Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Catching Up Time


It has been months since I blogged, and I would like to say that I am back by popular demand. That wouldn't be true so I'll not say it. Two people actually told me they missed seeing our blog.

For the next few days, I will try to cover what has been happening in the lives of Rosalyn and John and hope that the rest of the family will blog on their own.

In January I made a trip to the Philippines. It was time to say good by to our good friends, the Sam Carriaga family. Dr. Sam had been our man in the Philippines for 13 months and he did an incredible job. During 2008 Dr. Sam treated 10,528 patients.

Before the Carriaga family left for their new home in Canada, Dr. Sam directed one more medical mission for BandS and the Caris Foundation. On Siargao Island they worked in more than one location and treated 4,317 patients. The weather was terrible and I was stranded in Cebu and the medical team was stranded, first in Siargao and then in Butuan. Typhoons in the area kept all the air planes grounded for several days.

From the Philippines I went to Indonesia. Working with James Karl and his organization, we attempted to set up a schedule where the Indonesian government would pay for 200 eye surgeries and we would pay for 200. We did our first 100, but so far the Indonesian government has not funded any surgeries on Nias. We are trying to do a small eye clinic in Nias in June and then, if the government still has not lived up to their commitment, we will probably do another eye surgery clinic in the fall.

While I was in Nias I made arrangements to purchase a building that will be used to care for neglected children. This care center will be operated by Dennis Cady. The work he does in Nias is nothing short of spectacular.
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