P e r s p e c t i v e
Diana Popa (left) worked at an orphanage in Moldova, where she treated the children’s cuts and sores and taught them about personal hygiene.
Diana Popa’s greatest joy this summer was tending the physical and emotional needs of these children. She plans to visit them again next year.
Mission
of the Heart
Senior Diana Popa has already put her fledgling nursing skills into
practice by traveling overseas with her church mission group to care for
orphaned children. The trip provided her with real-world experience that
will enhance her nursing education. Diana, who is Romanian by birth, shares
what she learned.
This summer, I joined a mission group in Romania and Moldova. The trip
had a profound impact on my life. The experience that affected me most
was the week I spent at a government-owned orphanage in Moldova. When
looking into the children’s faces, I realized the hardships they
must have been through. Children need love, attention, and the trusted
friendship of someone who cares about them. When these things are lacking
in a child’s life, depression, hopelessness, and mistrust are the
result. Children who are neglected are just like children who are abused,
suffering emotionally and physically.
While cleaning the children’s cuts and sores, I noticed they knew
little about personal hygiene. I shared my concerns with my group, and
we planned a hygiene day. I quickly realized that paying attention to
the children’s physical needs meant a lot to them. The teenagers
needed someone to explain the importance of keeping their bodies clean
and that the physical changes occurring in their bodies were normal.
Because of this trip, I gained experience in teaching children and enjoyed
letting them know they are valued. I wanted to influence their lives in
a positive way that would help them now and in the future.
After leaving the orphanage, I had an opportunity to meet with the executive
director of the Romanian Nurse’s Association. Conversing with her
was enlightening regarding the situation of nurses in that country. This
organization has been influential in modernizing the professional and
ethical concepts of nursing through workshops and meetings. Mentoring
students entering the nursing workforce has also been a priority.
Romania and Moldova are economically poor countries, but if nurses there
could better influence medical care, living conditions in the orphanages
could be improved. Nurses could care for the children as whole beings
with emotional and physical needs.
My group was the first mission team to visit the orphanage in Moldova.
We began thinking we would accomplish a lot but focused on fact-finding
instead. Next year, we plan to return and stay longer, hopefully to accomplish
projects that we now know need to be done. I also realized that even in
poor working conditions, nursing should be at its best.—Diana
Popa
Photos courtesy of Diana Popa
