Bringing Lessons Learned Abroad Home to Michigan

At Covenant Community Care, there are no borders to our mission to provide health care to all. One of our dentists, Dr. Todd, recently took a mission trip to Kenya with his wife Caroline. 

The trip was the culmination of a dream Dr. Todd and Caroline have had for a while to serve internationally. During the trip, they not only got to provide care but they also learned about another culture, saw how people live in developing countries, and more. 

“We got to understand the daily rhythms of missionaries who devote their lives to helping people and exalting Christ overseas,” Dr. Todd said.

The mission trip to Kenya helped fuel Dr. Todd’s desire to treat patients in a mobile setting, providing the best quality care. 

“Having exposure to what ‘doing more with less’ looks like on the mission field is driving me to consider how we can maximize impact for patient welfare in our own mobile clinics,” he said.

While in Kenya, Dr. Todd and Caroline worked at the Kapsowar Mission Hospital in Kapsowar, Kenya. Samaritan’s Purse helped with transportation and vaccinations. While at the clinic, local Kenyan receptionists did a fantastic job of helping Dr. Todd understand cultural nuances and translated for him when patients spoke only Swahili. 

“The majority of our patients were local Kenyans from the Marakwet tribe, who were all very hospitable and kind to us during our stay,” he said.

The trip was more than just a personal experience. Dr. Todd said the international dental mission trip will allow him a broader perspective on his work in Detroit.

“We realize how well equipped we are here compared to the clinic in Kenya, and also how integral our dental assistants and hygienists are to meeting the needs of our community,” he said. “Overall, it has given us a deep sense of gratefulness for what we have here in the U.S., and particularly at Covenant.”

Covenant Community Care Mobile Dental Unit

Covenant Community Care‘s mobile dental team consists of board-certified dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants who work to provide dental examinations, x-rays, cleanings, sealants, fluoride treatments, and more for children and adults. Our mobile team will bring all essential dental equipment and supplies to the requesting site. 

Currently, we care for students at 65 HeadStart locations, 17 Detroit Public Schools, and five non-DPSCD schools, as well as some community organizations. 

There is no cost for our services for patients without dental insurance.  Interested in more information? Call 313-575-7502 or visit our Mobile Dental page.