As I rise for the day at 5 am my body says: really? But soon, the thought of the cause gives me energy. I take a picture of the sunrise and soak in the beauty of El Salvador.
We gather for mass because we need spiritual food and supernatural help to take on the challenges of the day. (There were certainly challenges ahead.)
Our clinic is located across the street from a town square. As we arrive I snap a quick picture.
As we walk into our clinic, the crowds, some who have already been waiting for hours, applause again. As I carry boxes to our station I make eye contact as much as possible and smile as much as I can. Most of the time I get a smile returned, but sometimes not. I pray that something will make them all smile today. I am planting mustard seeds.
A redheaded lady comes to glasses (very rare here) and I show her my redheads like a proud dad and husband.
An elderly man comes in with an advanced eye infection, and my heart goes out to him. We try to help him see out of his good eye. At first nothing seems to help, but then I find our last pair of 4.0 readers that a little bird in Houston helped me find. Success! And then I notice his hat and we talk about home.
Today we have excellent help from a local fifth year medical student who wants to be an ophthalmologist. She is successful helping a young man with distance glasses.
I do my best to encourage her to one day return to the mission when she is practicing ophthalmology. I'm planting a mustard seed and hoping it will grow in her.
We are a bit short handed today and the line for glasses grows very long. We try to have the faith of a mustard seed and believe we will some how finish. We do our best to focus only on the one person who is before us.
We look up and it is time for a quick lunch. Towards the end of the day, with the line growing longer still, I realize that I need help with glasses and with distribution of shoes. Once again our team comes through.
There is a man who we cannot help and I am a bit overwhelmed. He is nearly blind. It's a tough situation as he sits there with hope. The family had great hopes of a cure, perhaps by surgery. I tell him that I am not able to help, and that I can only offer prayer. I give him a hug and emotion wells up in me. As I try to regain my composure, I feel the prayers of everyone who has been praying for me. His family also consoles him. Later when I am more composed, I tell our future eye doctor she needs to graduate quickly and come on mission, again planting a mustard seed.
We helped 192 people see better, have less irritated eyes, and learn how to care for their eyes. We offered inspiration and encouragement to the best of our ability. Our three day total is 488, and that is the consolation that will keep us going.
Lord when the path is difficult, help us to have the faith of a mustard seed. Amen
Paul - I pray for your strength to keep planting.
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