Home Sweet Home

Hello Everyone,

I am finally back in the without question, The Greatest country in the WORLD!!! The United States of America.

After traveling throughout India, Thailand and Vietnam, exposed to so much I have a new appreciation for the many things I take as an American for granted each and every day. Running hot water, unlimited paper goods, clean air to breath and reliable healthy food. All of this which was often a daily task to reach my desired needs.

Even just a square of toilet paper! I'm serious, don't leave home without it.

The journey was great and I am so excited to share a few more stories and pictures. What I enjoyed the most was my ability and call to serve others so incredibly less fortune and blessed. Just a few photos to follow from one of our location set-ups in Lucknow, India.

I would like to extend a thank you to a very special 13 year old girl who lives in West Chester, PA. Her name is Marina. She is the granddaughter of Joan a dear friend of my Mother Peggy. Everyday, Marina would check my blog pass it along to her Grandmother Joan who would then update my Mother. Always keeping her abreast of my safe travels. Marina, I really appreciate your efforts and commitment with keeping my Mother at peace!! Thank you Marina!! I hope to meet you someday and perhaps my travels of serving others in another country will inspire you to help others when ever the chance. I would love to hear from you in a comment from my blog when you have the chance.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Bangkok

Hello Family and Friends,

Bangkok is a WORLD of difference from India, so much cleaner and feels a lot safer, but still crazy busy, crowded city. Spent today seeing the sights including a magnificent teak palace and The Grand Palace. Over the top ornate buddist temples. While at one temple we had a hour foot massage from the Wat Pho school of massage, less than $10.00 per person. We took trains, tuk tuk, ferry ride and a two person boat ride down along the back canals, Great day! We were reluctant to eat just about any thing and it lead us to eating pizza last two nights.

Steve is fine when at rest, but starts the sweats and fever when up and moving. Trying not to over do it.

I am doing well and counting down the days until I head home. I miss everyone!

Just leaving for the airport to Vietnam.

Love,

Michelle

picture with Sarah home in Shillong

Just trying out the download process. hopefully it works?

Heading to Vietnam in a few hours.

Michelle

Currently in Bangkok

Hello Family and Friends,

An entire week just passed and I was for the most part without Internet. We spend Sunday, Monday, Tuesday in Shillong visiting with friends of Steve. Sarah and Pamu welcomed us into their home as though we were family. They have a lovely home up on a hill that overlooks the town of Shillong. With a babbling creek behind their house that sounds so relaxing. Which we needed after the very stressful drive to Guwahati. The road is very windy, crazy, dangerous, insane!!! It took 3 1/2 hours to travel about 60 miles through very steep mountains. Our driver could compete in any NASCAR race. We were often inches from other moving vehicles.

We finally made it to the town of Shillong. Sarah and Pamu were so excited to have us as guests They treated us very well it is interesting to see how the upper class of India live. With a staff of servants a driver, maid, cook etc..., They took us to meet their parents. Sarah's mother held a very high public servant position with the Indian government. She is a very regal woman. You just walk away with positive impressions. She knows how to carry herself so well. Pamu also holds a high government position over seeing 3000 other government employees. Sarah is a professor of fisheries at a local university. They have two talented, lovely children. There whole back yard is practically a vegetable garden neatly arranged down the slope.

They served us food non stop, tea with snacks, more tea with snacks, lunch, dinner, One night were having drinks til midnight when in two minutes Sarah had a hot spread of food including meat which is a high honor. They are wonderful people! Sarah even had her manicurist come in and give me a manicure and pedicure! Which was absolutely fabulous. Less than $10! including tip..

Wednesday was a nightmare, we spent over 8 hours in a hot, cramped car on the way to Kazirunga national wild life park. With a indescribable driver on some local nut drug. We spent the night in a really nice safari style hotel. We attended a bonfire and met some interesting local India busness men. The following day went on a jeep safari not as good as expected. But saw rhino, elephants and a very fast wild boar that ran in front of the jeep. Thursday and Friday was spent travelling to Bangkok. Stayed in the worst hotel of my life in Calcutta. All nice hotel rooms were booked due to conventions but we spent a few hours in the Hyatt restaurant. very nice!!!

Calcutta taxis are the worst! The $14.00 dollar a night hotel included yelling, banging and shouting!! Who needs clean water? On Friday we traveled on a very nice plane with good service.

We just had lovely breakfast this morning and are heading to see sights of Bangkok. If Steve survives! He has been running on empty and not up to par. He just started a z-pac and will hopefully be feeling better as the day continues. This kind of travel can be exhausting!

Love and miss you all and the Good USA!!

The final days are going to go quick, we head to Vietnam tomorrow!

Michelle

Final days of mission trip

Hi Family and Friends,

Sorry for the delay in contact! electrical outlets are difficult to come by at least ones that will hold a converter and computer charger up without falling out. At times I just had to laugh..

Our final days of the dental trip were exhausting, due to travel delays from the heavy fog. Normal for India this time of year. Therefore, What was suppose to be an early am flight turned out that we spent all morning in the Lucknow airport. We did not arrive back to Delhi to set up clinic until 2:30 p.m By then we were all pretty worn out. The non stop travel, set ups at each site and the actual work seemed overwhelming by the end of the week.

