That moment in my day

Today we wrapped our 4th day of clinic which is our last day with our hosts in Jicamarca. It was a bittersweet day, I'm excited to move to a new clinic location to help more people, but sad to leave the familiarity of the town and the local volunteers who tirelessly helped us run our clinics everyday and most importantly the school, who graciously allowed us to work out of their facilities with its 600 wonderful children who kept us smiling during our morning set up, evening take down and our short breaks throughout the long clinic days. Their excitement for us being there made my all my anxiousness melt away. 

Peru is my first mission trip. I came here with mixed emotions of both nervousness and excitement. I worried about where I would fit in with a group of 16 strangers and if my optometric skills were up to par with my fellow optometrists.  

Our first day in Lima washed aways all of those feelings. The group is so warm and welcoming. It's such a beautiful thing to hear the various reasons why 17 people all of all ages from completely different walks of life came together in Peru to help serve these communities. My fellow optometrists, all TWECS veterans, have been so supportive by teaching me the skills needed to navigate the busy clinic setting without many of the high tech machines I have become accustomed to in my own office. 

During my short time here, I've found the most rewarding part of my day is towards the end of my patient interaction. When I get the privilege of placing a trial frame with the patients new prescription on their faces. Seeing their faces light up, their wide smiles and the joy of them being able to see clearly without the burden of the cost of glasses. That moment in my day makes all the heat, tiredness and hunger wash away. Those few seconds, followed by the hugs and gratitude that follow are what I'm looking forward to the most for the rest of the week. 

By Dr. Kiran Janda