In Ukraine this month we've had several different ministries, with one of them being going with our contact, Bruce, to eyeglass clinics that he arranges in various towns and villages. Bruce is an American who has lived in Ukraine with his family for over 8 years as a missionary. Many people here, especially the elderly, cannot afford glasses, so they are able to come to a clinic for a free pair (along with an eye exam beforehand to determine their prescription). We give them each a Bible as they are waiting, and sometimes they have told Bruce not to bother giving them one since they can't read… and then they realize that they will soon be able to again! For some of them it's been years since they could pick up anything to read, and they are often very moved to be able to have the gift of sight and reading back.
To get to the clinics, we usually drive anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. That’s an adventure in itself since the roads are extremely pot-holed! Bruce said that while in America you’d be pulled over for swerving on a road, here the joke is they’ll pull you over if you’re not swerving! So after we have an exciting ride in the van to our clinic site, we help set up the boxes of glasses, get chairs arranged for the waiting area, and make sure there is a snack/tea table. Usually there are a lot of “babushkas” that come, and they are adorable! "Babushka" is the Russian word for Grandma. A lot of them wear dresses with socks and sandals, and they are shy but sweet.
One lady that I had a special bond with was named Lita. Before her appointment she sat quietly in the
waiting area.
After her appointment, Lita walked outside and approached Bruce. He speaks Russian and she asked if I would pray for her. After I prayed she then prayed for me, also. I asked her if it would be okay to get a picture with her, and she said in Russian that she looked like a crazy babushka. Bruce translated back to her for me, "no, you look beautiful" and I helped tie her scarf because she wanted it to look just right.
She was really touched to have someone doting on her and she was really excited when I said I'd like to walk her home. Bruce's son, Michael, came with to continue translating, and my teammate, Wes, walked with us and took these photos.
Lita showed us her home and couldn't stop smiling the entire time. It was sad to say goodbye because she cried a little and said how wonderful it was to have us there with her. We hugged a couple times and then reluctantly we left to go back to the clinic. Michael said some sweet things as we walked back to the church about how much that visit meant to her, and what an impact he was sure the visit will have on the rest of her days. I know I'll never forget sweet Lita. I hope whenever she thinks back on that day that she'll know how much she is cared for not just by those of us that were there, but most of all by our Heavenly Father.
