Crown Council Humanitarian Blog

Day 7 Thursday November 10, 2011

2011-11-01T15:38:00.003-07:00

It has been an amazing week of service. On Saturday night I didn't think I was going to make it for another four days -- honestly. Sitting in my bed Saturday night and pondering about repeating what we just did four more times seemed like a task that I was not up to, but as each day came the energy and motivation seemed to grow. We couldn't take everyone as a patient this week, but we treated those we saw the best we could -- hoping to not just help teeth, but improve people's lives.

Dr. Dale Behner reminded us today, in our morning huddle, that for those of us who have been given much -- much is required. It is our duty to share our talents with those who are less fortunate then us. A great author once wrote, "Some are tested by poor health, some by a body that is deformed. Some suffer disappointment in marriage, family problems; others live in poverty and obscurity. Some (perhaps this is the hardest test) find ease and luxury. All are part of the test, and there is more equality in this testing than sometimes we suspect."

It has been an honor sharing our talents and serving the people of the Dominican Republic -- thank you to everyone who has supported us this past week.

Mark Willes and his daughter re-bulit this man an old denture that he was holding in with his tongue.

No CAVITIES!

Handing out bracelets and goodies to the local school that was right next to our clinic today.

The whole team jumped in the pool to "swim" when we got back to the hotel. Although most of the hotel guests assumed that our swimming was really bathing. We were so rowdy the hotel security kicked us out of the pool. It was a great ending to the day.

Day 6 Wednesday November 9, 2011

2011-11-01T15:38:00.001-07:00

The weather here is PERFECT! Just hot enough to make the sweat as soon as you step off the bus. We worked in a small village about an hour from the hotel. The village had been worked by our humanitarian team in March of 2011 - so when the village caught wind that we would be coming back today they invited all of their friends to be there when we showed up.

Abby Gertsner is an amazing young girl. She never complains, and does everything she can to make the kids at the clinic have a fun day. She is 7 years old and is always playing ball, painting nails and coloring with the Dominican kids.

Bubble blowing around the clinic helps keep the mood light and the young kids distracted from the strange dental instruments that go into their mouths.

Mother and daughter.

Our clinic was outside today -- which caused some confusion with the crowd that showed up, but it also allowed us to enjoy the breeze and fresh air.

Father and Son (Paul and Allen Thomas)

Each morning we are blessed to hear from an Esperanza Associate who is running a business using a micro-loan. The micro-loans are managed by Esperanza International who also works to care for the health of their associates through our dental clinics.

Willes family and the local pastor and his wife.

Paty Thomas speaks fluent Spanish. We were each challenged to spend five minutes today having "fun" -- so Paty spent her fun to teaching the Dominican kids "Itsy Bitsy Spider" in Spanish.

LUNCH!

Paul Thomas spent a little time at lunch cleaning up spiders in the clinic.

Although this women didn't have any teeth it was still nice to have her hanging around us all day.

The heart and energy of the clinic -- The Generator.

Day 5 Tuesday November 8, 2011

2011-11-01T15:37:00.002-07:00

New smile compliments of the Hammond Team -- I could have taken 5 of these pictures today. Every person Roy got his hands on today got a new smile.

Shane (from Esperanza) working the front desk -- checking people in and out of the clinic is a HUGE job.

Dr. Youmans and Nichole after a emotional restorative case for one of the local associates.

Andres and Jamie, from Dr. Debra King's office, enjoying a little break in the afternoon.

Father and daughter -- Dale and Robin

Hopedale Dental wearing their Canada flags proudly.

Newborn kit give-a-way team.

Giving away more of our newborn kits to the local health clinic.

Kind-a dark here, but that is Nick and Tamarraw Vitangelli after doing a bunch of restorative work on one of the workers that packs and unpacks or bus each day.

Last patient of the day -- she got two new front teeth!

Day 4 Monday November 7, 2011

2011-11-01T15:37:00.001-07:00

View from the beach right outside our hotel. I just ran over there after breakfast to see how good it will be to hang out here on Friday after a long week of work!

Have you ever ridden a safari truck into the jungles of the Dominican Republic to get to your patients? WE DID TODAY! Breakfast started at 7:00 and we were out of the hotel by 8:00. Jungle Jim's 4x4s took us into the jungles where we found about 150 people waiting for out team to serve them.

Dr. Dale Behner is hoping to carry this marketing campaign on when he returns home.

Here is the waiting area for all of our patients.

One of the best parts about today is the students and doctors from the Dominican Republic joined our team.

Nicholas Gerstner is mobbed by the village kids as soon as we arrive. Today he provided them with jump-ropes, bubbles, bracelets and toothbrushes.

Morning meeting before we started working.

Dr. Dale Schisler, on his 3rd trip to the Dominican, gave us an uplifting and inspiring message this morning. He is a true leader and mentor to everyone on the trip.

Learning numbers and singing fun songs with the children of the village.

Painting nails and playing with red rubber balls is a favorite after lunch activity -- even if you are a little boy you have to get your nails painted with pink polish.

Lunch: beans, rice, beef, vegetables and Oreos.

Wooden bracelets made by a church group in Salt Lake City -- they where a big hit with our little patients.

Each newborn kit had diapers, soap, blankets, pins, and pajamas. The kids on the trip helped us pass them out.

We handed out about 40+ newborn baby kits to the mothers in the community. Obviously, they wanted more, but we had to stop at 40 and save some for the next couple days.

Lab specialist, Mark Willes from Experience Dental Studio, working his magic on some restorative pieces for Dr. Roy Hammond.

Day 3 Sunday November 6, 2011

2011-11-01T15:36:00.001-07:00

TRAVEL DAY! It really was a big day of rest and travel. We spent almost 5 hours on the bus moving from Santo Domingo to the North Coast. Along the way we went to church, stopped at the Boca Marian restaurant and drove through some the the most beautiful areas of the Dominican Republic. We pulled into the resort (Barcelo in Puerto Plata) where we will stay until Saturday. It's beautiful here with great food, pools and updated rooms with soft beds.

It was a great day to reflect on our travels and why each of us personally leave family, friends and the comfort of our homes? Do I serve and sacrifice out of duty? Or for the hopes of a reward? There seems to be a greater purpose that one who serves others can hope for, and that is a service performed out of love.

The great author James Allen wrote that "Circumstance does not make a man it reveals him to himself." This trip is constantly teaching and showing each of us what we hold most dear in our hearts. Dr. Roy reminded us today that service inspires love, and the best way to show someone that you love them is through service. Love for a spouse comes as we serve them. Love for brothers and sisters grows as we serve them.

"Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." Matt 20:26-27

Thank you for all the support, prayers and love you are sending our way.

(at Boca Marian restaurant)

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Santo Domingo Temple)

Day 2 Saturday November 5, 2011

2011-11-01T15:35:00.001-07:00

After a full day of work -- everyone is back safe at Hotel Europa hoping to catch the end of the Alabama vs. LSU game. Being away from Saturday college football wan't as difficult as I thought it would be. I think that is the beauty of service you often forget about your needs as you focus more on the needs of others. Dr. Roy Hammond reminded us this morning that 90% of our communication with the Dominican people is non-verbal. A soft smile or a gentle touch proved to be more powerful then trying to fumble through the few Spanish words I don't know how to pronounce. We worked in Santo Domingo in a small community only 30 minutes from our hotel, and everyone WORKED! We didn't get back to our hotel until 7:30PM which means we had patients in the chairs until 7:00. We have a day of rest tomorrow, but are already looking forward to Monday.

Day 1 Friday November 4, 2011

2011-11-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

It's hot. It's humid. It must be the Dominican Republic. After a month of cooling temperatures in Salt Lake City it is nice to get back to "summer" weather here in the Dominican. Most of our team started traveling Thursday night and finished their journey in the early afternoon when they arrived at the Santo Domingo airport. Lunch at the airport was pretty uneventful. Old friends embraced and new friends got to know each other over Quizno sandwiches. After a short bus ride to Hotel Europa we found out that there was only one lost piece of luggage, but it soon arrived and the whole group made their way to dinner.

At dinner we met Dr. Patricia Diaz who welcomed us to the Dominican and shared a short, but powerful message from the bible. She told us about a great leader who was told by God that if he kept his arms raised his army would win a battle. After a long period the leader grew weary and his arms began to drop. His friends came to his aid and helped hold up the leader's arms. Dr. Diaz asked each of us to hold up the arms of those who become tired or weak. She reminded us that we are all brothers and sister and must love and care for each other with the same passion as a family.

Then Dr. Roy Hammond reminded us that this experience is not about fixing people's teeth, it's about allowing ourselves to change. He shared his vision for our week together: 1) to give each of us the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of the people who live in the Dominican Republic 2) to help those who are less-fortuneate then us, and make them feel loved and appreciated 3) to provide much needed dental care.

