Week of August 3, 2014  
Teaching songs and stories at a school for street children.  Cataract surgeries at the Jakarta Eye Center


Sister Lucherini took two of the younger sister missionaries to a school for street children to teach them different songs and stories. When we called to ask permission to come to the school that is part of the organization we work with on prosthetics. they said, you can come anytime you wish. They learned long ago how much love Sister Lucherini has for children. They have given her an open invitation to come anytime.

This is their first week back at school. They have orange school outfits that they will receive next week. they keep the uniforms at school to keep them clean and cared for. Today we visited 4 different classrooms and enjoyed singing songs with them.

Below, we are doing the actions to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes in English. They want them to learn English and this is one of the songs that they will be learning. Sister Allred is on her last week as a missionary, so glad she could spend some time with the children. She is a great sister!! Will be missed of course.

Below: they are identifying where their head is and then they get a orange section.

This class is for 5 year olds and when they are going to get a picture taken, it is common for them to cup their faces in their hands as you see the cute little girl below doing.

Cataract surgeries August 9th at the Jakarta Eye Center.

We had no plans to do cararact surgeries. But late in 2013 we received a box of eye supplies from a woman in the Jakarta 3rd ward. (Expatriot ward). She said they were sent from her brother in the US and they asked that it be given to anyone in need. We did not even know what the materials were for. We decided to give them to Dr Titi with the confidence she would know how best to use them. Unbeknownst to us, she had hoped to do some cataract surgeries for those who couldn't afford them. Our donation (100 lenses for cataracts) was the missing cost for her. She had the doctors lined up, but no way to pay for the cost of lenses. This was an answer to her prayers. As she often says to us, "There are no coincidences." We may not know where this eye donations should go, but God does! and they got to the people who could best use them. Today was the opportunity for us to personally witness the people who benefited from them. We are grateful for people out there who follow promptings. We hope to someday find this good man and let him know that he provided a great need, we were at least able to share this with Sister Nelson, from the Jakarta Ward!

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 Preparing to go in and watch the surgical procedure. That in most cases last only about 10 minutes. Both Sister Lucherini and I were able to watch it. Feeling grateful for the advances in medicine and this great time we live in!

                           Capturing the picture on the screen of what the surgeon is looking at below.

A member of the staff instructing the families of what the procedure will entail, and what needs to be done after the surgery , when they get home.

 

 

 Bro Purba in the center and Sister Ninny, on the left. Both members of the Jakarta 2nd ward. His wife, and both her parents were in having surgery as we talked. They of course were all smiles in appreciation for the gift that LDS Charities was providing to their loved ones.

                                          Neneng Wahyuni, 64, who had just had her cataract removed, had cataracts in both eyes, and had her left eye done 3 years ago, is happy to get the other one done.

                                                             Preopt for their surgery

 Waiting to go in to the operating room. Many had traveled long distances for this special day.

 

This family is waiting Poniman Chandra, their father who has had a cataract in his left eye. He works with computers and about 6 months ago realized that his vision seemed to be cloudy. He is one of the lucky ones, we met some who had cataracts for 15 years, so to be able to have it removed today only after 6 months is a blessing for him. The son, Andre Chandra spoke very good English and helped me visit with some of the patients families.

Dad after the surgery. He said he was so scared for the past 2 weeks. But to day he is glad. It is all over and he can see!!!!
Because they were able to catch Poniman's cataract early it was a quick and easy procedure. No bandages after! Just a bit red on the eye.

 

                            Meita with her mother and son waiting for her father, Madani,65, who will have the surgery today, already in getting prepped. They all showed much appreciation to the Church for the help they are receiving with the surgeries. As Poniman said," It is very,very expensive to have surgery, thank you so much."

 

 

 20 people traveling many distances received cataract surgeries. 80 more will come over the next several weeks. Some will come back for surgery for the other eye.
One lady came up to us saying, "Terima kasih, teremia kasih. Swami syah bisa melihat. Teremia kasih, terima kasih, swami syah bisa melihat! (Thank you thank you, my husband can see. Thank you, thank you, my husband can see!