Have you ever heard someone say that when you put an idea or wish out into the universe it will find its way to you? This exciting project came to With Change In Mind that very way.

I was having a conversation with my daughter Lauren, who is currently a sophomore in high school, and she had been told that during her senior year she will have to come up a “Senior Project”. Lauren has struggled with her vision since she was very young. She was first given a vision screening when she was in first grade and it was then that we were told she needed glasses. Year after year her vision became worse and worse. It eventually got so bad that even the doctors were shocked at how quickly her vision was declining and what a strong prescription she needed. In the third grade Lauren got her first pair of contact lenses and was officially told she was “legally blind”. Legally blind without corrective lenses of course. This meant that her vision could be corrected as long as she had on her glasses or contact lenses. Without them she is blind. I have seen first hand how she struggles in the morning to find her glasses that sit on her bedside table. There have been times when I have been right next to her and she can’t recognize me if she isn’t wearing her contacts or glasses.

Lauren decided that maybe her senior project could have something to do with her sight. Together we came up with the idea for her to try and live an entire day without her glasses or contacts. She could video her day and evaluate how different her life would be if she didn’t have the ability to have glasses or contacts. Taking this idea one step further Lauren asked me if there was a way she could collect old glasses and we could find a way to get them to Malawi and in the hands of people who might need them. I told her I would think about it and see what I could figure out. Knowing I had a few years, I thought, I would keep that in the back of my mind and see what I could come up with to help her with this idea.

About 2 months after this conversation I got a call from a man who has traveled to Malawi with me twice. His name is Larry. Larry was always such an amazing volunteer and gave so much to each trip he took. He had recently been traveling in Central America alongside a man named Gordon. Gordon had expressed an interest in traveling to Malawi. Larry told Gordon he knew of an organization that did just that! Long story short, Larry connected Gordon with me and one evening we had a phone conversation in order to learn more about each other.

As fate would have it Gordon has been traveling in developing countries for several years providing vision screenings and corrective lenses to people who don’t have access to them. I almost couldn’t believe it when Gordon started talking about what he wanted to do in Malawi.

After a little planning and some fundraising Gordon and I have decided to partner up this summer in Malawi! With Change In Mind has purchased a kit that contains 200 pairs of glasses and everything needed to set up a vision screening. The suitcase of supplies has arrived at our office and is ready to be carried (by me) all the way to Malawi. Gordon will be meeting me in Malawi on June 28th and together we will screen about 500 Malawians. The entire Adziwa community will be screened first and then we will open up the screening to others in the surrounding villages. In addition we will also be training two local people to be able to perform the screenings going forward. Not only will we be able to provide glasses to people this year we will also be setting things up to be able to provide this screening each year in areas all around Lilongwe, Malawi!

I know what it was like when I got to see Lauren put on her first pair of glasses. I saw the look on her face when she finally saw the world with perfect vision. She kept saying “Mom! Everything is so CLEAR!”. I can only imagine what that will be like to experience over and over again while we provide people with their first pair of glasses.

Lauren is planning to take a trip to Malawi with me next summer in order to finally experience Malawi with her Mom! AND be able to get some great experiences that will help her with her senior project.

In the end this really all came to light because of Lauren. I can’t imagine Lauren’s life without glasses or contact lenses. There are many things she wouldn’t be able to do or experience without them. I am thrilled that With Change In Mind will be helping others have the gift that Lauren has been lucky enough to have access to. We are so excited to be working along side Gordon Mendenhall and learning from his expertise. He has done some incredible work in other countries in Africa and I can’t wait to share Malawi with him. We will for sure be blogging about our adventures this summer!

We are always working to raise funds so that we can continue these programs year after year. Please consider making a donation to help support our work.

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