Nate Diviney, Rachel Robbins, Paul Thomas, Hope Thomas, Dr. Allan Thomas

Dr. Dale Schisler, Robin Schisler, Anni Banfield, Teresa Williams, Bonnie Kotsopoulos, Sandra Hughes, Jennifer Donald

Dr. Dale and Lynn Behner

Sophie Gerstner, Amy Gerstner, Abby Gerstner, Cannon Gerstner, Coby Gerstner, Jason Johnson, Nick Gerstner

Dr. Andres Sosa, Jahmle Torrejon, Tony Granados, Dr. Nick Vitangeli, Tamarraw Vitangeli, Rylee Miller, Kristin Anderson

Willes Family

Day 8

2011-09-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

Our Group.

Today at the hotel everyone really took advantage of the

beach, pool, volleyball, and yummy food. It was definitely needed

and now everyone is ready to go back home to their

families and get back to work. We will be taking

a four hour bus ride in the morning to the aiport and catching our

flights to head home. What a wonderful week with such a

special group. There were friendships made that will last

a lifetime and peoples lives that will forever be changed.

Thanks for the great trip and hard work!

Until next time.............

Day 7

2011-09-09T04:38:00.001-07:00

Today was our last day working at a clinic and I can say we definitely

ended with a bang. We served in a little town at a chicken farm

in the city of Santiago. We saw 80 patients and finished strong. It was

another hot day but we made sure we were under some trees and

had a little breeze. There were chickens walking around us all day and

the owner of the house had a parakeet that was squawking all day

long. Once we were done we were all exhausted. After five days of

setting up, working all day long, taking down, going to bed and starting over

the next day it can really take its toll. But like I have mentioned over

and over again, no one ever complained. In fact Conner Henderson

mentioned in his thought for the day that he had only heard one person

complain the whole week and that was Austin the day he had the

stomach flu and was throwing up. He was complaining that he

felt so useless that he couldn't help. So the only person complaining

was doing it because he wanted to work. I thought that was pretty

awesome. After we finished up we headed to our new hotel to check

in for a day of relaxing and reflecting. The hotel is extremely nice and

will be a great way to end the trip. Great job to the group!!!!!

Tina rocking it at the Hygiene table

Junior and Tony. They drove the bus and helped set up and

take down everything throughout the week. We LOVE them!

This is Austin. He came last year with his school class and

had such an amazing life changing experience that he got a tattoo

when he got home to remember this special experience. We

thought it was so awesome that a week long trip doing what

we did had so much impact on someone. It says 1,2,3 equipo which

is what we say every morning before starting the day. Equipo means Team.

Brett cleaning his own teeth. haha

We LOVE Dr. Patricia

Roy doing some amazing cases. He really changed some

peoples lives today with the smiles he fixed.

Sterilization

Angel putting Smiles for Life tattoo on a little girl

The most adorable kid of the trip. No one could stop holding him

and kissing him. He was sooo beautiful.

Day 6

2011-09-07T19:22:00.001-07:00

Another great day in the Dominican! Today went smoothly and

everyone worked so hard to see the 87 patients that were there.

It's interesting to see how many problems there are with the people

in Puerta Plata. The cleanings are extensive and they all have

a lot of work that needs to be done. I spoke with a hygienist who

mentioned that more than half of them have root tip problems

because they had pulled out their own tooth and pieces were left.

Can you imagine pulling out your own tooth because of the pain?

The town we were in was really poor and the people were

so fun and kind and gracious. It was also REALLY hot

but thank heavens for the fans. They save us. :)

Our work site.

Tony, Julian, and Jonathan. A few of the guys who help us with

anything we need.

Morning Huddle. Pam gave a beautiful thought on Gratitude.

The Horton Team who is always laughing and they all work

so incredible hard.

Dr. Hoyal has been amazing on this trip. I love this picture

Christa playing with the kids

2 little girls watching the action taking place inside

Sterlization Crew. Christa and Monique

Dr. Maria and Coleman. A great team!

Dr. Koby working her magic on extractions as usual.

I love this picture. This man was so sweet.

Shane at our check out station. He is working with Esperanza

for about six months and says he wants to come back on every trip

we ever do. He has had such a good time and has helped so much.

I had just painted this little girls nails and she walked around

showing everyone who would look. It was adorable.

Then after the day of work we had a little program hosted by

Roy and Glenda Hammond. This picture is of the Dominican Dentists

and Hygienists that came on the trip. We have all really bonded with them.

They are such hard workers and so fun to be around. We also gave out other

awards and then sang a few songs that are the Hammond family favorites to

end the night. We are excited for our day tomorrow and will work

hard because its our last day. We are tired but our spirits are up and we

all feel incredibly blessed to be a part of this journey.

Day 5

2011-09-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

Today was such a wonderful day! After yesterday we needed a

good weather day and we got it! We weren't able to get to the little

town we were going to in the bus so we had to board a safari jeep

and drive in that way. It was such a unique experience to drive

through these dirt roads that were so small and so rough. The

town we went to is so far back in the mountains. When it rains they get

trapped in their village so it can be really scary. The mountains

made the air feel a lot cooler and we made sure to set up in the shade.

It felt wonderful compared to yesterday. Everyone worked so hard

and we were able to see 90 patients. It was hard work though because

the teeth were so dirty and there were so many problems. We will be

coming back in November in the next Smiles for Life trip

to help the rest of the people we didn't get to.

This picture below is our Safari vehicle. What a new experience
Our set up for the day

The gorgeous view from where we worked

Could that face be any sweeter?

Roy helping one of the Dental Students Mayerling work on a

patient

Jocelyn and her patient

Pam cleaned this guys teeth and Roy fixed them. This is before

This is the finished product. He was so annoyed because everyone had

been taking his picture and when I finally got to him he had

had it. :)

I love this picture of Lindsay. She had two little girls that were twins

that were her little assistants throughout the day. This little

girl is helping put flouride on her moms teeth. So cute

The famous Dr. Horton Team

We were majorly packed in tight on the way home in the big

safari truck. This is us after we had finished the day

And this is one of the little twins that ran after us. She was missing

her new friends.

Sidenote: Not only do we work hard in the Dominican Republic but

we have a lot of fun. This is a video of something really funny we

witnessed this morning between our dearest friend Tony who has driven the

bus for us for years and Juston. Who knew that Juston knew how to lasso and

Tony was so funny. This all happened so fast

and sporatic that I was glad i had my camera out.

Click here to watch

Day 4

2011-09-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

Our team earns a big applause today! They were amazing

and despite our circumstances came through and worked their

tails off. We experienced the hottest day yet in our Dominican Smiles

for Life trips. It was excruciating. We were all outside underneath

tents. There was nowhere else to go. We later found out that tarp white tents

attract heat. So not only was the weather as hot as it gets, but the tents were

attracting more heat and there was no breeze. It was definitely a struggle for

all. We even had two Dominican patients faint. Not because of pain or being

worked on but because of the heat. But despite all of that there was no

complaining for a second. Everyones spirits were high and like I mentioned

before, they worked so hard. Teamwork is very strong with this group.

Not only do people work so well together but everyone is always laughing

and making things so much fun. It really is a special thing to see. We finally

had to finish about a half hour early because we were worried about our group

and wanted them to be in their best shape for the next three days.

I am so proud of everyone for all that was accomplished.

Our set up for the day. Hygiene, Dentists, Sterilization, and Check out

Our morning huddle.
Dr. Charlie gave us a very inspiring morning message about serving
and how when doing it you love the people you are serving and how
you love the people you are serving with. He has been on this trip
four years now and his experiences here have really touched his life.

Dr. Amy and Alissia rocking it in style.
Dr. Jonathon and Juston working on Frankie who was so
brave and little. He had two extractions and wasn't scared
a bit.

Pam and her new little boyfriend Manuel

Dr. Chris and his team and one of their patients. Dr. Hoyal was a

champ today. Not only did he work on patients all day

but he was helping the Dominican Dentists and taught

one of them some great new techniques and was so

patient and kind with them.

Our Sterilzation team. (Josie had to stand on a chair. :))

Our favorite Dr. Patricia

Rosa and her good way of keeping herself cool

My new friend Anna. She was so adorable and spoke perfect

English. She brought all her grandchildren to get their teeth

worked on. She was so sweet.

I love this picture because it is an older Dominican Dental Student

working on her patient and she called over two younger Dominican

Dental Students to teach them something about what she was doing.

How neat to see them learning and teaching as well.

Wish us luck tomorrow.... We are all praying for rain. :)

Day 3

2011-09-04T20:13:00.001-07:00

Today was a great day. It was our travel day.

We started yesterday in Santo Domingo and are working

the next four days starting tomorrow in Puerta Plata which is

five hours North of where we are. It is actually a really perfect day

to have a break. The first day is always a little overwhelming

and a lot to take in. It is nice for everyone to process

what we will be doing and to get themselves in the

mindset of the next four days so they can go hard and give

it all they have got. We had a few extra hours this morning for

anyone who was interested to attend their church of worship.

