CHILDREN

are the same the world over. They boys play rough, the girls giggle and act shy and they enjoy learning new things...especially games. We went to an orphanage today and the boys learned how to play american football. They had never seen a ball the shape of our football and had difficulty catching and throwing it at first but caught on fast My friends and family....if you ever have the opportunity to do humanitarian work please do so. Traveling will only take you to the tourist areas and you will see only those things that please you. You have to get out into the more remote areas to see how the common person lives. What a blessing this mission has been in my life....I will never be the same again. Material things no longer mean anything to me. I love and miss you all and God bless.....

INDONESIA

INDONESIA

I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT....

miracles and how they happen. When we do surgery here on the Mercy most of it is just ordinary surgery that we see and perform every day in America. Cleft lips and palates, hernias, birthmark removal....all every day stuff to us. But to the people of South East Asia, we are performing miracles because these surgeries are otherwise not even remotely available to them. How many of us in America see adult people walking down the street with unrepaired cleft lips or huge ugly birthmarks on their faces or 10 pound tumors in their abdomens? Well, we saw about 10 of them this week at a surgery screeninghe and that was in just one small community. We should all be so thankful for what we have in America and I wish everyone could experience the things we are seeing and doing. We are on an island with over 100,000 people and there is a general surgeon and an OB/GYN physician. 90% of these people have never seen a physician. So, the things we are doing here are not really miracles.....to us.....but they are miracles to the people we are treating.

I ALWAYS GET EXCITED WHEN....

I think the internet us up and working and I am finally going to get to post something to you guys and then I sit here for 1 1/2 hours just trying to log in. Yes....it is the truth. We can talk to robots on Mars but can't keep the internet up on the USNS Mercy.' Anyhow, I wanted to let you all know that I am learning so much about our brothers and sisters here in Indonesia. When I first saw the Muslim women wearing their 'Jilbab' or Burka, or head covering, I thought of it as an enslavement of sorts....kinda like...why don't the Muslim men have to wear something that looks so hot and uncomfortable. But, I have a new respect for that article of clothing and for the women who wear it. As a member of the LDS Church the garments that I wear remind me of the covenants I have made with Heavenly Father. When the Muslim women put on their Jilbab they are also reminded of their religion. And, they are really beautiful in them. They adorn them with beautiful pieces of jewelry and the Jilbab matches what they are wearing. The women are so humble and polite and kind. Each time I pass through a country I think to myself, WOW, I really loved those people and it can't get any better, but it does. I loved the Vietnamese and the Cambodians and now I love the Indonesians. I just don't know how I am going to leave all these beautiful people behind without tears. They are so special. I love and miss you all...Dolores

A most interesting fruit....

I have eaten a lot of things on this trip that I never dreamed of eating and most of them I don't even know the name. For instance, this fruit. The outside is hard, like nut and when you peel it it cracks like a nut. Inside is a soft white fruit that has the consistency of a grape and then there is a really hard nut-like seed in the center. It is really good and sweet. Not much happens when we are at sea like now but we arrive in our first of three destinations in Indonesia tomorrow morning (Tuesday) and will actually have several surgeries that day. As usual, I am excited about our work here and continue to appreciate how blessed I am to be a part of this Remember that I will blog as much as possible but the next 16 days will be busy so no promises. I miss you all.....

You may not find this funny but....

Today we anchored outside Jakarta, Indonesia to pick up medical supplies and translators. One of our LDS team members was taking some of the translators on a tour around the ship and stopped to introduce them to me. I shook hands with the first guy who introduced himself as Camay, then the second one said his name was Harry. I said "Harry " ??. What kind of Indonesian name is that? He said 'a common one'. I laughed and went to the next guy who said his name was 'Mike' and the next was 'Ed' and the next was 'Tony'. I said, "what is going on here? One out of nine guys has an Indonesian name". They just laughed and went on their way. Now, I think thats kind of amazing that I travel half way around the world and find western names on the young men. Some pcs attached are an Indonesian warship and its flags hooked up to the side of our ship, unloading supplies and a photo of its guns. And...no....I was not afraid. LOL. Love you guys and miss you all so much.

Dolores

Pagoda in Singapore

These are photos of the Pagoda I climbed in Singapore. What it looked like from a disttance, the down the stairs and up the stairs...maybe in that order...I never can tell until I've posted them. LOL.

A sign advertising cooked duck neck, some flowers on top of a hotel and an open street marked.

