Vision Handover Ceremony

Our first official task after arriving was to attend the Vision Handover Ceremony and be introduced as the new LDS Humanitarian couple.  It was a wonderful project where the church sent a doctor from SLC (a specialist in the area of vision) who showed some procedures and did some training of eye doctors and university students in Antananarivo.  Then the church donated a lot of much needed equipment to the University Hospital to make the eye surgeries possible and also equipment for an out reach program.  (I say the church, but I really mean the members all over the world make these wonderful projects possible because of their donations to the Humanitarian Fund each month).  It is a tender mercy to my heart to see the gospel in action and know that these things are made possible by a simple act of donating funds.  I will be more diligent in filling in the humanitarian box on my form!  The partners for the project (the Ministry of Health and Lions Site First) were so grateful for the equipment and the training and mentioned many times the wonderful blessing it will be to the Malagasy people.  Many doctors and instructors and students were grateful to be trained and to use the much needed equipment!  It was a wonderful morning for us.

This is some of the equipment.  There was also a new examining table and a computer or two used in assessment.

Here is Elder Asay meeting some of the students in attendance before the program began.

All on the stand spoke.  On the left is the PA representative of the church, next to him is a member of the Ministry of Health.  The one with the microphone is President Olivier (President of the Lions Site First and one of the partners) and next to him is a government official.

This doctor explained the equipment to everyone and how it would be used.

President Olivier made a wonderful toast to all of the partners!
 

Elder and Sister Richards who did all the work getting this project up and running!  We miss them and their wonderful example, training, and guidance!  They have a son who was on a mission in London the same time they were here!  He got home yesterday and I'm sure their whole family is enjoying having all three of their missionaries home :)

Here we are just enjoying the morning and all the wonderful people we were meeting!

May this be the first of many Handover Ceremonies during our 18 months in Madagascar!  We have already done one for Wheelchairs in Toamasina.  We are also working on 5 projects that were opened by the Richards, so we will work to get them finished.  We are also in the process of adding two new ones and are constantly talking with people about other possible projects they would like to see happen here in Madagascar!  We LOVE our mission!  We LOVE serving!  I knew I would love being on a mission and I really do!  I am grateful every day for this wonderful opportunity!

Mazotoa!!