Eye glass project

We helped develop and coordinate a Humanitarian eyeglass project for here in Majuro.

Four optometrist would come and do eye exams and provide frames.  We would screen prior to their visit and do all the coordination here.  This included getting a place for the doctors to stay (donated), arrange for seven different locations to do the eye exams, getting translators and others to help, contracting with a company to cut the prescriptions, also determine how to insure the right glasses get to the right individual.

It was a lot of work the past few months putting this all together, but we believe was a successful.  We don't think we will know the impact this will have on those that were able to obtain needed glasses.

We just want to share a few pictures that were taken the week the doctors were here doing the eye exams.

Sister Johnson and I keeping track of the glasses that the individuals had pick out

We took a picture of every one that got glasses holding their order number.  So if some forgot their order number we had a way to try to find their glasses

Nice young man holding his order number

The four doctors did 875 exams

831 individuals were able to select their frames 

Happy faces wearing their new frames

It took a lot of assistance to be able to help as many individuals as we did that week.  Group picture on day four.

Some Missionaries Pictures

All the young missionaries on Majuro in February and a few not so young

The Wayas left last month after being here 23 months

Sister Huni  leaving us, she was special friend to us

Missionaries from Vanuatu, Tonga, and Fiji last good byes as they head home

 During the month of February 

We did vision screening at 7 different schools, 5 churches of other faiths, and all our wards and branches on the island.  We screened more than a 1000 students and around 800 adults. The screening was done in preparation for the eye doctors coming to do eye exams this month (March 2014)  We had help from our young missionaries.  So we just wanted to share some pictures we took at few of the screenings.  

At the SDA  School

 At the Laurel Ward ( Presently meeting in a school)

 This Screening was at the Rita Salvation Army

We love watching the children here in Majuro

As we travel around the island we always see something to laugh about and most times we done have the camera to get a picture.   But there is lots of children around. I would say 1/3 of the population here is under 20 years of age.  They have a high birth rate and shot life span.  Lots of people die do health reason in their 30's and 40'.

How many children can your get in a van.  I've counted over 30.    

There is not child seat law in Marshall Islands you see the children of all ages doing different things as they ride in the cars, school buses, back of trucks.  As we followed this car were not sure if this kid was going to land on his head.

They love to climb 

They also like to be upside down and even walk on their hands.

Elder Johnson's First 5K Race/walk

Eli, the manger of the largest grocery store ask me to be his partner in this years 5k race for Non-communicable diseases.  But we were to wear Moo-Moo's.   So here we are all dress ready waiting for the race to begin.

Here the group of runner,some joggers and joggers/walkers like me.

Here we are about the 3/4 mark and totally soaked because it rain so hard after we started the race, but I am glad I had my hat it keep the rain out of face.

They had water for the runners, but this young man did not run and was dry but not for long.

There not a lot of places for the water to go, and so we walk in the puddles.

Coming to the finish line in 55 minutes from the start

 of the race.

Celestia is not racing because she wanted pictures and I was wearing her Moo-Moo.

The couple that walked with us old men, is from New Zealand and across the road from us.

This island has lots of  people from different areas of the world living her so it neat to visit with them.

Our trip to the Kwajalein Atoll to look into a couple of  Humanitarian Projects on the island of Ebeye Ebeye it is about 450 miles northwest of Majuro where we are staying now

 

 

 Sister Johnson took a picture of island and the runway just over the wing

 

 

Most the Kwajalein Atoll is a Military base and the airport is located on the base, to get Ebeye where we needed to go, we walked on the base to lagoon side and the pier where we could catch a ferry boat to the island of Ebeye

 

 

Look how the housing is layed out in neat rows on the base



 

 The island of Ebeye is 78 acres with over 10,000 residents  and is considered to be one of the most densely-populated places in the world.  It is such contrast to Miltary housing on island 5 miles away

 

With the base on 5 miles away they can get 5 tv channels, they don't have much to live in but look at all the tv antennas.  We were told that on this island people sleep in shifts becasue there not enough floor space in the houses for them to lay down at the same time. 

 

Looking up the street as we entered it from our hotel on the lagoon side of the island

 

The street on the ocean side of the island and the cars have to travel the same direction on the one road around the island.

 

Most of the people have to go to this one location on the island to get fresh water and it hauled to their houses most by bikes.

 

Look at the handle bars on this bike.

 

 



 Road Trip to the West Side of the Island

The island get very narrow in spots like this and only room for the road

Neat little store

 What we though the houses would like before we got here

 What most house are built out and look like here on the island

One of the nice's home on the island and Sister Missionaries live in it.

There is some parts of the island give the feeling of being in the tropics.

As we move about on the island, it has it beauty and it dumps, but the people here have made us feel at home and we have come to love them.