El Salvador Day 6 - 2014

Do you know the peace that comes when you sit down in a holy place?  You breathe out, you relax and find a calm that surpasses all understanding.  It feels like home.  Today we moved our clinic to a very holy place that the mission has never used before.  As with any change there is always stress, and as we drove to the new location we wondered what it would be like.  After only a few minutes it was obvious that we were in a very wonderful and holy place.  Our mission is in the campus of a very impressive Carmelite clinic and technology center.  The facilities are so nice we feel a bit guilty, but with the heat, that sentiment does not last too long and we feel very much at home.

We set up to provide eyewear.  We work in teams with our translators providing assistance.  My Spanish  can get the basic job done, but I need to keep working on it.  I get some much appreciated help every day. Today we are very fortunate to have an angel who I met last year helping us.  Our angel is tenacious when it comes to getting things done, solving problems, and generally not accepting no for an answer.  When a challenge arises, she takes it on full force.  I know she will be an amazing lawyer one day.  The problem with teaching others (especially in spiritual matters) is that they will be quick to remind you when you don't follow your own advice.  A 16 year old girl needed distance glasses and we were not likely to be able to help her.  We tried all we had to no avail.  Our angel reminded us (as I taught her) that we should pray about the situation and do all we can.  About an hour into the clinics, someone from the pharmacy had brought in a bag with several pairs of glasses.  I had placed the bag of glasses in a drawer of the work desk without looking in the bag.  As we took a moment to pray, I recalled the bag.  We tried the  glasses and they gave her 20/20. She was all smiles.  

We had two other very similar experiences today. All we could do was praise God. Our angel also found out through her perseverance that we can refer tough cases to the Carmelite Clinic and the charge is $3, something they might be able to afford.

The nature of glasses on a mission is skewed towards the elderly  for obvious reasons.  The elderly just melt my heart.  As an elderly woman sat down to be evaluated for glasses I immediately sensed her holiness.  There just was a presence about her.  I began thinking about my dear Grandmother who I adored and was very close.  We begin a conversation with her and find out that she is very involved with Carmelite clinic community. We help her to be able to read her Bible quite easily.   

We provide sunglasses to a man who works in the fields.  He says he is going to wear them out on his way out so he can look "bad ass."  We laugh and I cannot resist taking my picture with him.  

Lunch is a traditional Salvadorian turkey sandwich with a sauce.  Just for fun I take a picture.  This is probably one of my favorite treats here.

When children come for eyeglasses with kids in tow we have a chance to be silly with them.  Two boys with their mom are thankful for the toys we give them. Late in the day as we are cleaning up,  we sign a soccer ball and give it a boy. 

We gave about 100 people better sight today.  As we take time to reflect on the day as a team it is obvious we all had a good day.

As I write this it is about 11 pm.  I savor the good we did today and breathe in a peace that surpasses all understanding.  Tomorrow is our last full day.  God will surely be present.