Dr. Brian is in the house.
In “Dr. Brian is in the house,” Brian T. Frederiksen sits down for a lively, behind-the-scenes conversation about a first mission trip to Puerto Rico with REST and what it will take to bring real relief to people in pain. The discussion centers on the practical realities of the trip: pallets of donated dental supplies arriving on the island, the decision to begin with the most urgent need—extractions and basic cleanings—and the expectation that the team will spend four days treating people who may otherwise have nowhere to turn. The tone is both humorous and mission-driven, with lighthearted teasing about “Dr. Brian” pulling teeth and the chaos of uncertain logistics giving way to a clear focus on service. The guest shares the nerves and excitement that come with launching a new outreach effort, especially when supplies are limited and demand may be high. Still, the message is grounded in action: start simple, meet the most immediate need, and trust the process as the team learns what the community needs most. For listeners, the episode offers a reminder that meaningful work often begins with basic tools, a willing team, and a commitment to showing up. It also invites the audience to get involved through REST’s mission work and future trips, making it a compelling listen for anyone inspired by service, teamwork, and hands-on impact.
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(516 words)There you go. If you want to get your teeth pulled, come to Dr. Brian. I got you covered. So, I saw pallets of stuff that was shipped down to Puerto Rico. Do you know what's in these pallets? I'm sure you got an idea cuz you were pretty much heading this thing up. I ordered it. Okay. Don't Don't look at the bill. So, what's in there? What What What are we going to be doing? What are we going to do with this equipment uh come Sunday? So, we don't know what to expect. So, this is our first mission here with through REST. We wanted to say, let's just take it easy. Start with what the most basic need is. And what that is is pain, right? How do we get them out of pain? We're not here to do full nine yards of dentistry. So, we start with extractions, infects the teeth. Let's get them out of pain. See what the the necessity of Puerto Rico is. So, we're going to start with extractions. We're going to do some cleanings. But the fillings and all their palleted stuff, we can wait maybe for the future mission trip. You're right. The main reason you would need to go to a dentist in an emergency or if you're is pain. A lot of times we go to the dentist, we're in pain. So, you're going to come down here and probably relieve a lot of pain really quick in those 4 days that you're going to be doing. Uh, I'm nervous if we're going to run out of stuff because I'm thinking the worst case scenario. I mean, these people come in pain. I only brought so much anesthetic. So, I said, Jesse, we need to call your people at the dental school. Can we get a little more just in case, you know? We'll just roll with it. Yeah. Because I guess I'm getting the understanding of the island time thing here. We don't need to be on the go. So, let's just see what comes. And I hear there's going to be a line, but we'll make it through. Yep. You know, we'll figure it out. I'm I'm honored that I got to come along with you guys on this. Um I know I'm not going to have much to offer other than going to find a coffee shop or something for you. No, you can come assist. I'm I'm excited. You can be in the field. I'm going to I'm going to take you up on that. So, here we go. If you want to get your teeth pulled, come to Dr. Brian. I got you covered. So, anyway, thanks a lot. It was It was It was awesome meeting you. Of course. Yeah. Pleasure. Mine, too. Get over to Puerto Rico if you're in town. Reach out to one of us. Go to restmission.org. find out what's going on, how you can get involved in the next stuff that's happening. We're excited that everybody's coming along this journey with us.
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