El Salvador Day 8 - 2016

As we start our last day I find myself deep in thought.  What if... I had a sick child but no money to see a doctor? What if I had severe pain but no way to make it better?  What if I did not know how or where I could earn a living?  What if I could not see well and my job depended on me seeing? These are just a few questions that the poor ask themselves every day, in El Salvador and throughout the world. And if we don't ask ourselves these questions the poor will become invisible to us.

You can't come on a mission here and not be moved to do more.  We are needed and appreciated greatly here. 

Today is a light half day of clinic followed by some much deserved down time. We are bone tired from our non-stop schedule. 

I make a point today to try to slow down and care for the people, absorbing the culture. We take some time to give shoes to the small children and meet the people.  I find out that the medical student who was with us on Wednesday has taken a beautiful picture that really captures what we are doing here.

We find an angel and give her some angel wings.

I take a moment to snap a picture of a family, and also of a food stand just across the street from our clinic.

It's  slow-paced day and I am grateful for this gift. We wrap up the clinic and head to the beach. We all take some rest and many of us swim in the Pacific Ocean. 

We are treated to a gorgeous sunset, like a thank you note from God.

We began this mission with gratitude for this opportunity and that is where we will finish.  Imagine making a difference in the lives of 2400 people.  We did.  And what also matters is the "how we did it" with great love.  My slice of this mission is small (1007 people came to us in the eyeglass department).  I say small because there are many more stories, many good, true and beautiful things that happened this week, just because a bunch of people said yes to God's call.  I am overwhelmingly grateful to have had this chance.  I need to give a very special thank you to my partner in the glasses department all week.  I know she was certainly sent by God to be with me.  We minister to each other on mission, and that was why God made sure we would have s chance to do that.  I'm glad our paths crossed and pray they will again.

Every day I pray for El Salvador and I ask that you join me.  Amen.