I still see them...

Here is an article that I wrote for the newsletter of the Romanian Evangelistic Medical Mission (REMM). I traveled there with a medical team from Pella (including my parents) this past June.



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 Romania, I always return to this one.

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 Pella, Iowa.

During our two weeks in Romania, we traveled to outlying villages to set up clinics, providing those who came with a one on one consultation with a physician. If possible, they were also able to receive prescription medication, multi-vitamins, and other basics to address a variety of health issues.

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 village of Tinca.

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 Romania and participating with a medical team. My hope is that one of you will recognize this girl in Tinca and see her smile.