The Gift of Sight

Today was a very long day, but also a great experience. One of the departments that social work at Missions of Hope deals with is medical consultations for children at the local hospitals. Today I had the opportunity to tag along with Reginah and Leann to take three kids to Kikuyu Hospital in order to get their eyes checked. The three children that went today were Wycliffe, Gladys, and Joseph. Wycliffe just needed glasses, Gladys has had runny eyes ever since birth, and Joseph has one eye that turns out to the side slightly.

So we got to the center and made our way to catch a mutatu to the center of the city where we got a bus. After about 45 mins we made it to Kikuyu Hospital which is outdoor buildings connected by covered walkways. I guess that this hospital is much nicer than the ones directly in Nairobi according to Leann. We were there all day, in and out of consultation rooms which were not private. I took care of Joseph and there was only one time when we saw a doctor just the two of us. In between consultations though Leann and I taught the kids how to play Go Fish and War. They had a blast! Eventually the children were finished and we were told that Joseph and Gladys will have to come back next Wednesday to see specialists.

It is definitely a blessing that the children were even able to see a doctor because Missions of Hope does not currently have a budget for this kind of service, but it is a massive need since the clinic at Pangani can only do so much. Leann is actually working on setting up a position at Missions of Hope so that someone will be in charge of taking care of these special cases and raising support for it.

Throughout the whole day I was thanking God for our healthcare system back home, or at least the kind of healthcare I have been so extremely blessed to receive my whole life. When I needed glasses, I had the insurance and the accessibility to a great optometrist. I was also able to get in and out rapidly and then receive my glasses within two weeks. I know that many people even in America have not experienced the kind of service I have, but still our healthcare system is so much more organized and protective. We should be very grateful!

Ugh and another thing we should be grateful for is the fact that even though our country struggles with air pollution, it is not even close to how terrible it is here in Africa! First of all there are no regulations on the emissions of cars and trucks, and although many in Africa walk instead of drive, the trucks use so much fuel and emit black smoke every time they accelerate :( We were riding home in a mutatu and by the time we got off, I wiped something from my face and saw that my hand was covered in dirt! Leann and I were making fun of it while waiting in traffic for about and hour and we took pictures with this extra mask she had in her purse.

Well God has shown me a lot today and I pray that he reveals to you the little blessings he has showered upon your life as well. There is so much we don't even realize!