November 27, 2012

And it Begins! Arrival, Orientation & Day 1

By cschenk

After 30+ hours of travel, all of Team Thailand (luggage included!) has arrived safely to the Suntara Wellness Resort & Hotel here in Chachoengsao. Many thanks to our Thai partners for the warm welcome at the airport and for the super smooth VIP trip through Customs.

We completed orientation yesterday at the clinic site - a very nice, air-conditioned building! To say we are grateful for AC is an understatement in this hot & humid climate! After training, our gracious hosts treated us to a traditional Thai dinner along the water. We were able to mingle and learn about our teammates - 9 different cultures blending is always an entertaining and amazing experience - including singing "Happy Birthday" to Karen, in 6 different languages - pretty cool! 

Today was Day 1 of clinic - a half day of meeting and training our local volunteers, and a half day of treating patients. The volunteers are great - very sweet, school-aged girls willing to help & translate as best as possible for us. In just 5 hours, we were able to provide over 700 people, ranging from 13-85, with eyewear. A pretty solid first day! Speaking on behalf of the clinic rookies, today was everything we imagined for a clinic and more. Being able to see the the light in someone's eyes, or the smile on their face, after fitting a pair of glasses, is beyond words. The simple interactions of smiles, head nods and bowing with thanks can't be described by my simple words. After the last patient was taken care of, the team walked to a nearby market for another great evening of dinner, laughs and sharing stories.

Hopefully pictures to come if the internet connection allows!

More later,

Carly

18 Comments

  1. Becky Sweigard says:

    It sounds awesome!  You guys are doing a great thing!  I hope every day is as successful as the first. 

    Becky

    Posted on Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:20 am EST

  2. Adam Thompson says:

    Glad to know you all made it safely!

    Posted on Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:43 am EST

  3. Chris Bachman says:

    Hey Carly and Team Thailand! We’re all thinking about you…keep up the great work!

    Posted on Tue Nov 27, 2012 10:49 am EST

  4. Tim Jones says:

    Glad to know you guys made it and are off to a great start.

    Posted on Tue Nov 27, 2012 10:57 am EST

  5. Tom Schenck says:

    Carly,
    You are making me so proud!
    Love,
    DAD

    Posted on Tue Nov 27, 2012 12:36 pm EST

  6. Susan Schenck says:

    Carly,
    It warms my heart to read about your first few days, and to know what an impact you and your team has already had. It makes me so proud to know what a difference you can make.  Keep it up!
    Love,
    Mom

    Posted on Tue Nov 27, 2012 1:44 pm EST

  7. Todd Henderson says:

    Great report! Glad the trip over there was smooth. Hope you had some good seat neighbors! Sounds like you have a fantastic team there and you’ll all be able to have fun while working long, hard hours. Definitely a solid first day!

    Posted on Tue Nov 27, 2012 2:54 pm EST

  8. Emilia says:

    Michele, Luana e Divine simo tutti con voi! E aspettiamo di vedere presto anche qualche vostra foto.

    Posted on Wed Nov 28, 2012 2:34 am EST

  9. Kate Burgers says:

    Sounds like an incredible trip already, keep up the amazing work!

    Lots of love,

    Kate

    Posted on Wed Nov 28, 2012 7:42 am EST

  10. Steve and Alice Hertzberg says:

    Great start for what looks to be an incredible
    two weeks.  This is just such a wonderful service
    you are all providing.  You make us proud.

    Love,
    Mom and Dad

    Posted on Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:23 am EST

  11. divine, Luana, Michele says:

    Grazie Emilia del post!!.qui tutto bene, appena possibile vedremo se mettono delle nostre foto. lavoriamo tanto ma con soddisfazione!!!.

    Posted on Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:41 am EST

  12. Dana Garvin says:

    Tracie and Tani and Team Thailand - We are all so proud of you! We know you will make such a difference in so many lives. Enjoy every single minute of your clinic and the diversity of your team. See you soon!
    Dana

    Posted on Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:25 pm EST

  13. Hallie says:

    Glad everything is going so smoothly!  We miss ya! Can’t wait for the next post.

    Posted on Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:44 pm EST

  14. Hopkins, MN says:

    Jackie Vang,
    We are all so proud of you! We know are make such a difference in so many lives..
    See you soon!

    Your Co-workers in Hopkins, Minnesota !!!!

    Posted on Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:47 pm EST

  15. Mary Kay Eckhart says:

    Hey, Carly!  Sounds like you have already had many memorable experiences after only one day!  It’s amazing to think about the number of lives that you and your cohorts will positively touch during this trip.  Soak up the experience and take care! 
    Love,
    Aunt MK

    Posted on Wed Nov 28, 2012 8:21 pm EST

  16. Victoria Vang says:

    Jackie V.
    Hi dad we’re so proud of you…. We missed you already… keep up the good work and hurry back… and hope you have lots of fun there in Thailand.
    Love,
    Victoria + Family

    Posted on Wed Nov 28, 2012 9:29 pm EST

  17. Casey Hess says:

    Carly so glad you made it there safe! And so proud of what you are doing for these people. Can’t wait to see more. Have fun and see you when you get back!

    Posted on Thu Nov 29, 2012 10:11 am EST

  18. divine, Luana, Michele says:

    Hi.
    The european team arrived to their various destinations safely.We thank God for that.the closing ceremony was a legendary.special thanks to Mr Scott and cordinators, special thanks to the Doctors team and to all the volunteers and a healthy thanks to the local volunteers.i love you and miss you all.

    Posted on Sat Dec 8, 2012 5:17 am EST

Post a Comment

Name:

Email:

Please enter the word you see in the image below:


Post Comment