I can’t believe that this month is over it has flown by so fast. It feels like yesterday that we arrived here and that we were just meeting people for the first time. I go out into the streets and villages now and see friends and maybe we have cared for. I have grown to love this country and its people. The trip wasn’t always easy, but it was a life changing opportunity and I loved it!
The last few days were consumed with eye surgery. The ability of eye is amazing, and something that I never thought of before this past week. The surgeons that came down here literally took eyes and granted people better vision if not vision in general in a matter of an hour. We saw over 80 patients in the last four days and corrected their ability to see. These surgeons literally changed lives forever. There was one 14 year old boy that had congenital cataracts and was completely blind in both eyes because of it. With congenital cataracts typically they should be removed before age 6 to give the child a better opportunity to see well. However, the surgeon’s heart went out to this boy and agreed to try to take out his cataract. The surgery went well and he came in for his post-op exam yesterday and was able to recognize shapes! It was a miracle! One of the surgeons got pig eyes for us to practice doing the surgery. And I took out my first cataract today!!! I have such an appreciation for what they do, the way they move their hands every so slightly is incredible. I could never do it.
Last night was our last mass here at the church and the electricity went out for the first part of mass. To compensate for the lack of light everyone held candles and it was beautiful. We had to say goodbye to our family and friends for the last time. It was so sad and I was crying before church even ended. We received many hugs, kisses, and thank yous. ”Our mom” made us jewelry, the men from the drug rehab center made us jewelry, and I received holy cards from several people. Our friend Stephanie drew each of us a picture and gave us a sea horse that her family preserved. Her dad thanked us for everything we had done for Stephanie and her family. And he gave us each a beautiful painting that he made, this is how he makes a living here. Everyone is so generous and wanted to express their gratitude to us even though they have such limited resources. I will miss the people and their generosity and love.
Tonight we fly into Lima
