Our friend, Zita Csuhai, is a doctor and greatly concerned with the health issues facing our Roma colleagues. Zita has organized a health committee to meet some of these needs and we recently held a medical clinic in the village of Szatmarcseke. The local Roma church members played a huge role by inviting the villagers, being support staff for the day, and doing whatever needed. I am a nurse by profession but unfortunately my Hungarian is not adequate enough to ask, "What's your concern today?" Well, I can ask the question but the problem comes when they start to answer it! So I was assigned to the blood pressure and blood sugar table. Now I could handle that with my language skills. After getting their tests, the patients went to see the health nurse for tips on living a healthy life style and then on to see the doctors. We also had New Testaments available and the local pastors were present to talk to the clients about the Great Physician who heals and offers comfort.
It was an encouraging day for all of us. As the day drew to a close, our last patient was the mayor of the little town. I was amused that the help scattered or became very "busy" with other things. They left it to the foreigner among them to prick his finger for blood. I didn't mind and he got a kick out of it. I tried to be gentle and I guess I was because he invited us back in the future.
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