Dear Friends at South Bay Hearing & Mission Audiology,
It is hard to believe that we started South Bay Hearing in 2007, almost 16 years ago. And Mission Audiology was added a few years later. I started with one office and one secretary to answer the phones. My vision was to create a professional hearing care experience that was different from anywhere else in our community, providing technological expertise coupled with a warm and caring environment.
I loved meeting and working with many of you over the years. It has been wonderful to see the changes in hearing instruments as technology improves. We celebrate every time someone tells us that they thought they would never be able to hear so well again and what a difference good hearing has made in their lives. We love to be “Where Miracles Happen Every Day!”
As much as I loved working with you, change is good as it helps us to grow. A couple of years ago, when Dr. Ian Gerszewski joined our practice, I knew I had found the right person to train to partner with me to continue our legacy. Around 2020, I reduced my one-on-one time with patients and dedicated myself more to enhancing the impact of our business in the community.
The next big change occurred last year. I decided to scale down my time running the business on a daily basis. Dr. Ian has proven himself with 9 years of exemplary service. Our carefully-selected Doctors of Audiology are compassionate and experts in their field. Our welcoming staff are dedicated to improving the quality of life of our patients.
My husband, Jim, and I decided to devote ourselves to full-time service as missionaries for our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) for a few years. We have been assigned to work in Central Europe including the countries that were behind the former Iron Curtain that were not part of the Soviet Union. The countries include Poland in the north, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, and the former Yugoslav countries down to Greece and Albania. We actually live in Sopron, Hungary, on the western side of the country, about an hour south of Vienna, Austria. It is a lot of ground to explore!
Our primary assignment is to gather historical interviews and documents regarding the growth of the church in this area after the fall of Communism in 1990. We are also documenting the refugee efforts made by church members in Poland, Hungary, and Romania as a response to the Ukrainian/Russian crisis. We help with humanitarian projects where needed. And we provide support to the young missionaries who are far away from home.
We will be doing this until the summer of 2024! That is time for plenty of goulash, schnitzels, and other European specialties. We love meeting people from all of the different countries. I have even spotted a few hearing aid stores along the way (but I haven’t looked in any ears, so far).
It is reassuring to know that South Bay Hearing & Mission Audiology have been left in capable hands. Dr. Ian and I converse frequently to make sure that everything is running smoothly.
Jim and I hope that 2023 is a year of health and happiness for you all. Thank you for being such an important part of our lives. It has been a pleasure to work with you.
Dr. Sunni McBride
