Tuesday update

Sawadee! again to all our fellow friends and family in The United States, Europe, and China!
Between the unreliable internet and the business of helping people see, it’s been difficult to stay connected.
Each day we have been given an aggressive goal of the number of people from Phayao that we are scheduled to help and each day thus far we have exceeded these goals.
For those who are into the numbers….
Day One we were scheduled to serve 1500 and closed the day with 1840!
Day Two we were scheduled 2000 and closed with 2340!
Day Three we were scheduled 2800 and again finished with 3340!
Day Four we were scheduled 3200 and found ourselves with 3405!
During our first week in Phayao we successfully helped a grand total of 10925 extremely deserving people. All our hard work has generated a level of efficiency of serving almost 5.7 people per minute (I bet we all wish our stores were that busy!).

We then broke for two much needed days of rest and relaxation. During our days off we were treated by the city of Phayao and their representatives to a trip to the neighboring city of Chiang Mai. We traveled by bus for around 2 ½ hours to the Maesa Elephant Camp. This area serves as a reserve for the Asian elephants in the area. At the camp we were given the opportunity to ride and feed the elephants. This along with a spectacular elephant show made for some great photographs, stories and memories.

After our elephant experience we were welcomed to a Buddhist Temple and Palace high on the mountain top of Chiang Mai. After many curvy roads and much Dramamine, we were rewarded with spectacular sites of the temple and views of the city.
After leaving the temple, we proceeded through the Chiang Mai night markets to join over 200,000 of our new found friends on the crowded streets of Chiang Mai where the streets were lit with strings of incandescent bulbs.

Yesterday was a day of rest and relaxation. Some stayed behind to catch up on some sleep, while others did some shopping and still others enjoyed Thai massages.
The local governor has been crucial in the success of our clinic. Last night we were hosted at the governor’s house for a banquet. It involved a night of much food, local dancing, and music. We were showered like royalty. At the end of the night, it was hard to say goodbye, but we knew we have to get ready for another early morning of clinic the next day.


Today’s clinic was once again rockin’! We had an aggressive goal of 3100. Even while trying to get back in the swing of things we were able to help again another 3345! And we even ended the clinic an hour earlier than usual.

It’s very humbling when you think of the tremendous opportunities we are given everyday in our home countries. It becomes mindboggling when you meet an 80 year old grandmother that has never seen her children or grandchildren before. The glasses that we discard have the ability to change lives, not just restore sight. Sight is by far the most important of the 5 senses and to have the opportunity to give that gift back to someone almost by the minute is an enormously enriching gift.

We look forward to another successful day tomorrow and we’ll blog again tomorrow!


Sawadee from Thailand!