Subject: Dental Update
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 10:20:59 -0500
From: SLJJWJ@aol.com
To: vic@kubik.org

Hi Vic and Bev!

Well, mission accomplished! We made it home last night (Monday) around 10:30, after our 2400 mile trek. The weather man was (fortunately) wrong about highway conditions on I-90. We had 90% dry roads and maybe 10% wet- no snow or ice. the forecast was that the toll roads would be treacherous. We stayed Sunday evening in Elkhart, IN and when we checked in the girl at the desk said we were to have 12-24 inches by morning. When we went to bed there was about an inch and when we woke up there wasn't anymore than that!

Answered prayer? I think so.

Jim was having fun driving the truck- felt like a real trucker! But by the time we got home -was glad he was a dentist!

Was glad to meet your sister Lydia and husband John- they and Mary Sandmann were there to help unload along with my sister, Linda Schreiber and her husband Todd. Our youngest son (age 14) Josh also went along with us. We thought it would be better for him to drive us crazy than to drive the older kids at home crazy. Plus he got to see his cousins (14 and 16) who he hadn't seen for over a year.

Unloading the truck went smoothly- I took some pictures - I'll send copies to you.

Lydia and Mary showed us the huge mountain of clothing to be sorted. Some UCG members were coming up to sort it. Quite a job!

Hope all this helps out. I know you like to try to put some sort of value on the things that are shipped- we estimate that we brought up about $85,000 worth of supplies. It is hard to put a figure on it since some is used and some is new- but that was what we came up with. The panarex to go later sells for $15,000- 20,000 new. Of course this one is used but basically in new condition- they just want a new one that is wheel-chair accessible. So altogether it will be about $100,000 worth of stuff- more if you tried to purchase it all new.

We sent X-ray film along with some things to develop the film (developer and fixer and x-ray holder). Lydia told Jim and I to go ahead and purchase what else we needed- we used the money donated for that purpose plus some- but everything to get up and running should be there. The owner of a dental supply co. here met us at his warehouse and sold us everything at his cost (below Henry Schein prices). He also gave us a bunch of stuff- gauze squares, lidocaine, 12 Doz. toothbrushes, around 200 hand instruments. People in this area have been very generous in this effort. When I went to pick up the amalgamator (from the same supplier- gave it to us for $250- sells for $500) that we purchased the lady there said her husband was from Ukraine and she was so happy we were doing this!

The compressors came from one dentist who sents up clinics for charity in S.A. He asked me what we still needed and I told him we didn't have a compressor. He found us two through his connections of donated (to his cause) items. His trip was cancelled this year so he gave us all that he had collected- including the 1800 pairs of eyeglasses.

Then we still needed handpieces and hated to spend that much money to by new ones- each around $600. Then the drill unit that Marty Schultz brought down from Boston had a box with 9 high speed and 3 low speed handpieces.

So do you think God had a hand in all this? No one would convince me otherwise! It all came together too well for any other explanation.

Now we need to find a way to continue to send the exhaustable supplies- filling materials, lidocaine, needles etc. Perhaps some local UCG congregations would be willing to have a fund raiser for this purpose? Jim and I would be willing to coordinate this ongoing need if you would like or perhaps keep it centralized out there with all their other needs. Will we continue to have a way to economically send it over?

I also want to further explore there possibility of selling crafts from there over here. Perhaps local craft shows (rather than a store) would be best with the people manning the stand donating their time so that all sales would be 100% profit. Anyone with connections for inexpensive shipping let me know. This would be needed to get supplies over and the finished crafts back over here.

Take care,

Sue