The picture below is of the Mormon Temple where a group of us

went to visit after service.

Then we headed to Puerta Plata with a stop at Boca Marina
Restaurant for a wondeful lunch. Boca Marina is a beautiful
restaurant right on the pier with gorgeous clear blue water and
great food.

Justin and Jocelyn at the restaurant
Roy Hammond, Our Chief, convinced myself and my husband to go
with him for a water weiner ride while waiting for our lunch.
It was a blast!

A picture of everyone in the bus at the end of the five hour
ride.

When we arrived at our hotel Barcelo Premium we met with everyone
before dinner to meet the Dominican Hygienists and Dominican Dentists
that will be working with us all week.

Then Marisa and Shane, from our
Esperanza group gave us the whole background of Esperanza and what
they do and who they are. They talked about the Microfinancing they
do for the little towns we do dentistry for. It was nice to hear how these
people have been able to take control of their lives and make themselves
self sufficient. After the presentation everyone was hungry and ready
for bed. Can't wait to get to our first clinic in Puerta Plata tomorrow.
Wish us luck! :)

Day 2

2011-09-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today we served in a little town called Los Casaves in

North Santo Domingo. The first day is always the hardest

and takes a while to get everyone used to everything. Our group

jumped right in and we were set up and running long before

we thought we would be. It was so special to see the strong

teamwork from the first minute we walked into the school we

were at until the last table and garbage bag was taken out at the

end. It was fantastic! In the end we were able to help

104 patients. We did cleanings, fillings, extractions, a

few root canals, and some bridges. It was a great day.

Our morning huddle. The word of the day was FRIENDSHIP

Angel, Josie, and Ellie
Glenda Hammond

Melanie, Tyler, and Tayva getting ready for their

first patient

Sandi and Allison working their tails off. They never stopped.

It was so impressive to see their hardwork.

Jocelyn also was amazing and helped so many

Dr. Maria, Brett, and Tayva

Pam cleaning teeth. Also making people smile as usual

Juston and I during the hour long thunderstorm after lunch

The Culture club working their magic to keep everyone happy

Aren't these faces adorable?

Juston playing ball with the boys

Rosa and Austin with the kids

Justin comforting this little guy who was getting

extractions. His little tears are streaming down his face but

he was brave and got through it.

And lastly, Josie and her new little friend who she sat with

while she got an extraction and was scared to death. Josie held her

hand through the whole thing and it was honestly the sweetest thing

you have ever seen. Her dad is in the picture as well.

Day 1

2011-09-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

It's finally here! We all made it safely to Santo Domingo today

and are all geared up and ready to start our first clinic tomorrow.

We arrived in a few separate groups and all met up tonight at dinner

with our friends from Esperanza. It was a great night for everyone

to meet and learn more about what we will be doing. I can tell this

group will be fabulous and everyone is so ready to get started.

Meet our September 2011 Group

Dr. Chris Hoyal and his darling family are back for their third

trip. He has his two daughters, Christa and Tayva, and then three

of his granchildren, Tyler, Jenna, and Melanie.

The wonderful Dr. Maria Ambrosio from New Jersey

Our predental Student Brett Rappleye who is currently

going to school at BYU Idaho.

Our adorable friends from Logan, Utah. Justin and Jocelyn Hamilton.

Jocelyn is a Hygienist and Justin is a fluent Spanish speaker.

Monique Henderson and her son Conner. Conner will be leaving on

an LDS mission to Washington State the week we get home. We are glad

he is spending his last few days with us

The darling Webb family. Angel is Roy Hammond's daughter and

this is her family. She has been on several trips and so has her family.

I can't remember the exact amount. Matt is her husband, along

with Ellie, Coleman, Josie, and Collin

Dr. Amy Horton and her wonderful team from Dallas Texas.

This is their first trip and they raised a lot of Smiles for Life money

to be here. In no particular order, Dr. Amy, Rosa Fuentes, Sandi

Herrera, Alissia Taylor, Brittiny Trevino, Kristina Cogburn, and

Allison Prather

Back for I'm pretty sure his third trip maybe fourth is Dr. Charlie

Schneider. He has brought his two daughters Mackenzie and Lindsay,

and our friend Austin Tess. Austin came last year with his Spanish class

as a translator so we are happy to have them all back again.

Annie and Juston Puchar and the beautiful Pam Peterson. Excited

to be back.

2011-08-31T13:35:00.001-07:00

It's time for our next Adventure to the Dominican Republic!

On Friday September 2nd, we will meet in Santo Domingo,

Dominican Republic and get ready to start our wonderful

week of hard work and service. We will spend the first few

days in Santo Domingo and then travel up north to the city of

Puerta Plata. This will be the first time in all the trips our group

has gone there and we are all excited to expand our work. Stay

tuned daily to read updates and see pictures of what we are

doing. Here is an introduction of our fabulous group of

34 Volunteers;

Dr. Roy Hammond- The leader

Glenda Hammond

Angel Webb- Roys daughter

Mark Webb

Coleman Webb

Ellie Webb

Collin Webb

Josie Webb

Annie Puchar- your blogger

Juston Puchar

Justin Hamilton

Jocelyn Hamilton

Pam Peterson

Dr. Maria Ambrosio

Dr. Amy Horton

Rosa Fuentes

Kristina Cogburn

Alissia Taylor

Sandi Herrera

Brittiny Trevino

Allison Prather

Dr. Charlie Schneider

Lindsay Schneider

Mackenzie Schneider

Austin Tess

Brett Rappleye

Dr. Chris Hoyal

Christa Hoyal

Tayva Peterson

Tyler Peterson

Jenna Peterson

Melanie Peterson

Monique Henderson

Connor Henderson

Heres to another Adventure!

ALL HOME SAFELY!

2011-03-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

We have all returned safely after a wonderful 10 days together. Thanks to a fabulous group!

Relaxing Today

2011-03-11T14:51:00.001-08:00

We spent a wonderful day today relaxing and decompressing at Vista Mare on the Samana Coast. We leave tomorrow morning (Saturday) at 7:15am for the three hour drive from Samana to the airport in Santo Domingo and our flights home.

Thanks for listening.....it's been fun to be your blogger

Greg Anderson

Thursday in the Dominican

2011-03-10T14:53:00.000-08:00

This is our 14th Smiles for Life Humanitarian Trip to the Dominican Republic. All of them have been organized pretty much the same way with 5 clinic days...except for this trip.

Last fall we were introduced to Yocimara. She is the leader of her Bank of Esperanza in Samana and a natural leader in her community. She lives on the top of a “mountain” in Samana.

She and her husband live with others members of their family on the same property in three separate dwellings.

Last year Yocimara and her husband....from the profits they make in their separate businesses financed through their Bank of Esperanza (selling turkeys, vegetables and other commodities) had enough money saved that they wanted to build a cinder block home to replace their wood home. They sold the wood from their home which was removed piece by piece and with the help of Esperanza built a new cinder block home.

Our entire group today spent the say painting all three of the homes on the property including their new cinderblock home and constructed a new “long drop” (outhouse).

It was a day of gratitude, love, great beauty and joy.

You will not find a better group of people anywhere.

We have been blessed to be able to serve here.

Here are some photos from today we hope you will enjoy....

Yocimara's Mother's home

And Sister's home

This is the outhouse (long drop) we were replacing today.

Yocimara's new home as viewed from the top.

View from Samana Hill from Yocimar's front yard.

Yocimara's new home as seen from below.

The new Long Drop....

All of us in front of Yocimara's new home...newly painted!

Yocimara and her husband Juan in front of their newly painted home.

Day 6...Las Gateras

2011-03-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

We started our day early in the community of Las Gateras and were greeted by over 200 enthusiastic patients who all wanted to be first in line!!

We thought you might like to see a little of the local community...

The local cafeteria...

The local bank...

Typical home...

A fabulous group of very hard working and loving people.

Tomorrow we head to the home of Yocimara (who many of you met at the annual event).

For an Extreme Home Makeover!!

Day 5...Los Toccones

2011-03-08T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple BEFORE & AFTER photos from today...

Day 5...we left the hotel for the community of Los Toccones

We learned about a shoe business managed and owned by this Esperanza Associate.

Our amazing hygiene team (shown here) saw over 120 patients today.

And keeping us clean: The Sterilization Team

At lunch time we still had a big group waiting to be seen by our team.

Day 4...Treenas

2011-03-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

We left our very comfortable hotel early this morning for the city of Treenas and the community of La Ceaiba. It's about a 2 hour drive through the hills of Samana.

We arrived to an enthusiastic community where we we able to serve 122 patients with over 320 different procedures.

Of course everything must be sterile...and today it was Graham and Emily doing that for the doctors

And today we feature most of the doctors:

Dr Patricia Diaz weathering a little of the rain. She is the dental director at Esperanza

Dr.Paul LaRoche and Charlotte

Dr. Dan Humiston and son Elliott

Dr. Michelle Yamada

Dr. Joe Harris with wife Marcene and Sandra Leedy with two grateful patients

Dr. Roy and Glenda Hammond with patient Jose

And we are most grateful to have three dental students working with us from the dental school

We were all cleaned up by 6:30 and headed back on our 2 hour drive to the hotel with enough time to get some rest and head out again tomorrow...

