In 1995 Wayne and Jeannine Chisolm had a successful dental practice in Monroe, Utah, USA, and as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they felt an ever-increasing desire to serve God’s children. Wayne thought maybe his dentistry skills could be used elsewhere in the world – but where?
“Having become a member of the Academy of LDS Dentists, [now known as the Ensign Academy of Dentistry] and being made aware of a need for dental care in Tonga, I said to Jeannine, ‘Let’s go there,’ and she agreed.”
That two-week trip was the first of 18 trips to the Kingdom of Tonga spanning 31 years, and grew to include 17 visits to Kiribati, and three to Samoa. These trips led to the establishment of three dental clinics on high school campuses: one at Liahona High School in Nuku’alofa, Tonga; one at Pesega High School in Apia, Samoa; and one at Moroni High School in Kiribati.
- Kiribati-Moroni-High-Clinic-Front-view.jpeg
- Liahona-Clinic-Entrance-(1).JPG
- Pesega-clinic-entrance-(1).jpg
.JPG){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Dr. Chisolm, known affectionately in these island nations as Papa Chis, and Jeannine, had found their place to serve.
In 2003, they served a full-time mission at the Liahona Dental Clinic. There they cared for prospective and full-time missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ from Vanuatu, Kiribati, Samoa, and Fiji.
Beyond attending patients, they recruited dental and medical professionals to staff the clinics, arranged for the donation of dental equipment and supplies, and ensured each clinic met the needs of the patients and the volunteer dentists who treated them.
.jpg)
Over the past 31 years, the number of dental appointments at the three clinics has been remarkable, with over 200,000 at Liahona, over 100,000 at Pesega, and over 10,000 at Moroni.
To the Chisolm’s, this is more than treating patients. The clinics have treated children of God, who are now able to bless the lives of others in their island communities. Some have become volunteers in the same clinics, others have attended dental school, and many have volunteered as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All of them have been blessed with the love of Jesus Christ through the healing hands of those who answered a call to serve.