Singapore Sunrise

This is a series of sunrises coming into Singapore. I hope that their beauty can been reflected on this site. It is difficult for me to tell. Hope you enjoy. They are out of order but I don't know how to change that.

July 4, 2010...Church in Singapore

All of us, 33, went to one of the Church wards on Sunday which was fasting testimony meeting also. The cultural mixture was amazing with Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Japanese being just a few of those represented. It was amazing. One member, about 20 years old got up and spoke about how, when he attended University in China recently, out of 96 students in his class, 90 of them smoked, drank alcohol and did drugs. I don't understand how they can pass their classes. I am so grateful for my church standards We me a sister on the train going back to the ship who told us her conversion story and I want to share it with you. She is Indian (from India) and had joined a Christian church many years ago. She and her family had been struggling....spiritually, emotionally and financially for several years She couldn't seem to get any satisfaction from the leader of her church so one night she says she got down her hands and knees and prayed like she has never prayed before. She cried and begged the Lord for guidance and help with her family. The next morning on her way to work guess what?...there were two missionaries standing aoutside her apartment building passing out literature and I hope you know the rest of the story. She has been a member now for 3 years. Gosh!! I wish my prayers were answered that quickly!!! If there were another place in this world that I could live besides America it could certainly be Singapore. I love it here! I loved Vietnam, I loved Cambodia and its people and then I loved Singapore even more. I can't imagine that Indonesia could be even greater but it might. Oh, what a blessing this trip has been for me. It has opened my eyes to things that I never dreamed existed. My dear friends and family...you should strive to experience something like this in your lifetime...not just the travel but service to our international community. We are so blessed to be Americans...to have the things we have...the commodities, the freedoms, our homes and automobiles...not having to travel by bicycle or walk to everything. I believe that service to others, especially internationally, can really open our eyes to appreciate what we have. I love and miss you all.

Your friend, Dolores

Singapore

Some strange looking vegetables......those are stringbeans and about two feet long!!!! Not a good picture but the top of a religious shrine. It was actually very colorful.

Cambodia

I know I have a duplicate but don't know how to take the extra one off....?The water pic is of the first wave of medics into Cambodia and I was on that team. The pic with a line of people...they are waiting in line to be seen by us. There was probably a thousand people. An AIDS clinic in English and Cambodian.

More photos of Cambodia

Some more photos.

I am going to just post some random photos for you to see without explanation because the more information I attempt to post the slower the system becomes. I love and miss you guys.

Again, I WILL NEVER...EVER....

COMPLAIN AGAIN....about doing dishes. Twice a week the LDS Charities group volunteers to work in the scullery, which is the kitchen doing dishes. We are now washing, drying and putting away dishes for a crew of 1004. Yes, one-thousand and four souls. I think my kitchen at home will be clean from now on

Photos from Cambodia

Me and the Cambodian navy corpsmen and the classroom where I taught them how to intubate There was a sparcity of furniture as you can see. They had no equipment at all, not even stethoscopes. They were really great kids and we had so much fun with sign language since I did not speak Cambodian nor they English.

A video of Singapore

This is a panorama view of Singapore from atop a pagoda on a rainy day.

Singapore

Well, I guess I'm just not destined to download a bunch of pics to the internet. After searching for an hour for an internet cafe in Singapore I finally found one but I can only type on it....not download pics from my computer, nor hook up my computer to the net. So, I guess I am going to have to just struggle with 15 minute photo downloads aboard the ship. Anyhow....

Singapore is a beautiful city, clean, very modern. I thought America had everything but Singapore is so far beyond anything I have seen in the states that I am shocked. For example, the city buses all have remote cameras and a tv screen in front of the driver so he can view the outside of the bus. Everyone carries iPads. You are fined if your automobile is older than 10 years so there are no junkers on the streets. There also is no pollution despite the fact that there are over 4 million people in a 26 mile radius. There is no trash on the streets...or in the parks....or anywhere! I looked! You can buy ANY kind of food here. The air is clean and fresh and smells good, like being at the beach. Chinese is the first language and English is the second so almost everyone speaks some English. The downfall? It is very expensive. A 3 room apartment runs around $3,000 per month or $400,ooo.oo Consequently, the peole work very hard and late into the night. Many shops are open until after midnight. I have seen very few overweight people here. A can of coke only has 47 calories and that is regular coke. We leave for Indonesia in 2 days and my trip is 1/2 over. I can't believe it! I miss you all and keep you in my prayers.

Your friend....Dolores