It was evening in western Egypt when crowds began to pour into the oasis village of Kargha. For weeks, the people had heard over the local radio station that the Charity Campaign was coming, and now doctors had arrived and were ready to see patients.

Although their eyes were clouded over with disease, each face shined with hope, for they were coming to be cared for by Dr. Sayed Saif, a respected ophthalmologist who had been traveling into the oases of Egypt for more than 45 years to care for the poor.

At his expense, Dr. Saif, a devout Muslim, has treated more than 850,000 people in the remote villages of Egypt.

In 2003, humanitarian missionaries serving in Egypt became acquainted with Dr. Saif and recognized an opportunity to assist in treating eye disease among the poor. Through the Church's Humanitarian Services vision treatment initiative, an ongoing partnership with Dr. Saif provides him with specialized eye equipment, as well as training by ophthalmologists who volunteer their time and resources to travel to Egypt.

The Church donated a bus to facilitate travel by Dr. Saif and his team into the more remote areas. Arriving in the new bus, Dr. Saif told the people that it was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that made it possible for him to reach so many villages. The people rushed to the missionaries, kissing their cheeks and thanking them.

"The poor always have smiles for us," wrote Jim and Marlene Lindsay, current Welfare Services missionaries in Egypt. "How our hearts go out to them. We've had a tiny glimpse of what it would have been like to walk with the Savior and see the sick and afflicted all around. These are very poor people. They could not afford or get access to medical treatment if Dr. Saif did not come to help them."

Dr. Saif and his son Dr. Yasser Saif, who is carrying on his father's charity work, recently traveled to Church headquarters to express appreciation. Dr. Saif said the values of the Church most closely model the values of his Charity Campaign. — Welfare Services