It Touched My Heart
As you know I make several visits to Africa each year in order to participate in essential humanitarian projects. In April 2007 I spent a week in Kenya visiting rural villages and towns assisting those who are in need. We donated 10 more wheelchairs this time which were sponsored by Buddhist Mahavihara of Malaysia. There are many experiences that touch me deeply as I tread the paths less traveled or those that have not been traveled at all by international humanitarian organizations.
One such moment was when I went to donate a heart monitor to Catholic hospital in North Kinangop. After traveling several hours from Nairobi I arrived at the hospital to donate the monitor. The technicians were testing the machine as the surgeon who was coming from the operating room arrived. His excitement and happiness was obvious as he saw the heart monitor. With a smile on his face he said “Perfect timing, we have a young boy in the waiting area whose finger has been split into two pieces by a knife. He is on heavy sedation drugs, we need to monitor him. Let us take this and put him on right away. This is a perfect time for this wonderful gift to arrive”. With a grin on his face he also said, “This donation will help to save many lives.” “Save many lives!” What a wonderful thing to hear. If your efforts save lives then you are doing the greatest work that you can do on earth.
They had one monitor in the whole hospital. It was broken and they had taken it to Nairobi to be fixed. They had temporarily borrowed one from the company that sells the heart monitors. When I saw how useful the heart monitor was, it made me very happy and I felt a deep sense of gratitude to those who helped me to acquire it.
On another occasion, after traveling on dirt roads for several hours, I arrived in a small hill top village. One old man who had requested a wheelchair for his disabled friend was waiting for 8 hours by the road for our arrival. He had not had lunch. We arrived at 5pm. When he told me that he had not had lunch, I requested that he go and have some food before we continue on. With a smile on his face he said ” I am so happy that my friend is getting a wheelchair that I have lost my appetite completely. I have made requests to many organizations for so long. Finally my wish is fulfilled. This is a special day for me.” Looking up, with his hands pointing to the skies, he loudly said “Praise the Lord.” How wonderful to meet such selfless people who are genuinely happy as they see the happiness of their friends.
I could continue to write many more pages of such stories which would touch your heart in the same way they have touched me. But for now I share with you this much and would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to those who are supporters and sponsors of Triple Gem Society projects. May you be inspired to help those who are in need.
May you be well and happy.