Happy.

All healthy.
All more grateful.

Day 3...traveling to Samana

2011-03-07T08:39:00.001-08:00

We started our day early leaving from the Hotel Europa. Some toured the city, others went to church.

This group went to church early and then stopped by the grounds of the Mormon Temple in Santo Domingo.
We left the hotel at 11:00AM for lunch together at Boco Chica where we were entertained with a hula dance and then...
Our own Dr. Michele Yamada presented Dr. Johanna Diaz (Dean of the dental school) and Dr. Hisan (whose family owns the charity that operates the dental school) with $5000 in scholarship money to help needed Dominican dental students.
After lunch it was onto the bus for a four hour ride to The State and City f Samana where we are staying at the Las Galeras Hotel.
Tonight at dinner we heard a VERY inspirational presentation from Vicki Valle who (with her husband Dave) started Esperanza International in 1991...

We are grateful for a day of rest and are excited for tomorrow.
Greg Anderson

Day 2- San Pelipe el Aimendro

2011-03-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

Day 2-

It was about an hour bus ride to the city of Santo Domingo Norte, San Felipe el Aimendro to the Parroquial el Almendro (school) . We were greeted by 200 enthusiastic patients provided by both the school and our friends at Esperanza International....

As you can see here from Graham and Andrew....we saw 101 patients through hygiene and 47 more had procedures completed by our doctors (some of the procedures were AMAZING...one of which you will see in a minute....

Actually, the day started with a morning huddle..an inspirational thought by Dr. Roy Hammond (far right) and a great story of one of the Bank of Hope borrowers who told the story of her clothing business.

No day would be complete without showing you the beautiful children of the Dominican....

And another....who would think there could be any decay here!!!

Miracles happened here...This was a patient of Dr. Michele Yamada (San Diego) BEFORE

and the amazing transformation.....AFTER

After a terrific days work we had dinner together and celebrated Al Long's 24th Birthday. We found the cake but I can tell you they have AMAZING candles here in the Dominican Republic. What you can't see is Al trying to blow the candles out!

Tomorrow morning (Day 3) we will head to church early in the morning and then to lunch. After lunch we will drive about 3 hours to the State and City of Samana!

We're tired

We're happy

We're greatly blessed

ARRIVING AT THE HOTEL EUROPA - DAY 1

2011-03-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

IT'S DAY 1 of the Crown Council and Smiles for Life 14th Humanitarian Trip to the Dominican. Our group started arriving in Santo Domingo this morning at 11:00am and have arrived throughout the say. We'd only waiting for Dr. Dan and Elliot Humiston who arrive late tonight!

I thought you might like to see all of the smiling faces!

David Shuway, Kaden Shumway and Keilani Needham

Dr. Roy and Glenda Hammond with Dr. Patricia Diaz (our host from Esperanza) and Greg Anderson

Graham Anderson, Al Long, Emily Jeskie and Erin Zito

Dr.Ron and Cindy Massie and Siegrid Massie, Alyana Massie, Suzanne Cheatham, Haley Schildknecht and Nikki Joe Peed

Dr. Michele Yamada with Tiffany Fenderson, Geoffrey Shimotsu, Steve Cook and Meghan Watson

From Dr. Levy's office....Peggy Dercole, Sherry Fucci, Rob Fucci and Larissa Pace!

Dr. Paul and Charlotte LaRoche

The Henderson's. Utah Valley Dental Lab is well represented here and has been for most of the week helping Roy do some work at the Dental School!

The Harris Team - Dr. Joe, and Marcene harris, Shalayne Wyatt, Sandra Leedy and Dave Leedy!

This is the Hotel Europa --- our Home for the next two days. It's in the Heart of Santo Domingo Old Town.

As always our friends at Esperanza provide an enthusiastic greeting at the airport! Yes..it's 85 degrees and sunny!

2011-02-22T12:01:00.000-08:00

On Friday, March 4th, 2011 the 14th Smiles for Life Humanitarian Group leaves for 10 days in the Dominican Republic.

We will spend Saturday, March 5th in Santo Domingo where we will have our first clinic before we head out on Sunday, March 6th for the Samana Area of the Dominican Republic where we will spend the rest of the week.

We welcome the following as Humanitarian Travelers....

Dr. Roy and Glenda Hammond

David Lee Shumway

Kaden Shumway

Keilani Needham

Graham Anderson

Al Long

Erin Zito

Emily Jeskie

Dr. Dan Humiston

Elliot Humiston

Peggy Dercole

Sherry Fucci

Rob Fucci

Larissa Pace

Dr. Paul LaRoche

Charlotte LaRoche

Dr. Ron Massie

Cindy Massie

Siegrid Massie

Aiyana Massie

Suzanne Cheatham

Haley Schildknecht

Nikki Jo Peed

Dr. Michele Yamada

Tiffany Fenderson

Geoffrey Shimotsu

Steven Cook

Amber Herschleg

Dr. Joe Harris

Marcene Harris

Shalayne Wyatt

Sandra Leedy

Dave Leedy

Andrew Henderson

and your blogger... Greg Anderson

2010-11-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

We are home! I want to apologize for the lack of posting. In Samana the internet is hard to come by and at both La Tambora where we stayed during the week and the resort where we were at during the weekend the internet wasn't working. I tried and tried to get a connection but it just didn't work. So this morning I'm going back through the week to post pictures. Better late than never right!?

Day 3

Sunday is always a much needed rest day! Many are sad to have missed daylight savings in America as that is one of the best weekends of the year, but thankfully the events of today more than made up for it. A group of us went to church this morning and to the LDS temple afterwards. The temperature was perfect and the scenery even better. Others had the morning off to walk around the city and sleep in. At 11:15 we reconvened and started the drive to Samana, the next part of the country we stayed and worked in. We ate lunch at the most delicious restaurant, Boca Marina. I had every intention of taking pictures of the dishes, but when mine arrived I completely forgot and dove into my fajitas immediately. THE BEST FAJITAS I HAVE EVER HAD! It was a piece of heaven on my plate. Muy Rico! Below are a few pictures we took on the pier, another exciting part of the lunch.

A group of us at the LDS Temple

The dress is questionable and many women were scattered about with the skimpiest bikini's ever made so the men respectfully covered their eyes………when the women were looking of course.

Our beloved Marybeth at the front of the restaurant

Dr. John Granados, his wife Elaine and son Nick

Mary and Paige from Dr. Granados Office

A couple of the dishes

We arrived at the hotel in Samana where we stayed Sunday to Thursday before heading to the resort for the last day and a half. This part of the country is so lush and beautiful. Roy Hammond said it is his favorite area in the Dominican Republic and he has traveled back and forth to and from every coast in this country.

Day 4-7

We set up clinics each day in a different community. Each day we were in a church and had the luxury of all being in the same room (apart from the last day when the hygienists worked outside under a tarp). The joys of working in the DR! It rained on and off these days, which made for really pleasant weather. As well as being joined by a handful of Dominican dentists and hygienists, we were also joined by Vicky Vale, the co-founder of Esperanza and her friends Maria and Stephanie. Maria and Vicky were such a huge help with translating and Steph helped up front with crowd control and filling the seats. We couldn't have imagined going through that week without them. They began a vital part of the group and could connect with the people on a deeper level. We are so grateful they came!

I am going to post a bunch of pictures from these days so everyone can get a feel of where we were and how our days went. Some of the funny, happy moments to the precious, life changing moments. Hope you enjoy them.

The daily setup

Hygienist Team

Esperanza associate that came to share her experience with us

Dr. Allan Thomas and his daughter Hope

Team of Dr. John Granados

Lunch!

Bathroom

Vicky Vale and her niece Marisa who works for Esperanza

Grisel, a Dominican dental student and Pat Horsley (my mom)

Before and after shot

Making friendship bracelets

Sterilization table

Sunny Huntsman is a nurse and became our pharmacist of the week. She also took people's blood pressure.

Getting in a quick nap at lunch

The famous donkey that we used to teach the kids how to brush and floss their teeth

Tyler Powers and Nate Huntsman

Vicky Vale and Dr. Coby

Dr. Dale and Lynn Behner (our root canal specialists of the trip)

Ben Theurer and myself. He was here with his dad and grandpa who are both dentists! 3 Generations of Theurer's

Dr. Jonathan and dental student Liz on the bus to the clinic

The administrative team. We worked up front and it was not an easy job! We liked to refer to ourselves as Charlie's Angels

(from left to right: Marisa, Patri, Me, Stephanie)

Playing with a red rubber ball - the one gift we brought to give to the kids

Fingernail painting. We learned really quickly they would rather paint our fingernails than have their's painted.

