Team Arrives in Nicaragua Tonight.

Team van packed for the airport

10,000 glasses packed in 30 boxes

The Team has left Canada!!!   Currently the examination equipment, the 30 boxes of glasses, and the Third World Eyecare Society Team are 36,000 feet in the air above Salt Lake City.   The initial arrival team will be spending the day making final preparations and will meet the team at the airport later tonight.  Our transportation has been arranged, and we will be traveling in a 64 passenger school bus borrowed from an Orphanage we will visit, a Bomberos (Firefighters) rescue truck and the just purchased minivanFortunately no one will have to ride in the back of the pick up through the torrential rains like my last trip.  

To the Team members:  If you are reading this in the Houston airport, make sure everyone proceeds to the check in counter with their passports prior to the pre-boarding announcements.  Your passports need to be verified prior to boarding.  This is the only airport in the world I have seen this???  And most importantly, get some sleep on the plane because I am looking for as many people as possible to join me in an early morning surf tomorrow.  The tides should be perfect.   

This may be a good time to introduce you to an exceptional humanitarian, our host and our good friend Senor Gerry Caceres.  Gerry is the man on the ground in Nicaragua who has been responsible for the logistics of this project.  He has spent hundreds of hours so far ensuring the success of this trip.  You will be hearing his name very frequently in this blog so let me give you a brief background on him…

Gerry was born and raised in the city of Chinandega (the main area of focus on this trip).  He went to university in USA, obtained a business degree and worked his way up to the position of General Manager for the largest group of automotive dealers in the United States.  The 16 hour days, 6 or 7 days a week were not what Gerry had envisioned for his life.  So the best decision he ever made was to pack up and return to his native country and devote his life to helping his fellow Nicaraguans.  Since his return to Nicaragua, Gerry has built several community centres, started a drug rehab program for youth, imported millions of dollars in relief supplies, imported 8 donated fire trucks, been named honorary Fire Chief, held an advisory position to the president of the country, managed sales for one of the largest car importers in Nicaragua, opened a restaurant and 2 hotels.  The latest hotel is Monty's Beach Lodge in Jiquilillo, where the team will be staying.  Monty's is a joint partnership with Gerry and Don (Monty) Montgomery from B.C. Canada.   This is a story that will be told at a later date…