Tonga, Samoa, and Kiribati
Thanks for inquiring about the needs in the South Pacific.
Tonga – Well covered for the summer of 2010 but have no one else scheduled beyond that.
Samoa – Pete Weber, DDS and his wife have been called on an 18-month welfare mission to work at the clinic in Samoa. They enter the MTC in August and should get to Samoa about the first of September. If all goes well, they will extend another 5 months. To my knowledge, neither Dr. Ralph Downey nor Dr. Jerry Capener are planning a return in the near future.
Kiribati — Dr. Wayne Chisholm is the only one that has gone to Kiribati thus far. It is a little out of the way and air-fare is expensive. The only decent housing available is on the campus of Moroni (LDS High School) and is limited to when they aren’t having visiting Church leaders. The school nurse is allowed by the government to do cleanings on the students at the high school, which are badly needed. They develop perio at a very early age. Dr. Chisholm is trying to arrange a Tongan therapist and assistant to go there next February (2011) for three to four weeks to work on students, missionaries and prospective missionaries.
Interested dentists can contact Dr. Chisholm who can also help with housing and transportation arrangements.
Dr. Wayne Chisholm