After a hard working day! The team of Dr. Tommy Nabors

At the Graduation Ceremony Wednesday night Roy and Glenda honored the Dominican dental students

The kids and teenagers of the group who took time away from school to come

Our Esperanza team that we love so much!

And we knew how to enjoy ourselves at night as well :)

Our beloved Hammonds boogying on the dance floor!

The entire team of November 2010!

Love you all! We made memories to last a lifetime. Can't wait to see you all again soon!

Day 2,3,4

2010-11-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

This is Annie from the Crown Council here. Dru has sent us a message here on our phone letting us know that the internet connection they use at the hotel Tambora where they are located in the DR is not working and so from Sunday night until Thursday evening she will not be able to update this blog. Although she did send a few notes about how the group is doing so I wanted to share them with you.

Sunday

Sunday is more of a travel day. Everyone got up in the morning and either went sightseeing or to the church of their choice. Then around 11:00 it was on the road for a four hour drive up North to the beautiful city of Samana. Halfway through the ride the group stopped at a restaurant in a little town called Boca Chica. It is a beautiful outdoor restaurant that sits on a pier. They enjoyed a nice lunch and headed on to their destination. Today the group was also joined by 5 Dominican Dentists and 1 Hygienist. Dru said their group loves them and has gotten along with them so well. Throughout this week the Doctors that came from the States take a turn and help train the Dominican Dentists. It is always a nice break for them and the Dentists love it. Once they got to Hotel Tambora in Samana they rested and went to bed early to start the week. The city of Samana is so beautiful. It is very green and looks like Hawaii with the palm trees and regular trees everywhere.

Monday Day 2 of Clinics and Tuesday day 3 of Clinics

Yesterday and Today the group saw over 100 people each day. This includes adults and children. Their clinics were both at churches with great space to set everything up in. The weather has been fantastic and not super hot so nice to work in. Everyone is in good health except for a few sick stomachs but nothing serious. The team has been bonding and making lasting friendships. Dru said they have all really connected and it has been wonderful. The Dentists have been doing amazing and very difficult procedures. Once Dru gets to the next hotel she will post many pictures and tell detailed stories. For now they are off to work another day......

Day 1 of Clinics

2010-11-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful day! Today was our first day of clinics and it could not have gone better. The setup was a bit slow as it was our first time doing it, but once we got everything ready the day moved by quickly. We were at a school and had 2 big classrooms on the second floor. It was a great space! With our hygienists in one room and the dentists in another we were able to clean everyone's teeth and send about 70% of them to see the dentists. Our darling Rebecca Hammond (12 yrs. old) immediately bonded with the children by playing with a red rubber ball we brought from home, jumping rope and painting finger nails. We love her! What a difference children make. Rebecca is fearless and friendly in ways that the rest of us are not.

We saw some amazing people with cases that were heart wrenching, but one woman touched many of us profoundly. She is pregnant and sat in the chair for almost 5 hours as Dr. Dale Behner did 2 root canals and a filling. The infection in her mouth was so bad it took many tries to numb the area and prepare her for the procedure. We all sat around encouraging her and taking care of her as much as we could. She was very submissive and never complained once except for saying several times how tired she was. I've posted some before and after pictures of her at the end of this post. We love the Dominican people! We are excited for 4 more days of clinics as we have now seen more than ever the need that the people here have.

We are excited for the day we have tomorrow as we head to the beautiful area of Samana. We will all sleep well tonight!

Dr. Allan Thomas and Team

Nate and Sara Huntsman

Dr. Tommy Nabors and Team

Matt Crane, Pat Horsley, Dru Powers, Tyler Powers

Nick and Dr. John Granados

Roy Jr., Jennifer and Rebecca Hammond

Dr. Jared & Ben Theurer

The pregnant women who sat in the chair all afternoon (unfortunately I don't know her name)

Before

Dr. Dale & Lynn Behner - 4 hours into it

After

We Have Arrived!

2010-11-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

We are here safe and sound! Sheesh. THANKFULLY hurricane Tomas somewhat complied and left us alone. Our flights for the most part were smooth and far less scary than we anticipated. We are staying at the lovely Hotel Europa. This afternoon we had free time to explore the city, rest, get to know one another a bit better and eat a delicious dinner with our Esperanza friends. Everyone is doing great and excited for our first clinic tomorrow. The only unfortunate event so far is one suitcase was never loaded onto the plane from Salt Lake and has not yet arrived here in Santo Domingo. Regardless, our wonderful Kelcie from Dr. Allan Thomas' office has been a trooper and is still in high spirits. We are all calling it an early night in hopes to get a great night sleep for tomorrow's clinic. Hopefully we'll continue to have a strong internet connection so these posts can continue with pictures! Following are pictures of some of the most beautiful architecture and scenery we are enjoying in Santo Domingo.

The oldest church in the Americas. Built in the time of Columbus.

The entire group at dinner.

Christopher Columbus' brother's house.

Hasta manana.........

The November Dominican Republic Trip begins.......

2010-11-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

It is already time for our 13th trip to the Dominican Republic. The Crown Council Group leaves tonight and tomorrow morning to begin a week of working with our friends from Esperanza and the people of the Dominican Republic. It will follow the same itinerary as our last trips in March and September on the North side of the island. After two days in Santo Domingo, we will travel north to the city of Samana where we will work for the remainder of the week.

We have 38 people in our group with a variety of Dentists, hygienists, assistants, and translators. Our trip is hosted by Dr. Roy Hammond and his wife Glenda Hammond. Glenda has been on one trip before and she is a superstar. Coming along with Roy and Glenda this trip are Roy's son, Roy Jr. and his wife Jennifer and their daughter Rebecca. Roy has also invited some friends, Nate Huntsman, Sara Huntsman, and Jared Needham. Jared Needham has been there since Sunday of this week working already with Roy and Glenda. His trip will last longer than the normal week.

We also want to welcome Dru Powers as our representative of the Crown Council along with her husband Tyler Powers, her mom Pat Horsley,and her brother in law, Matt Crane. Matt and Tyler are both working towards going to Dental School and becoming Dentists and so this is a great learning experience for them.

We want to welcome back Maribeth Brown, Chris Schreier, and Lynn Behner. They came last year and had such a wonderful time together they came back this year and are coming again next. :) We love having them and hearing them make up their cheers for the hygiene department. This trip Lynn brought along her husband Dale Behner, who is a dentist. She wanted to share this experience with him as well.

We also have Dr. Tommy Nabors and his team coming on the trip. They are new to the Crown Council and have raised thousands of dollars in Smiles for Life to come on this trip. We are so excited they are here. Their team consists of Dr. Nabors, Shannon Seals, Andrea Quilling, Emily Bess, Dana Laux, and Tosha Schatz.

We also have Dr. Allan Thomas and his team coming. They have also raised money for Smiles for Life to be here. Dr. Thomas is bringing his daughter Hope along and his team which consists of Kelcie Ruiz, Marci Kay Bingham, Robyn Scriber, Tiffany Peterson, and Cynthia Dial. Some of Dr. Thomas's team has traveled to China before for a humanitarian trip so they are world travelers. We are so glad they are here.

We also have Dr. Jared Theurer and his father Dr. Craig Theurer coming along with Jared's son Benjamin and his assistant Liz Taft. Dr. Jared and Dr. Craig will be switching off helping to train our Dominican Dentists that will be on the trip with us. They will do such a great job.

Lastly, we have Dr. John Granados and his wife Elaine, and their son Nick coming. Elaine has taught Hygiene for years so will be a great asset to our hygiene department. They are bringing Mary Carsen and her daughter Paige Carsen from their office.

What a great group this will be. We are aware of Hurricane Thomas that is happening but so far have the word that we are safe to go. The Esperanza team we have taking care of us is watching all aspects of our trip and will make sure we are completely safe. Make sure to follow this blog for daily updates on what we are doing and to see photographs of our journey. Here we go............

2010-09-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

Day 7 & 8

Yesterday was our last day out at the clinic. It was a fabulous day and we ended it with a bang. During this week we have seen over 530 patients. It has been such a successful trip and so many lives were enhanced by the amazing group we had working so hard. The last day can be really hard because everyone is exhausted but our group really pushed hard all the way to the end. We had time to play with the kids as well throughout the whole week. There was plenty of relationships built and long lasting friendships that will last forever.

After we finished and cleaned up we headed to the resort that we are at until tomorrow morning. It is incredibly beautiful. It sits on top of a big hill with an elevator that takes you down to the beach. It is so relaxing which is exactly what everyone needs while they relax and decompress. After a trip like this everyone needed time to sleep and just reflect on what they experienced and what to take with them to remember.

I am proud of our group and love them all to pieces. It was a great group full of so much love. I uploaded a few pictures that I could and will upload plenty more tomorrow.

