America live better than most where I have worked in Romania and Tanzania.
I remember a thirteen-year-old boy with an adult molar decayed to the gum line and in terrible pain for some time. He knew this was his only opportunity to get help. He never complained once, even though it was a complicated procedure. After placing sutures, he got out of the chair, looked into my eyes, and said “thank you for coming and taking care of us.” I was so impressed with his maturity. At the end of a long day, he came back inside helped clean up. He carried my equipment to the vehicle I was driving and thanked me again for coming to take care of him and the other children. I really believe God provides us with “superhero powers” when we help others, using our God-given talents, and expecting nothing in return.
I feel so blessed to have been a part of numerous Remember the Children teams. I know that the work Andy Baker and Remember the Children are doing is providing lifelong changes in the people we encounter and in each of us as well. Looking back, I am glad Andy nudged me out of my comfort zone. My life has certainly been enriched by the relationships I’ve made in both Romania and Tanzania.
