Posted on: January 30th, 2012 by Clarke 3 Comments

Today is a traveling day.  The team wakes up and meets in the hotel dining room for an excellent breakfast.  Staff who have already become friends approach, laugh and joke with us in familiarity.  Each staff member has already had at least one adjustment since we checked in last night, and the gratefulness is felt and frequently mentioned.  Nine-thirty is the scheduled departure time; however, due to the problems with the van reservation, we leave at 12:30.  Africa time.

Sardines come to mind when trying to describe the drive.  The van is completely packed, but we all crane our necks to watch the African scenery passing by.  The intersections of Accra are packed with all manner of vendors selling their wares.  Water, phone cards, flour, fruit, herbs, and even construction materials are all waved at the window and balanced precariously on people’s heads as we drive by.  As we leave the city, the houses don’t seem to stop, with sparse, unfinished buildings lining the entire highway all the way to our next destination.

Since today is filled with seven hours of cramped, slow-going driving, I think it would be good time to use this uneventful trip to introduce you to the entire team.

	Dr. Robert- Dr. Robert was first introduced to chiropractic at the age of 17. At that time, he was deciding which career to pursue after high school; the choices were between teaching, sound technician or dentistry. However, a close friend invited him to a “Career Talk” about chiropractic. Immediately, Robert knew this was the key he was looking for to align with his deep values of service and giving, while maintaining his strong beliefs regarding the power of the body to heal itself. Following a successful chiropractic career, Robert was looking for something outside the four walls of his practice to align with his passion for chiropractic. When first approached by Dr. Paul Bickert regarding help building a school in Ghana (which later evolved into the first main project of Chiropractic for the World), Dr. Robert knew immediately he had found the next step in his purpose.
Dr. Rolly- Another esteemed veteran of chiropractic, Dr. Roland was enrolled on a wrestling scholarship at the University of Minnesota when he first was adjusted. Suffering from terrible headaches, Dr. Roland’s medication frequently gave him bloody noses and simply wasn’t working. After a few adjustments, the headaches left and Rolly was, to say the least, intrigued. On a whim, Rolly applied for Chiropractic College and promptly forgot about it completely until he received his acceptance letter. Now, 37 years later, this trip is Dr. Rolly’s third to Africa and second to Ghana, where his bursting humor and happiness is loved by all.
	Dr. Scott- Hailing from sunny Vancouver, Dr. Scott has been practicing and loving chiropractic since 2004. The victim of a snowboarding accident, Dr. Scott’s deep values about the body and its ability to heal were affirmed when he received chiropractic care. He was hooked and promptly transferred from his engineering degree to chiropractic. While he is a seasoned North American traveler, this is his first trip to Africa and he is looking forward to both serving and learning from the people here.
Dr. Rémi- Dr. Rémi is the son of Dr. Robert and Suzanne. Growing up in a family filled with chiropractic, his choice to join the “family business” was an easy one. An early memory of chiropractic for Rémi was witnessing a woman who couldn’t speak being adjusted by his father and watching her regain her missing ability instantly. Upon graduating, Dr. Rémi moved to Nelson, BC where he has been since 2009, having opened his own practice. Another first-time visitor to Africa, Rémi is looking forward to the mandatory culture immersion international travel brings.
	Suzanne- Thank goodness for Suzanne, Dr. Robert’s wife and Dr. Rémi’s mother! She is an obvious steadying influence on the entire group with her organization, thoughtfulness, and sweet demeanor. Her brother, Gilbert, was the first to embrace the science of chiropractic and when he shared it with Suzanne, she immediately saw the big picture and herself enrolled in Chiropractic College to become an assistant. Robert was a patient at the clinic Suzanne worked at, and the rest – as they say – is history. Suzanne attends as a knowledgeable helper and support.
Denise- Another fabulous member of the support team, the ever positive and humourous Denise has lived among a family of chiropractors her whole adult life. A doula/midwife by trade, Denise has a great love for people and children, and it shows. A well-travelled lady, her favourite thing about new cultures is how even though you don’t know the language, barriers rarely exist. People of different nations are exceptionally welcoming with both their words and deeds. Denise is in control of the flow and organization of the crowds of people looking for the life-changing and life-giving power of chiropractic!
	Melissa- Melissa is such an asset to this team! Since her first trip across the ocean in 2006, she has been to seven fabulous countries on this continent – but we should give her a bonus for the Africa tattoo with a heart in the middle that she has on her right shoulder. It would be difficult to find such a passion for the people and culture of Africa as she has. She not only thinks and feels it, she lives it. When asked, she easily and immediately submits that her favourite thing about Africa is the great sense of community found in the hearts of its people. And, as a greater part of the human family, it is her experience that they welcome any person to their community with open arms. Melissa’s willingness to help and tireless humanitarian spirit has made her more than an asset on this trip.
Andras- Andras Schram is an award-winning photographer, and one look at his photos show you why. Born in Budapest, Hungary, Andras spent his childhood in Europe but moved to Canada in 1999 to accompany his future wife in her new career. At the same time, he picked up the camera, and it was like his new career found him. Andras is as tough as nails, but has a big heart evidenced by eight years of philanthropic photographic work including UNICEF and Habitat for Humanity. All photos from this blog are generously provided by Andras Schram. Please check back after the trip as well. Many more photos and videos that simply couldn’t be uploaded will be added once we get back to the land of high speed Internet.
	Clarke- It is I, your humble scribe. I first met Robert and Suzanne when I served them at a restaurant. During the course of the short meal, I overheard them speaking of Ghana.Since my  mother was raised as a missionary’s kid in Ethiopia, Africa was somewhat of a permanent subject in my upbringing. I’ve also had a very positive experience with chiropractic throughout my life, and we quickly became fast friends. My role on this trip is to provide backup assistance to Andras, but also to share my observations in written form to keep our marvelous donors and sponsors up to date. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you, seeing and hearing first-hand how much this trip means to so many.