2010-09-08T18:04:00.001-07:00

Day 6

Today was our second to last day out in the clinics. We set up in a church about fifteen minutes away from our hotel. We will be here in the same spot tomorrow which will be nice since we won´t have to take everything down and reset everything up. It has been constantly raining since yesterday afternoon. It was nice that we were in one building all day today because it was so completely wet. The patients took a little longer getting to the site today because it was harder to travel. It was almost like a snow day where everything is cancelled. There was no school for the kids and some of our patients that came from across the river couldn´t get back home after getting their teeth done because the river was too high.

One patient we saw today really touched a few of our Doctors. It was a man with the disease elephantiasis (not sure how to spell it). It is a viral infection and had spread completely throughout his mouth and his teeth were completely rotten. Dr. Clint Blackwood and Dr. Coby extracted 17 teeth that were down to nothing. The man was so sweet and it was obvious he deals with a lot. Everyone became emotional after for a minute especially the Doctors. But the good thing is they showed him love and got him out of pain. You could see how grateful he was when he left. Just one of the stories that happen several times throughout our days here. Life changing

By the end of the day we ended up seeing around 85 patients. They were all so patient and grateful when we were done. Our team has grown so much stronger and we have accomplished so much. We had an awards night tonight after we got back to the hotel and were talking about how we have grown so much closer in less than a week. There were several awards handed out to all the Dominican Dentists and Hygienists that were all stars this week. Camaryn, Halle, and Luke Mohan received the awesome kid awards. They were so wonderful to have around this week. They spoke Spanish with the kids, played with them, helped any Doctor that needed it, and not once complained. We were so lucky to have them. Also, the students from Burlington High School received awards for being so awesome. Senorita Robbie really has been amazing with them and I can tell their Spanish has improved ten fold since coming on this trip.

Roy and Glenda truly have done an amazing job of accomodating everyone and making everything a success. We are so lucky to share this experience of love and hope with them.

I wasn´t able to upload pictures again tonight but once we get to our next hotel I will be able to so stay tuned. Tomorrow we have a full day of work and then we head to the resort to decompress. Until then....

Day 5

2010-09-08T09:14:00.001-07:00

Today was a wonderful wet day! We went to a village called Rancho and saw 111 patients. It rained on and off all day long which made it cool but then muggy after it was over. We loved it though. We had to set up the hygienists outside under a tent and then the Doctors were in a little church that was cleared out for them. Everything went very smooth.

We had one of our group Courtney learn hygiene and she saw patients all day long and did so awesome. We had one patient faint of dehydration but she was just fine once we gave her some time and got her fixed up.

The third work day always feels a little bit longer because it is the hump day of the week but we pushed through and worked hard. I am so impressed with how hard everyone is working. They are getting things done and are so efficient. I am proud to be a part of this team.

* On a side note, I am sorry but there are no pictures tonight. The computer is not letting me upload anything. I will post several more on Thursday when we get better internet.

Day 4

2010-09-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

We just got off the bus from our first day in Samana. It was a wonderful day and we accomplished so much. We went to a village called Rancho Espanol. The group before us in March came to this community and there were more people that were needed to be seen so we came back. After today we are still going to have to come back a third time during our November trip. We saw a total of 132 patients; 100 saw the Hygienists and the Doctors while the extra 32 only saw the hygienists. The teeth were the same as Saturday with a lot of fillings and not as many extractions which resulted in longer time in the Dental Chair. Everyone worked so hard and we had one big room with everyone in it so we were all together. It felt much more efficient and we were all much more on the same page. Set up and clean up went so quickly and everyone plays their parts whether it is washing down tables, or emptying garbages, or cleaning instruments. The translators that came from Burlington High have been so helpful and have jumped right into whats going on. It is so impressive to see that since they have had no dental experience. They are assistants to Doctors and Hygienists and help translate and calm the children. Today Amada who came with Dr. Gurevich lost her camera in the long drop (the name we call the toilet). Poor thing just laughed and said of course something like that would happen to her. We have all been laughing about it. What a good sport. We love Amada.

The only bummer about today was that we had to turn people away that had been sitting in the heat since 7:00 this morning. Some of them were crying and it was heart breaking. We just couldn´t see anymore. There is only so much you can do in one day. It gave us all peace that there will be another Smiles for Hope group in November to finish up.

Time to go eat dinner. As I am typing I can hear the front desk dealing with an issue of no water in any of the rooms for us. Wish us luck........ :)

* As a side note. There is only one computer here at the hotel and the pictures I am uploading take 20 minutes for every 5 pictures. I had about ten more I wanted to post but the computer is not uploading them anymore. I will try more tomorrow.

Day 3

2010-09-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

Today was such a pleasant day. We woke up with some free time to do whatever we wanted. A group of us went to LDS church services, another group went to Catholic services, and the rest went sightseeing. Then we headed up North to Samana. On the way to Samana we stopped at a wonderful restaurant in Boca Chica on the pier called Boca Marina. The scenery combined with the food made it unforgettable. Then we took a three hour bus ride up to Samana through the jungle and green hills. It is absolutely beautiful up North. The air feels fresher, the humidity is less extreme, and the new scenery is breathtaking. We unfortunately had a team member hurt her back severly yesterday and she ended up having to leave today to come back to the states. Her name is Susan Capozzi and we will all miss her dearly. Even in the short time we were able to spend with her she added so much to our group. We are all really excited to work tomorrow and can´t wait for the new adventures we will experience. Here are a few pictures of the day.

The LDS temple

I had to post this because everyone got such a kick out of it. This was the mens urinal at the nice restaurant Boca Marina. The guys said they didn´t know exactly how to go about this at first. No I did not take this picture. It was supplied by one of the gentleman who wanted to show his family.

This is Boca Marina. It was so beautiful and felt so fancy.

* A quick side note to the day. I am telling you this because I am the one who is posting on this blog for the trip. :) My boyfriend, (Juston Puchar) who I(Annie Sonntag) have been dating for over a year proposed to me at the restaurant today in front of our whole team. Roy and Johnathon helped him plan a big production and it was completely embarrassing but perfect! He was pulled over to the peer on a water weenie, (while I thought he was sick in the bus) and Roy gave him a bright pink outfit that he wore over to me and proposed. Dr Patricia had the wedding march playing in the background and they all pulled it off without me having a clue. It made for an extra special day for me and I am so glad I could spend it with my dear friends from Crown Council and Esperanza. This is our second trip and the Dominican Republic will always be extra special for us. (cheesy moment now over)

2010-09-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

Day 2

Our first day out in the clinic turned out to be a great success. We set up shop at a school located in Northern Santo Domingo. The school was two floors high and Doctors were placed upstairs and Hygienists downstairs. We saw a total of 75 adults and children. There was quite a lot of decay in the mouths of the Dominicans we worked on which resulted in the Doctors doing mostly fillings. On passed trips we have done a lot more extractions. Today we were able to save a lot of teeth which is always a good thing. The first day is always a little bit chaotic since everything is so new. Setting up and cleaning up takes a lot longer and getting used to the new systems can be a bit confusing. Our group is so hard working and everyone caught on really quick and did a fabulous job. There was some extreme heat and humidity that was dealt with but we kept hydrated and tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. The school had a big enclosed courtyard where all the people waited to be seen. We were able to play basketball, jumprope, duck duck goose, and paint all the little girls nails. Each and every patient we treated received a beanie baby. Dawn, who is one of our hygienist's brought them from home. Her mother collected them while she was alive and when she passed away Dawn thought it would be a good idea to bring them to the Dominican and give them to each patient for comfort. It turned out wonderful and really helped some of the younger kids who were scared when they were getting their teeth worked on. After our long day we headed back to the hotel and went out for a fabulous dinner consisting of some of the best rotisserie chicken around. Below there are several pictures posted of the day. There were more I wanted to post of the building we worked in but unfortunately the internet is being finnicky and won't let me. Hope you enjoy what you see and can get a feel for our day. Until tomorrow......

Laura doing sterilization

Dr. Wes and his assistant Pam (who by the way now has her luggage)

Lunch

Dr. Steffany and Dr. Mike

Child holding beanie baby

People patiently waiting in line to be seen

Dr. Angie ( A Dominican Dentist)

Rachel and Pete at their best! :)

Amada cleaning teeth

Brooke and Rafael cleaning teeth

Duck Duck Goose

Roy and Glenda

Dr. Colin with a patient

Finger nail painting

2010-09-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

DAY 1

WE MADE IT!

It's Friday night in the Dominican Republic. We have all just come back to the hotel from a wonderful meal of Beans, Rice, and Meat which is something we will probably be having most every day. We are all heading to bed to catch up on some much needed rest so we can start strong on our first day in the Dental Clinic. At dinner tonight we were able to meet everyone who will be with us the next 8 days sharing this wonderful experience. We were joined by Carlos, Dr. Patricia, and the rest of the Esperanza team. They welcomed us with loving arms as they always do and shared some good insight in what was to come this week. Tomorrow we have our first clinic at a school in Northern Santo Domingo. Everyone is excited and ready to go. Here are some pictures of today and everyone that is part of the team.

