The India mission trip was both my first mission trip with LEAP as well as my first experience in India. After months of planning and preparation and several days of travel, we were all finally in Damoh and ready to try to meet the needs of those awaiting our arrival. For all of us, doctors, nurses and support volunteers, those needs became overwhelming at times. There was simply no way to treat every patient. After a very full day of evaluations, I found myself feeling a little frustrated. I thought of my own children, and what it would be like to wait for days, hoping a doctor might be able to help one of them with a physical limitation or life threatening deformity. How would I feel if the answer I heard was “not this year” or “your child is on the waiting list”?
But as evaluation day ended and surgeries began, my frustration began to ebb. I started to realize that the predominant emotion I was feeling and seeing displayed around me was one of gratitude: gratitude from the families with loved ones who were undergoing life- changing surgeries; gratitude from the hospital staff and nursing students who received valuable training from the LEAP team throughout the week and who saw many of their own people being blessed through healing surgeries and procedures; gratitude from the Central India Christian Mission staff for the impact that the LEAP Foundation has had over the years in the Damoh area, touching the lives of the people to which the CICM team ministers and witnesses daily; and gratitude from our LEAP team members for the opportunity to be there serving, meeting needs, and appreciating the many blessings of their personal lives.
By the grace of God, there were
478 pre-evaluations
287 evaluations
112 surgeries
58 orthodontic patients
15 speech pathology patients
“I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service.” 1 Timothy 1:12