Dr. Sheena Li (MTS, 2012)

In her clinic in the main centre of a town in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Dr. Sheena Li (MTS 2012) cares for many patients who would otherwise not have access to dental services.

Since 2016, she has lived and worked in PNG and is part of a church planting team of over 200 families aiming to build up a thriving church among the unreached.

Her clinic has three in-house trained local dental staff, some who have only completed Grade 10 level education. Common problems they see include dental abscess, decay, infection, swelling, broken teeth and jaws from gender violence or tribal fights, and oral cancer caused by chewing betel nut.

“People can die because of a tooth abscess, in the form of a life-threatening condition called Ludwig’s angina,” says Sheena. “I realize we can’t make a dent in meeting the desperate dental needs in the highlands, but for the past few years, I have been praying that the Lord would grow me and grow the ministry specifically in the ways He desires.”
Besides patient care, Sheena sets up various dental ministries in partnership with other hospitals or communities, serves as a consultant to recruit local dental personnel, promotes oral health education and shares the hope of Christ with patients and their families. She also participates in four to five medical/dental outreaches a year to remote bush locations.

“Many patients walk a long distance from surrounding regions to seek medical or dental treatment,” she says. “Most often, it is the first time in their lives they see a dentist or a doctor.”

Sheena is currently working on her DMin in Spiritual Formation and is grateful that Tyndale helped her know God in a deeper way.

“On the surface, the daily routines of what we do don’t seem very glamorous, like the dramatic stories in missionary biographies we read,” she says. “But small things done with great love matter, and small things, when done in the company of Christ, are not small.

“May God continue to grow bigger and bigger in our lives, as He reveals more of Himself to us through our service to Him (Zechariah 4:10).”