Hotel Europa is our hotel for the next two nights. When we arrived the hotel staff had yummy fruit punch drinks for everyone. A great welcome from them. Our whole team arrived in two different groups. The first one made it to the hotel at 2:00PM and the second group arrived at 5:00PM

Dr. Steffany Mohan, Mike Mohan, Luke, Camryn, and Halle.

Dr. Colin Yoshida

Pete and Courtney Shumway

Patrick and Sarah Cardon

Clint and Rachel Blackwood; David and Laura Kim

Roy and Glenda Hammond

Pam Peterson and Brooke Mott. The airport lost Pam's luggage so while exploring the city today we had to stock her up with clothes and supplies for the next day or so. We are keeping our fingers crossed that it gets to us tomorrow.

Dinner

Until tomorrow......

2010-09-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

OUR 12TH HUMANITARIAN TRIP TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

The time has come for our 12th trip to the Dominican Republic. The Crown Council Group leaves Friday, September 3rd, 2010 to begin a week of working with our friends from Esperanza and the people of the Dominican Republic. It will follow the same itinerary as our last trip in March on the North side of the island. After two days in Santo Domingo, we will travel north to the city of Samana where we will work for the remainder of the week.

We have 37 people in our group with a variety of Dentists, hygienists, assistants, and translators. Our trip is hosted by Dr. Roy Hammond and his wife Glenda Hammond. This is Glenda's first trip with Roy and I am sure it will be an amazing experience for her. We also welcome Glenda's children, Sarah and Pete Shumway, and Roy's guests, Patrick and Sarah Johnson.

We also want to welcome Annie Sonntag from the Crown Council with her boyfriend Juston Puchar; Pam Peterson from our TOPS group; Dr. Jose Gurevich and his assistant Amada Langoria; Dr. Steffany Mohan and her husband Mike, three children, Luke, Camaryn, and Halle as well as her assistant, Brooke Mott; Dr. Colin Yoshida and Dr. Wes Yemoto are also coming; Dr. Clint Blackwood and his wife Rachel, who was a long time Crown Council employee, and their assistant, David and his wife Laura Kim;

We would also like to welcome back for the third trip Dr. Charlie Schneider and his team. They consist of his two daughters, Lindsay and McKenzie Schneider, and team members Rebecca and Tim Meindl, Dawn Quinn, and Susan Capozzi

There is also a special group that will be joining us from Dr. Charlie's hometown. They are a group of Spanish Students taught by Robbie Twohig. They go to Burlington High School in Wisconsin and are coming to translate and help wherever needed. We are so excited to have this experience with them and have the opportunity to benefit from their language skills.

As you can see we have a great group and with their help we will be able to change the lives of many. Make sure to follow this blog for the daily update on what we are doing and photographs of our journey. Here we go.............

THANKS TO THOSE WHO MAKE IT POSSIBLE

2010-03-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Our great thanks to our friends from Henry Schein who provide all of the materials and supplies for each of our Humanitarian Trips and to our friends from Esperenza International who host us in the Dominican Republic.

They make what we do possible!

THANK YOU - MARCH 2010 DOMINICAN TRAVELERS

2010-03-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

Our sincere thanks to this wonderful group of Humanitarians!
Crown Council / Smiles for Life
Dominican Republic - Samana
March 5-14, 2010

THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010

2010-03-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

By the end of our day on Thursday we had served 694 patients and completed 1984 procedures in five communities.
It was a marvelous experience and we honored to have served the good people of Samana.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

2010-03-10T19:19:00.001-08:00

Today we were in the village of Villa Clara. We will also be there Thursday. We are still in the Samana are of the Dominican where there are about 100,000 people living.

Villa Clara is right on the Coast line and full of very loving and appreciative people. Today we saw 138 patients. We extracted 39 teeth, restored 43 teeth, did 6 root canals, built a bridge or two and a few other specialized treatments

We thought you all would enjoy today seeing the children of the Dominican from Villa Clara.

-Greg Anderson

-Pictures by Clay Ellis

Tuesday March 9, 2010

2010-03-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

There are about 50 of us working together in great harmony.

Thought you would all like to see what marvelous work can be done far from home with such a talented group

The before and after of Tuesday.

-Greg Anderson

Monday March 8th, 2010

2010-03-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

The Crown Council Humanitarian Team has moved! For the first 3 days of the trip they were working out of Santa Domingo, but on Sunday they traveled North to the coastal town of Samana. They will staying in this city for the rest of the trip.
As you can see the views of the beach at the hotel are not bad.
Getting ready to head out from Hotel LaTambora in Samana.

Saturday March 6th, 2010 The Community of Guaricanos

2010-03-08T10:06:00.001-08:00

The community of Guaricanos allowed us use of a school that is also used as a Catholic Church on Sunday. We had a huge cement yard where we were able to play with 5 of our Red Rubber Balls. Poverty surrounded us. We started the day with our traditional team cheer. The children were treated to a special "Smiles for Life" logo as they finished their treatment along with a handmade bracelet. There was even a rather intense basketball game at noon.

Dr. Joe Albert even got into the act today. (Note the cast on his right arm....just five days old from a tennis accident). We decided he was terrific with his left hand too!

Each day at Clinic, our Dominican friend Manuel(from Esperenza) dawns his giant TOOTH costume. A helper joins with a giant toothbrush to teach the children how to brush twice each day for two minutes. In this case. Manuel is mobbed by his adoring fans!

Two hard working doctors ... Dr. Dale Schisler and Dr. Steve Titensor

And what about this beautiful work --- one before and the second AFTER. Brynn Miner (Reno Nevada) joins our Dominican friend in the AFTER photo.

And as the day ends, Abby Gertsner collects the name tags right before we load the bus!

Friday March 5th, 2010

2010-03-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic at 2:00pm....about 30 minutes early. We were hurried along by a 160 mile an hour tail wind. We were greeted...as you can see...by our friends from Esparanza International

We've loaded up the bus and we're headed to the Hotel Europa in the Colonial District of Santo Domingo. It's about a 30 minute drive from the airport along the interior coast. So far...we're all safe and well.

Of course, what bus ride in the Dominican would be complete without wise words from our fearless leader, Dr. Roy Hammond

LARGEST CROWN COUNCIL GROUP EVER LEAVES FOR DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

2010-02-23T08:18:00.000-08:00

The Crown Council leaves March 4th, 2010 for the Dominican Republic with our largest group ever. 38 of us will arrive in Santo Domingo on Friday, March 5th, 2010 to begin 9 days working with our friends from Esperanza International. This is our 11th trip to the Dominican Republic. It will be our first to the NORTH EAST part of the island. After two days in Santo Domingo, we will travel across the Island to Samana where we will work for the rest of the week.

Our trip is hosted by Dr. Roy Hammond who brings with him his daughter Angel Webb and grandchildren Ellie Webb, Sophie Gerstner, Abby Gertsner, Zachary Hammond and Austin Hammond. We also welcome Roy's guests Scott Johnson and Brynn Miner.

We welcome back Dr. Joe Albert and his wife Maurene; Dr. Steve Titensor with his son Brett who is just beginning dental school and his assistant Melissa; Dr. Dale Schisler with team members Colleen Rymer; Teresa Williams; Jennifer Donald and Bonnie Kostsopoulos; Julie McGurrin and Sue Burgess from the office of Dr. Gary Sasaki; Dr. Chris Hammond and Dr. Chad Ellis with their team members Amy Gerstner, Allie Hammond, Tiffany Tuttle, Ashley Elggren, Kellie Sizemore, Paula Swenson, Tonya Campbell, Kelly Jo Baird, Hollie Van Orden, Clayton Ellis, Lynette Ellis and Jennifer Miller. Greg Anderson, Erin Zito and Annalisa Rausch are along to help representing Smiles for Life.

Follow this Blog beginning March 5th for photographs and a detailed blog of our experience!!

2009-11-19T13:35:00.001-08:00

Thanks for a great week...

2009-11-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

Thursday November 12, 2009

2009-11-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

Thursday brought our last day of work out in the villages of the Dominican.

Here is where Dr. Roy would start each day. In the front of the bus giving directions and trying to prepare us for the work.

We worked in a large church that had enough room for everyone to work in the same room. The temperatures soared on Thursday, but everyone gave their best effort.

Dr. Joe Miranda gave the "thought for the day" before we started working. As many of you know Dr. Joe has been diagnosed with blood cancer, but after spending time with him one would never think that it ever bothers him physically or mentally. He encouraged us to "Seize The Day". Joe is a shinning example of someone who seizes each day - he could have made excuses all week about his illness, but he worked hard each day and set an example for everyone to follow. Joe also brought his two daughters on the trip with him - Audrey and Sabrina. They worked by his side each day, and no matter how sweaty he got they never left his side.

