A few months ago, at the start of the winter semester, I sat in a classroom while watching a broadcast of Sharon Eubank speak about service. I walked out of that room both inspired and pensive. I felt driven, yet unsure of where to start. I knew that I had things I needed to work on, and it still seemed a little daunting. She said, “You can’t tell the character of an individual by the way he does his daily work. Watch him when his work is over. See where he goes. Note the companions he seeks, and the things he does when he may do as he pleases. Then you can tell his true character.” I started striving to be more aware of how I spent my time, especially when I felt I was too "busy" to have any free time. I tried to direct my thoughts to virtuous things, and honestly, when I deliberately sought goodness, I felt good. I was happy! Inevitably, my focus slowly waned, and I found myself here in Ghana with a lot to work on. Before arriving, I spent a lot of time studying about Ghana, completing training online, fundraising, and gathering supplies so that I could arrive here ready to serve and make a difference. After a week or two, I allowed myself to occasionally fall into self-pity. I would look around and say, "I'm not even needed here. All they needed was my fundraising, and having me here is just a nuisance and necessary evil. My being here is a privilege and reward rather than a necessity." Honestly, I still stand by the fact that logistically, they did need the money and fundraising to subsidize medicine/surgeries a lot more than they needed my manpower, but my attitude has completely changed. Although I wasn't necessarily needed to do visual acuity tests, take blood pressure, assist with surgeries, and dispense medicine, I needed to be here. My presence and ability to help others feel calm, assured, laugh a little, take a break, or smile was priceless. Sister Eubank said, "What would it look like if each of us were our own well-stocked humanitarian organization? Instead of just giving out tangible goods in foreign locations, what if we had the richness of dispensing healing, friendship, respect, peaceful dialogue, sincere interest, protective listening of children, birthday remembrances, and conversations with strangers? What if that was what your humanitarian organization did? This kind of humanitarian work can be done by anybody and it can be done at any time. And you don’t need warehouses or fundraising or transportation. You can be perfectly responsive to any need that comes to you, wherever you are." I am grateful for the conversations I had late at night with some of the Telecentre staff as I listened to their business plans, family troubles, or their testimonies. I'm grateful that I was able to comfort someone crying on the side of the road one morning when I went for a run because they had just lost their father. I'm grateful I was able to hold a small child's hand as he walked into the OR sniffling and holding back tears, trying to be brave. I'm grateful for the laughter and happiness I was able to bring to the outreach staff after a long, hot day in the middle of nowhere. I am positive that the eye clinics wouldn't have been able to see over 400 patients a day without the extra help of the volunteers, but it was a humbling moment when I realized there were other, perhaps more important, ways for me to serve here. I'm most grateful for the individual, interpersonal experiences I had with people every single day.
This past week was by far the most rewarding week of the trip because I finally understood why I needed to be here. Before leaving, I told my family and a few friends about what I was hoping to accomplish and gain from a trip to Ghana. In addition to some of the standard things I was hoping to accomplish (service, experience, healthcare exposure, networking, etc.), I was also seeking healing and a refresher before I embark on the next few years of my life. Now, after six of some of the best weeks of my life, I have been healed, and I have received so much more.
Every day, while on the outreaches, one thing we do is fit people with glasses. For those that need reading glasses, we hand them a miniature copy of the New Testament for them to glance at and ensure the glasses work adequately. The first time I handed the Bible to a patient, I happened to open up to Luke 18:40-43. It says, "And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, 'What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?' And he said, 'Lord, that I may receive my sight.' And Jesus said unto him, 'Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.' And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God…" I was certainly surprised at this poignant scripture I randomly turned to just a few weeks ago, but I'm even more surprised by the deeper understanding and revelation it has brought to my life. In Ghana, through the service, examples, and attitudes of others, I have received my sight. I better understand who God is, who I am, and what I need to do in order to become the person I need to be. I have been the recipient of pure charity and love, and that has made all the difference. People I barely knew six weeks ago have become my best friends. Strangers we met on outreaches have become my brothers and sisters. The staff and fellow volunteers are now my family. I have truly been the recipient of Christlike, genuine, sincere, unconditional love. My greatest desire is to grow in light and faith, doing all that I can, so that I can be one who will always be in a position to extend God's love to others like they have done for me.
I love Ghana, I have loved my experience working through Unite for Sight, and I will always love the people I was able to come into contact with here. Words cannot describe my gratitude or my joy, and I'm looking forward to the next time I can come back.
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