Progress Report - Life After High School

This beautiful young lady is my niece Molly, whose graduation inspired the beginning of this blog. In the picture she is talking with one of the children she helps to feed everyday in the Dominican Republic, and when possible provides some medical care.

She's on a mission through her church, not for the first time. I know she went last summer, as well, but also perhaps the summer before. Molly is a practicing Christian. I don't have a religious bone in my body, but I so admire her convictions and most of all, her actions.

After last year's mission, I asked her to share some of her pictures with me. I watched as she scrolled on her computer past the faces of smiling children, happy to get a meal and some beach scenes, but then she stopped on a picture that choked me with emotion. It still does, frankly.

The picture before showed her removing some skin from a child's burn with a razor blade. The next picture, which took my breath away, was a shot of Molly as she turned towards the camera, her expression hidden from the child. There was incredible empathy in her eyes and pain on her face. She felt for this child.

Molly wants to be a nurse. I hope with all my heart that she's able to retain that empathy, because with that single quality she'll always be able to change her little piece of the world.

The organization she's working with is now in the process of setting up a real clinic in the Dominican Republic and asking for contributions. I'm sending a small check today. Here's a short quote from their latest report, actually written by Molly.

"We currently do not have a building for our medical clinic. Our office is now being used as our make shift clinic but we are in need of a permanent multi purpose building. This will be a chapel, a much needed school room for our kids and a room for our medical clinic. The need for a clinic is overwhelming, last week we opened our doors for a medical outreach and cut off at over 300! Many of these were sick little children."

Below is where I'm sending my check, just in case you're moved to do the same-

Field, shipping and correspondence, address (business address):
Rick & Carie Bernard
DMG 15171
100 Airport Ave
Venice, FL 34285

I used to see ads on television, when I had one, for groups like Save The Children. I never got out of my chair and took the action to help. Here I sit, comfortable in my little plot of the world, and this time it's my own niece I would be failing to support. So, I'm off to write and post a check in a minute.

First, because I know Molly will read this, I want to thank her and all the others in the world, who don't just talk the talk, but also walk the walk. I'm going to aspire to be more like her.

Be well!