After Dr. Miranda's "thought of the day" we had a small tribute to Francis Hammond. The Hammond family lost Francis earlier this year to illness, but they have decided to keep moving forward with the humanitarian trips in her honor. Roy and Francis Hammond received the "Mentors Mentor Award" at the 14th Annual Event, and their legacy of humanitarian work has always been the cornerstone of their relationship. Roy moves forward carrying on her legacy as if she was working side-by-side with him.

The outside of the church we worked in. One of the nicer locations we worked in all week.

Each day Esperanza would provide lunch for us. Often it was rice, beans, chicken, chips, sandwiches, cookies and drinks. We ate very well on the trip. Here is a picture of our lunch location on Thursday.

Wednesday November 11, 2009

2009-11-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

Each day we go to a place that has been pre-chosen by Esperanza. The places and people are chosen because of the work they are doing with Esperanza. These people are working to better their lives and the lives of those in their community. Esperanza not only is hoping to help the poor make money through micro-loans, but also teach them how to be community leaders. The skills they learn while running their businesses will hopefully transfer to their personal lives. For example: On Monday we worked in a very poor Batay, and while the group was setting up the work stations inside the villagers started a minor riot outside. The riot was started when the villagers started to fight about who from the community would be getting dental work done. One of the women in the village who had received money from Esperanza, and been running a business of her own for the past six months, stepped up and started to organize everyone. She took control of the riot and her newly found leadership skills started to show. That is the kind of leadership that Esperanza hopes to teach. So, when our dental team arrives at the site to work the people who have worked to better their own lives are the first people that we tend to.

When we first arrive - the dental team spends about an hour setting up all the gear. While we are setting up the work stations Patricia Gonzalas (Esperanza) begins to hand out tickets to all of the villagers. These tickets provide a way for us to organize who has been seen and what needs they have.

Once the stations have been set up and everyone in the village has been given a number our dental team "huddles" inside our work area. We have been privileged to hear each day from Dominican business owners who have taken loans form the Bank of Hope and Esperanza. These three women, who we heard from today, own a clothing business in the Batay.

After the morning huddle the dental work beings. Outside the building Manuel King (Esperanza) teaches everyone in the waiting area the ins-and-outs of tooth care. He has songs, games, and models to help teach parents and kids how to take care of their teeth.

When a villager’s number is called they are sent to our hygiene area where they receive a cleaning and an evaluation. The hygienists consist of both American workers and Dominican dental students.

The hygienists mark on each patients ticket what kind of work they believe the dentists should do (extractions, fillings, restoration). Our American dentists are working side by side with Dominican Republic dentists. There is one Dominican Dentists our group couldn't live without - Dr. Coby. She has bailed out all of our doctors on numerous occasions when they can't extract a tooth.

If a patients needs pain medication or antibiotics Dr. Patricia Diaz (Esperanza) will take care of their needs.

On the rare occasion a patient needs cosmetic care they are turned over to our very own Dr. Roy Michaelangelo Hammond. Cosmetic care for a person here can help them find work that they could not otherwise get.

Tuesday November 12, 2009

2009-11-10T14:23:00.001-08:00

The Batay that we visited today was much closer to San Perdo - we didn't even have to leave paved roads to get there. About 10 years ago the Dominican Republic government was using the Batay we worked in today to produce sugar cane, but the price of sugar drastically decreased and the government shut down the sugar company that provided jobs for many of the people in this village. So, one would think that these people would be very poor, but it turned out that they had found other ways to make money rather then sugar cane. We worked on a guy who owned a motorcycle shop, and a women who slaughtered pigs for the village. We met a secretary who did odd jobs, and also many teachers who taught at the school we had set our work stations up in. Throughout the day we worked on about 80 patents .

Robyn Stump - she has been Dr. Bill Myers right hand women through all of the extractions.

Abby Gertsner (Roy Hammond's granddaughter) love mingling with all of the kids. She paints fingernails, plays games, and hands out toothbrushes. Did I mention that she is 5 years old!

Even the Dominican's are jumping on the Yankee bandwagon.

Monday November 9th, 2009

2009-11-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

The rainy morning brought tons of mud, but it also created a nice cool working environment for our team in the morning. We traveled an hour in our 50 person bus to Batay (town) #412 where we found a whole town ready and waiting for our team to care for their long overdue dental needs. At the outset of the day we all noticed one big difference in these people's teeth versus the people we saw on Saturday: way more rotten teeth. The villages of the Dominican Republic make most of their money through working the sugar cane fields, and that same sugar destroys everyone's teeth.

The Bank of Hope has been giving out micro loans to a group of women in Batay #412 for the past six months. These women use small loans from the Bank of Hope to start businesses in the village. Some women sell clothes and some sell food to the sugar cane workers. We got to hear from one of the women who owns a clothing business before we started our work. She buys used clothes with the loans she gets from the Bank of Hope and then sells them to the people in her Batay. The business creates income for her and her six children.

Sunday November 8, 2009

2009-11-08T17:25:00.000-08:00

It has been a great day moving hotels and getting ready for a week of work. It has been a huge blessing to help so many already, and we are all looking forward to helping more people in some of the more poorer areas of the Dominican Republic.

We moved from our hotel in Santa Domingo to a hotel in San Pedro, and on the way to the hotel we all got to experince Dominican baseball first hand. We got to watch a professional game the Toros vs. the Eagles on the fourth row right behind home plate. The fans where crazy. The band was crazy. The baseball environment was crazy.

Saturday November 7, 2009

2009-11-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

Santo Domingo brought the heat and plenty of dental patients today. The day started with eggs and ham on the roof of the hotel and ended with 139 satisfied patients. After traveling through the city of Santo Domingo for an hour this morning we arrived at a special school that is funded by baseball great Pedro Martinez where hundreds of Dominican's were lined up ready to see our dentists. The sun was hot. The humidity was high, and everyone brought their "A" game. Our stations were set up outside under a giant pavilion right next to the school which made it easy for us to move the kids from the waiting area to the hygienists to the doctors. Our doctor's started the day off by helping the people with the most pain and then after lunch moved into more restorative work.

Morning Huddle at the community of San Miguel de Manoguayabo.

Working hard before lunch.

Everyone in the red chairs are waiting their turn to see the hygienists

Local boys causing trouble

Friday November 6, 2009

2009-11-06T16:33:00.000-08:00

We arrived...after a long night the group final all arrived in the DR at around 3:30PM. The hot humid air hit us all like a ton of bricks. Right as we walked off the plane the mugginess of this place had everyone wishing they had worn shorts and not sweatpants. We gathered our luggage and headed out to the bus, and had a nice 30 minute drive to Hotel Europa in downtown Santo Domingo. Our friends from Esperanza have been holding our hands all day today. They picked us up at the airport, guided us to the hotel, and just feed us dinner.

Everyone is excited to get to work Saturday morning. There are only 4 people in the whole group who have been here before - so everyone is so excited to find out what this experience is like.

"Take this experience in, and let it change your heart and mind. Go home a better person." Roy Hammond.

November 6-14, 2009 Humanitarian Trip

2009-11-04T10:25:00.000-08:00

Our bags are packed and we are ready to go...

The Expedition Crew for November 6-14, 2009
Roy Hammond
Amy Gertsner
Cannon Gertsner
Sophie Gertsner (9 years old)
Abby Gertsner (5 years old)
Annie Sonntag
Juston Puchar
Stuart Anderson
Kristin Anderson
Dr. Greg Mann
Kaeli Mann (14 years old)
Dr. Brian Harris
Maury Harris
Dr. Joe Miranda
Audrey Miranda (15 years old )
Sabrina Miranda (13 years old)
Dr. Ralph Pamenter
Maribeth Brown
Christine Schreier
Lynn Behner
Dr. Bill Myers
Robyn Stump
Angela Keiper
Denise Hurst
Jenn Christenson

Our expedition is conducted in partnership with Esperanza International Foundation. Esperanza was established by a member of the Professional Baseball Players Association, and is highly respected by the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Health and other top government officials in the DR. They provide a wealth of services in small communities throughout the country. They have a great desire to provide dental services to their communities as they continue to move forward in improving their own resources and conditions and take responsibility upon themselves to care for their families in a positive way.

Our focus of dental care will be primarily with school age children and their families in the communities served by Esperanza International. We will also be able to witness first hand the amazing progress that Esperanza is making in the areas of Economic and Holistic Development, mainly through the establishment of micro business enterprises, and most especially through the use of the Grameen Banking System (winner of the Nobel Peace Prize this year) which offers loans to the poorest of the poor. It is a great opportunity to see this activity first hand.

We will perform all aspects of restorative dentistry, as well as the removal of teeth in hopeless condition. Our goal will be to restore and rehabilitate the damages of long term absence of care, as well as improve future preventive care. This care will be provided with our portable equipment in small school facilities and other small public buildings.

Our lodging will be in hotels, from which we will travel out to predetermined locations each day. We will have our meals and travel as a group, thereby providing safety, cleanliness and comfort. Our host, Esperanza International, will take care of our every need.