It has been said that the eyes are windows that let you gaze into a person’s soul. That’s why of all the pictures I took during my trip to
The picture first draws us in to see the eyes that match the smiles of two friends eager to have their pictures taken. I snapped this photo while participating with a medical team based out of
During our two weeks in
Look at the picture closer. Do you see the eyes of the young girl in the background? Her face, her eyes, especially, are imprinted in my memory. She was at the clinic we had in the Gypsy/Roma settlement on the outskirts of the
She waited all day. I never saw her smile. I didn’t see her playing with the other children. I didn’t see a mother or a father watching out for her. It was just her, tangled and matted hair, with sticker tattoos on her neck that were darkened by grime and sweat. “Love,” printed on her t-shirt. Eyes that were distant, revealing a weariness beyond her years. Waiting.
What haunts me the most is that I don’t know if she ever saw the doctor. By the end of the day, we were all tired. The medications we had brought along were running low. We had seen many, many people, and we were ready to go home and rest. We hurried to finish and clean up, and I lost track of her in the busy-ness. So, I don’t know if she received the help she needed or the attention I am sure she wanted. I don’t have a picture of sparkling eyes or of her smile. I don’t have a happy ending to this story.
Medical missions are an important work of REMM. Please keep this ministry in your prayers. The medical needs, especially of those who live in more rural areas, are still great. Perhaps, some of you will consider traveling to