All of the Doctors did an amazing job in Lucknow with medical screenings, dental screenings, fillings and extractions treating those in most need due to pain. Of course there are so many people to treat, each person must be thoroughly screened to prioritize the procedures. Our team worked so great together, always helping each other in every way possible. What an honor it was for me to have been on a team of such expertise, integrity and genuine kindness. All of the locations we traveled to were just open areas of cement with an outlet to the wall, we travelled with some pretty incredible dental equipment and set up each site as we saw fit.

Once I figure out how to post photos, I will so.

I would like to thank Kevin for setting up this blog for me. Without his commitment to my journey and contact with my family and friends I could not have done it! Thank you Kevin!!.

The medical team spent the final morning in a meeting debriefing the past week with Isaac Shaw the pastor and his wife Gloria of DBI. Gloria played a big role in organizing the whole trip and traveled with us each day. She is a beautiful person. In the meeting we discussed the pros and cons of the week and how we can make next year run even better.

After the meeting we were taken around old Delhi and we stopped for tea and dessert at a beautiful hotel called, The Imperial. If ever in Delhi, I would recommend staying,

A quick bit together and off to the airport. We dropped everyone off and in a way I wanted to go back to Florida. The week was so fulfilling because we helped so many people and touched the lives of many, but I was very drained and I felt very emotional.

I stayed at the airport for my friend Steve to arrive. His flight was about two hours late and they would not let the public in the airport and had 2 separate doors that one could choice from once leaving customs. Just a bit unnerving when you are the only blond 10 at night! I did find find a couple of Americans that were waiting for friends to arrive also.

Anyway, once Steve arrived, we took transportation to DBI, they set up a separate room for him. We were invited to stay that night DBI since we were taking a 6:15am train to Agra. On Saturday, we took a 3 hour train to go see the Taj Mahal and the Agra gate. Too beautiful for words to describe. We took the sleeper train back to Delhi. I arranged for a hotel close to the domestic airport. early the next morning we took a 3 hour flight to Guwahati, a 30 min bus to Uluibari and then a 3 hour ride in a SUV with 10 people winding rodes to Shillong where we are now.

To be continued gotta run now

I am doing fine, but I miss all of my family and friends. I hope you all are well.

Love,

Michelle

Lucknow

Dear friends,
Fogged in at Lucknow, Heads are spinning have not had a hot shower in two days. We checked 70 and treated many, many, many. People are lucky to have clothes and shoes, they have nothing else. So much to say, but just no time right now.

Michelle

Heading to Lucknow

Our trip to Dehradun was very rewarding! We saw 60 patients at the Ashrum. Just a 4 1/2 hour return and leaving by plane to Lucknow, in Uttar Pradesh. Hopefully there will be internet. Very far and in between where we are India. There here to take the bays. It is so good we are here!

Sorry to be so brief.

Michelle and all of the amazing people working together for the less fortunate. The people are so excited! It feels great..

24 hours in Delhi

Friends we have had a very busy and amazing 24 hours already in Delhi. After waking this morning at the Delhi Institute, we immediately set up a screening clinic, 2 portable dental chairs, ultra sonic. We began work at once on the students setting up a priority list based on 1 to 5 needs for dental work and hygiene. Everyone needs a cleaning! We will bring back my hygienist next year. After lunch we went to a hospital clinic setting where it was non stop on individuals who we earlier screened and all over 30 years of age. Never been seen by a dentist/dental hygienist in there life. I have had my work cut out for me, each person a challenge yet very grateful. Dr. Krist, Dr. Ruelf and Dr. McAllister have been filling, extracting teeth and making impressions for partials.

It is very different here in India, not so different that what you can envision. There is construction past, present and future. The streets are make up some lines to follow, which no one does. The streets and sidewalks are half cement, part asphalt and the rest is dirt. People are everywhere as you can imagine, people driving every size vehicle. Those pulling something like two twin beds on top of one another behind a bike. Every public source of transportation is overcrowded and people just gladly go with the flow. That is what I have been so taken by is the way these people just carry on as though there are no worries. I guess not.

We just had dinner at home of Pastor Isaac and wife Gloria's, there apartment located here. We were briefed about how they came about starting a bible institute in the North of Delhi 1985 and the extent of it's so far. I will touch on later.

We have to be up and ready to go at 5:30 to Dehradun which is in the state of Uttarakhand further North a six hour train ride, stay the night then fly down to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. These are locations of other Ashrams where the people study the word, help the poor, seek means for a better education and find a vocation.

That's all for now, everyone was to tired to join in on the blog, but hopefully, we will get some other imput as well.

Hope you all are well.

Bye for now,

Michelle

Packing up for India

Hello There,

I hope you will join me as I begin my first mission trip to India! I will perform dental hygiene work along with Dr. Stephen Krist and Dr. Michael Ruelf who will be performing dental work for missionaries promoting Christianity in the New Delhi area. We will be staying at the New Delhi Bible Institute from January 8th til the 15th.

After my time in New Delhi, I will venture out on my own and with friends exploring other parts of India, including the Taj Mahal in Agra, the beautiful beach resort area of Goa, and wilderness areas of Shilong. I also plan to visit Ho Chi Minh and Saigon, Vietnam and Ko Samui and Bangkok, Thailand. I will be back to Tampa in time for Gasparilla!!!

Visit this blog from time to time, and I will share with you the latest and greatest tales of my travels--photos too!