As we pray for 100 new Hope Angels this September, I had a chance to catch up with one of our fantastic Hope Angels in his clinic in Parker, Colorado. As I’ve shared before, it takes a special person to spend their day up to their elbows in discomfort. It is literally back-breaking work, with patients who are often anxious, and conditions that are less-than-ideal in a field-clinic setting. When Dr. Cary LaCouture, Dr. Roger Gartz, Dr. Patricia Roberts, and Dr. Fausta served at Hope Haven Rwanda—they did it with a smile!
As the Chief Dental Officer for Ssun Health, Dr. LaCouture’s focus on serving others is legendary. The two clinics he led, Burning Tree Family Dentistry and Creekside Dental, are recognized throughout the Denver area as outstanding practices. When I met with Eric Nuss, the CEO of Ssun Health, he expressed their corporate desire to “give joy”—not only in the US but in their international medical mission outreaches as well. The values of Ssun Health align perfectly with our culture of service at Hope Haven Rwanda.
Dr. LaCouture already has a reputation for going to some of the toughest places in the world to deliver premier dental care. His team’s field capabilities range across the spectrum of care, from extractions of wisdom teeth to high quality fillings! It is remarkable how many services they can offer in austere locations.
For many in our community in Rwanda, this was the first time they had ever been in a dental chair. For some who had been struggling with chronic pain for years, this was a day filled with miracles!
When asked why he would travel halfway around the world to serve, Dr. LaCouture said, “We love mission work, we love healthcare, we love the people of Rwanda. It’s great working with Hope Haven and it’s great working with the patients and the staff here, so it’s very meaningful for us. It’s the currency of life—Service!”
Saint Paul wrote, “I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:8-9).
The sincerity of these dentists’ love for others was tested. They are rich, and yet they became poor, reflecting the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Their positive attitudes, incredible perseverance and obvious joy stood out as one of the best examples of authentic servanthood that we have seen in quite some time. By the end of the week, they had selflessly treated more than 800 patients!
And there was one especially unique case they will never forget. The LaCouture family has been sponsoring one special student, Emmanuel, as his Hope Angel. In one remarkable, joy-filled interaction, Emmanuel’s teachers bought him down to the dental clinic to meet Cary and Karen for the first time! They showed Emmanuel the picture he had recently sent them and his eyes widened with excitement as he realized they were the ones who he had been corresponding with—they were real people, who loved him and had come all the way from America to visit him! What an incredibly beautiful day for all of us!
Please join us in prayer for 100 new Hope Angels this month—our students crave relationship with you! Will you join us on this adventure at hopehavenrwanda.org/sponsor-a-child?