Nestled deep in the jungles of Panama, a simple open-air building became a sanctuary of healing. For the first time ever, dental tools shipped from FAME arrived in a remote village, unlocking a new level of medical care—and gospel hope.
Thanks to FAME’s generous donors and partnerships, portable dental cleaning and extraction equipment was delivered and assembled, allowing a temporary clinic to open where none had ever existed before. That day, 30 patients received treatment—many for the first time in their lives.
Among them was Lucía, a quiet, bright-eyed 12-year-old girl who had been silently enduring a deep, throbbing pain in her jaw for weeks.
Her mother had tried herbal rinses and warm compresses, but Lucía’s infection had only worsened. When she finally arrived at the clinic, trembling but hopeful, the local Panamanian dentist—partnering with volunteers equipped by FAME—quickly diagnosed an abscessed molar, likely caused by untreated decay and impacted food. Without care, the infection could have spread to her bloodstream.
As Lucía sat nervously in the makeshift dental chair—really a folding table and stool—two visiting dental missionaries worked gently and patiently, guided by the Panamanian dentist who knew her language, her fear, and her faith background. The team used FAME-supplied lights, sterilized tools, and extraction kits to safely remove the decayed tooth, clean the infection, and provide antibiotics.
For Lucía, it was not only the end of pain but the beginning of trust.
After her treatment, she sat with the team and shared a tamarind drink while one of the dental assistants, Lorena, opened her Bible and read aloud in Spanish from John 14:27: “Mi paz les dejo; mi paz les doy. Yo no se la doy a ustedes como la da el mundo.” (“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.”)
Lorena explained that just as Jesus cared for hurting people, He cared for Lucía—not just her smile, but her soul.
Lucía’s mother cried.
In that simple clinic, with plastic chairs and red trash bins and tools laid out on fold-up tables, the love of Jesus shone. And it all began with the equipment that FAME sent—equipment that allowed healing to happen and conversations about eternal hope to unfold.
Today, Lucía is pain-free. But more importantly, her family is exploring a new faith and a new community of believers in the village. The local dentist, now trained to use more advanced tools, continues to serve regularly—and plans to expand care deeper into the region.
This is the mission of FAME—sending help, healing, and hope in the name of Jesus. One smile at a time.