It took a couple of days for the reality of being in Kenya to settle in (24 hours of travel and a large dose of jet lag probably played a part!). The differences between Kenya and the United States are staggering. Just as a comparison, the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita for the United States was $47,500 in 2008. On the other hand, the GDP per capita for Kenya was US$1600 in 2008 (CIA World Factbook). This creates a level of poverty that is hard to convey to Americans. Most of the Kenyans we met could not afford many of the things we see as commonplace (food, electricity, air conditioning, televisions, cars, etc.) Many of the people we worked with would walk for 2 to 3 hours just to get to the clinic each day. In Kenya, the unemployment rate is an astounding 40% with 50% of the population living below the poverty line (CIA World Factbook). Here our unemployment is currently at 10% (BLS.gov). Even with tough economic times in the United States, we have been immensely blessed.
Our team worked in the area of Meru. We had the distinction of crossing the equator each morning on our way to the clinic. For five days we ran a vision clinic at Equator Lutheran Church, part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya. The vision clinic had the double purpose also being used as a tool for spreading the Gospel. People would come to the clinic for their eyes and leave having heard the wonderful news of Christ’s death and resurrection for their sins. Before we arrived, Equator Lutheran Church had 14 members. By the end of the clinic, 109 people had either expressed interest in joining, or were new Christians. In total, our team saw 1400 people throughout the week. Some of our other teams saw more than three thousand people in a week’s time.
Here is how the clinic worked…
First, the patient would go to one of three evangelism tents.
After hearing Christ’s message through use of the EvangeCube, they would have their vision assessed.
Next they would get go through triage to determine their specific needs.
The clinic was able to provide reading glasses, distance glasses, and eye doctors, all free of charge. My station was in assembly. The patient’s eyes would be read by an autorefractor, then the specific lenses they needed would reach the lense pullers.
After pulling the right lenses, as well as new frames, the pullers would have us assemble the glasses.
After we were finished, the patient would try out their new glasses, and have them fitted to their comfort.
By the end of the week we made around two to three hundred pairs of glasses. The clinic was a ton of work, but extremely rewarding all the same.
I was grateful to go to Kenya with Salem. It gave me an idea of what March will bring with Mercy Ships growing nearer. This trip gave me a wonderful opportunity to serve my neighbors, even if they live 8,000 miles away! Thank the Lord he is willing to use us as His instruments, bringing His care to those who need it, and spreading His Gospel through us. He is Gracious and Merciful.
