July 29, 2003
Spearfish's Dr. Randy Sachau is
volunteering his skills in Romania.
By Tim Velder, Northern
Hills Bureau
SPEARFISH -- Dr. Randy Sachau will
celebrate 25 years in dentistry by working 14-hour days in an
underdeveloped nation in eastern Europe.
Sachau and his
wife/dental hygienist Donna will leave for Romania on Friday, Aug. 1
for a 10-day mission with Serving H.I.M. (Healthcare International
Ministries.) Sachau is the leader of a team of dentists and
hygienists that will donate time and supplies for the dentally
underserved Romanian people.
Other South Dakota dentists
Lance Griese of Platte and Tom Udager and James Cunningham of Rapid
City also are going on the trip. "There will be a couple days of
travel to and from the town and four days of work," Sachau said. "We
will be seeing 350 to 400 patients."
Most of the work will
involve cleanings, fillings and minor surgery such as tooth removal.
"There will not be time for multiple appointments such as crowns,"
he said. "We will be working in a medical clinic that is converted
to a dental clinic."
It is Sachau's second trip to Romania
with Serving H.I.M. He went on a similar trip in June 2002 and took
his college-age daughter along. Serving H.I.M. officials asked
Sachau to lead a team in 2003. "This is the first year that more
than one group went to Romania," he said. "There are four trips
planned in 2004."
Serving H.I.M. is associated with the
Christian Church in Romania in the Black Sea town of Braila. The
church operates an orphanage and Bible College there, and the
Diaconia Medical Clinic is part of its ministry.
Sachau is a
Spearfish native who will mark 25 years in dentistry on Aug. 7. At
that time, he will be in the middle of the mission. The dentists and
staff also spend time with the patients discussing Christian
principles.
Sachau chose the same week as the Sturgis
Motorcycle Rally to leave the country. "Imagine that," Sachau said.
"It seemed like a good time because Romanian schools are out for the
summer. We will be able to use (Romanian) young people as
interpreters because they teach English in their
schools."
Sachau said Romania has dentists but they are
generally working on a backlog of emergency cases and preventative
dentistry is far behind that of the United States. "The people are
so poor. They make $20-$30 a month and they have a limited budget
for dental care."
Sachau's team will treat severe dental
decay and chronic pain cases first. "We will do the most critical
things for as many people as we can," he said.
This trip will
focus more on treating young people. "We will see as many kids as we
can from the orphanages," Sachau said.
There is some
gratification for the hard work. Sachau said the ministry would
eventually have a positive impact on Romanian culture. The country
is still influenced by its former communist government and many of
its resources are undeveloped, he said.
"Christians are the
ones with a death grip on the value of freedom," he said. "You don't
have to worry about them being involved in corruption or payoffs.
Besides, that was the first time I have ever had a patient give me a
hug and a kiss after relieving her years of pain."
In
addition to taking dental professionals, the group is loading
several boxes of equipment and supplies, including four cases of
toothbrushes and toothpaste and hundreds of stuffed toys to give
away to Romanian children.
Donna Sachau said she initially
was taken aback when her husband suggested the trip. "I said 'We're
going where? To work how many hours a day? And this is a vacation?'"
she asked. She said she is looking forward to the trip and is packed
up and ready to go.
The group still needs some sturdy boxes
to carry the equipment and supplies across the ocean. The trip will
take them to London for a direct flight to Bucharest and then a bus
to Braila. "Last year, we took 52 pieces of luggage, and we arrived
in Braila with two," Sachau said.
Sachau said the Romanians
are very appreciative of the treatments and interested in American
culture.
"They worry when we have problems," Sachau said.
"They know if we don't do well, it will be difficult for them to
solve their problems. It is nice to go to a place where Americans
are liked."
