We left on the overnight sleeper train at midnight!. It's just now Saturday morning 6:30 am. The ground was wet before we arrived and it continued to rain all day. Rolling off from the train after an quasi night of sleep. The train made stops from about 5:30 am on we had little sleep. So adrenaline was working in my favor!
Several students from the Derhadun Ashram picked us up to assist with carrying our equipment. I remembered only two (2) from last year. Our luggage consists of eight (8) total dental pieces, four (4) are portable folding dental chains, the rest are luggage holding all of the dental supplies, suction equipment and heavy restorative machinery equipment. Along with 15 of us. (Dr. Homeshuaw an India joined us in Delhi, was also part of last years mendical team.) We also have all of our personal overnight bags. It is quite a site for only a 36 hour dental clinic mission. You can imagine the expressions on the people in the train station and those young fellows carrying all of the eqipment. They probably thought (hoped) we were staying for a month.
We then boarded a very old worn down questionable bus to take us directly to the Dehradun Ashram. Dehradun is the capital of the state of Uttarakhand. We were greeted by the Pastor Abdul and his wife. We had a brief breakfast consisting of toast, butter or jam and hard boiled eggs as well as coffee or tea with or without milk.
I just love Dehradun and would love to visit another time other than January. Because it is at the foothills of the mountains. Last year the weather was so perfect enough to tolerate with layers and set up out-side up our stations outside. So that not being the case we used their large worship. room. The rain came down all day in different degrees, sometimes small bits of hail and stopped about the time we were finished with a full days works. We left around 6:30 pm.
We then headed up the hill half way to an area they call Missouri, lots of mountains, they would call their Swiss alps. We stayed at a place called Torchbearers. It was beautiful and is now a used for the purpose of spiritual retreats.
tb continued
Sunday, January 16, 2011
2nd Annual Delhi, India Dental Mission Trip - 2011
Hi to Family and Friends,
1st of all I wanted to thank all of you for your encouraging words and prayers. The reason we are here is to follow the ways of Jesus and to do so by serving others, especially those who are so very poor and in need of our services.
We made it safe to Delhi, the flights from Tampa to Newark and then onto Delhi were flawless. I was so happy the weather cooperated! (it's much warmer than last year!)
It is amazing the changes from just last year in the infrastructure. In November, India hosted the World Cup, beautiful (not Vegas) changes in the airport along with the roads leading to and from. Overpass and asphalt roads!
We have a rather large group this year (5) from Tampa. Dr. Krist, Ed (Dr. Krist son-in-law), Dr. Michael Ruelf (pedo in N. Tampa) and Dr. Pruitt (Dentist and close colleagues of Dr. Krist) he lives in Pensacola. (10) from Deleware, there is Dr. Brian McAllister and his wife Cynthia and their 3 kids from Delaware. Brennan, Colleen, and Craig. (15 and under)? Also from Delaware a lab tech person Jed and his wife Betsy. She is a oral surgeon assistant back home. Chris a Physician's Assistant and Jess and Kate nurses. Whew!!
Receiving us at the airport was 5 fellows and Isaac Shaw the Pastor of the Delhi Bible Institute and Gloria one the three of his daughters.
Visiting India the 2nd time around even feels easier. The smog is still thick nut my eyes were not as nearly shocked as the 1st time. But it was night time when we arrived! Could change in the daylight. We are here all day working and then will take a overnight train to Dehradun. (will be a bit colder)
Well, I better get to sleep we begin at 9 am with a morning service. The patients will begin arriving at 10. I am so excited to see old and new faces and to help these people so in need of care. We have extra equipment, so things I imagine will run even smoother!.
Our 1st full day went well. The bigger job is set-up and organizing. We screened and treated the about 50 people. To include, physcials, blood pressure readings, etc, tooth extractions, fillings and dental cleanings. I asked one man how old he was (needed and interpreter and he was 39. It was his 1st dental cleaning Ever!. So the people walk away with a grateful heart and a new experience and instructions on how to maintain better dental hygiene. We provide tooth brush and dental floss. We just do the best we can.
We finished our 1st day after 6. At 7 we had dinner at the Shaw's room, in the same building as our clinic set-up.
Friday night at midnight we boarded an overnight sleeper train to Derhadun. A six (6) hour train ride. We got a kick out of the bunks and the whole kinda scary (sleet with one eye open) experience!
The train makes stops along the way for drop offs and pick-ups. Arrived in Derhadun at 6:30 am. We were met by several boys from the Dehradun Ashram. It was 1st day and night to remember!
1st of all I wanted to thank all of you for your encouraging words and prayers. The reason we are here is to follow the ways of Jesus and to do so by serving others, especially those who are so very poor and in need of our services.
We made it safe to Delhi, the flights from Tampa to Newark and then onto Delhi were flawless. I was so happy the weather cooperated! (it's much warmer than last year!)
It is amazing the changes from just last year in the infrastructure. In November, India hosted the World Cup, beautiful (not Vegas) changes in the airport along with the roads leading to and from. Overpass and asphalt roads!
We have a rather large group this year (5) from Tampa. Dr. Krist, Ed (Dr. Krist son-in-law), Dr. Michael Ruelf (pedo in N. Tampa) and Dr. Pruitt (Dentist and close colleagues of Dr. Krist) he lives in Pensacola. (10) from Deleware, there is Dr. Brian McAllister and his wife Cynthia and their 3 kids from Delaware. Brennan, Colleen, and Craig. (15 and under)? Also from Delaware a lab tech person Jed and his wife Betsy. She is a oral surgeon assistant back home. Chris a Physician's Assistant and Jess and Kate nurses. Whew!!
Receiving us at the airport was 5 fellows and Isaac Shaw the Pastor of the Delhi Bible Institute and Gloria one the three of his daughters.
Visiting India the 2nd time around even feels easier. The smog is still thick nut my eyes were not as nearly shocked as the 1st time. But it was night time when we arrived! Could change in the daylight. We are here all day working and then will take a overnight train to Dehradun. (will be a bit colder)
Well, I better get to sleep we begin at 9 am with a morning service. The patients will begin arriving at 10. I am so excited to see old and new faces and to help these people so in need of care. We have extra equipment, so things I imagine will run even smoother!.
Our 1st full day went well. The bigger job is set-up and organizing. We screened and treated the about 50 people. To include, physcials, blood pressure readings, etc, tooth extractions, fillings and dental cleanings. I asked one man how old he was (needed and interpreter and he was 39. It was his 1st dental cleaning Ever!. So the people walk away with a grateful heart and a new experience and instructions on how to maintain better dental hygiene. We provide tooth brush and dental floss. We just do the best we can.
We finished our 1st day after 6. At 7 we had dinner at the Shaw's room, in the same building as our clinic set-up.
Friday night at midnight we boarded an overnight sleeper train to Derhadun. A six (6) hour train ride. We got a kick out of the bunks and the whole kinda scary (sleet with one eye open) experience!
The train makes stops along the way for drop offs and pick-ups. Arrived in Derhadun at 6:30 am. We were met by several boys from the Dehradun Ashram. It was 1st day and night to remember!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
