Don't know how many are of faith here, but we could probably all agree that those with almost no resources and living in one of the more diseased places on the planet could use some medical help. Anyway.....big step for me.

I'm preparing to go on a medical mission with my church group. We'll be setting up clinics in rural villages, doing diagnosis and giving prescription drugs in Tezpur, India. Tezpur is actually a town of 100,000 people, small by Indian standards. We'll be based out of there and travel several miles to smaller villages each day. This mission has kind of snuck up on me and so I'm scrambling with vaccinations for myself, raising funds, and getting my visa.

I've started a blog about the trip and my preparation for it. You can read it here: http://bobjosjor.blogspot.com/

This is not a solicitation for funds.......though I'll never refuse any. But if you're a praying person, those would be welcomed.

Best of luck with your mission next year! Let's hope it will be the 'good' kind of adventure

A big step indeed. India is so far behind it's in front. I have cousins there doing missionary work, mostly trying to improve living conditions. They say it's pretty pathetic. Three daughters became very ill and the cause was a mystery to the doctors there. They were rushed to Boston and were found ill from parasites, treated for two months, and back to India they went. I'd have called it quits then and there. Good luck with your journey and stay in touch. I'm sure you'll have stories you'll remember the rest of your life.

Very cool brother. Do you have a medical background? Back when I was about to graduate from High School I was a young EMT and I was going to go to Kenya with a medical relief team lead by a local plastic surgeon, but then the trip was cancelled because of unrest in the region. After that I went to college and so on and so forth and never made it. My wife works at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and they run a program in Botswana and several of her friends have gone. All had wonderful experiences.

I don't have a medical background. We're traveling with a doctor and an optometrist. We'll be able to do diagnosis and give out prescriptions and reading glasses. My role is help in setting up the portable clinic, patient registry, crowd control, and evangelism.

It should be quite a trip. I have Crohn's disease and am on a medication that leaves me with very little immune system................and I'm going to India, a disease infested place, to work with sick people that carry diseases.

Hmmmmm. I guess they call it "faith" for a reason, right?

Wishing you the best on your mission--I know it'll be rewarding, and hopefully (at appropriate times) fun too.

I have a friend who has Crohn's and Indian in-laws, and she advises to be very aware (if you have trouble with peppery foods) that the local "not spicy" is not like the American "not spicy."

I'm off! Well, almost.

I take off tomorrow at 1:00pm to head to the Denver airport. From there it is about 20 hours on planes to get to our final destination. Those years of travel by motorcycle have paid off as I have everything I need for a ten day international trip contained within one standard carry-on and a shoulder pack.

Wish me well and if you're the praying kind, please do so.

Good luck on your adventure Josjor.

Have a good trip and my prayers will be for you.

Good luck, Bob. You will have memories that remain with you the rest of your life.

Best of luck in India! We hope to hear from you from time to time

"T"