Eyeglasses for Buigi (Tues., 28 Feb.)

I did not know about this, but apparently Deborah told some folks in the Diocese of Missouri that the Moru needed and wanted reading glasses – the drugstore-type of reading glasses that many of us 50-somethings are using nowadays. And Rick had carried dozens upon dozens of eyeglasses in his luggage. When we visited Buigi, I got to see the fruits of that gift. After we worshipped with them, Deborah brought out the “eyeglass offering,” and it was truly delightful to see the folks try them on, with each person seeking to find the right “’prescription” for them.

There’s one aspect of this that you can’t tell from the photograph. Just about the only book they seem to have is the Bible. So, as those folks tried on their reading glasses and worked to see which strength they needed, others in the village held up Bibles so they could test their new eyeglasses. It was a moving time.

Deborah was amazed at how the folks of Missouri had responded to the needs she had expressed. More than once, she said, “I swear, if I had said the Moru needed ice cubes, you all would have found a way to get them here!”