Adventist Mission

Our Passion is Teeth and Hearts

By Claire Balacy

My husband and I have always wanted to be missionaries. As soon as we got our professional licenses, we sent applications to the General Conference. Eventually God called us to Zambia.

When we arrived, we were surprised to learn that the clinic, Lusaka Adventist Dental Services (LADS), is an income-generating institution that caters to middle and upper class patients. I always envisioned mission work among the poor and needy, so for some time I wondered how we could be missionaries to this class of society.

As months went by, I had the answer. The simple act of treating the patients well, even becoming their friend, speaks so much about God’s love. Every time a patient tell us that they are pleased with the treatment or that they find our hands gentle, or that a child comes up to us for a hug after treatment, I find fulfillment in the knowledge that they have seen and felt Jesus at the clinic. And I am so glad to be a part of God’s work!

The clinic does not have a charity wing so we do mission work in communities and orphanages.

One community we visited is so poor that some of the boys wear girls’ dresses because they have nothing else to wear. Last Christmas, we brought them food and clothing. We had games, arts, and story telling about the birth of Jesus and God’s love. Also, by God’s grace, LADS donated a dental chair to the Mwami Adventist Hospital. One of LADS’ goals is to help other Adventist health institutions in Zambia.

The past year and a half has been a roller coaster ride of joys and challenges but our commitment to work as a family remains strong. No one ever said being a missionary is easy, but the knowledge that God is using us as instruments to further His work keeps us going.

Claire and Iluminado Balacy, from the Philippines, are dentists at Lusaka Adventist Dental Services in Zambia.