2015 | October
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Our team of dedicated volunteers saw over 500 patients in clinic and did over 200 vision restoring surgeries.
The heart of the mission was once again summed up by one patient.
Eduardo was a 10 year old boy who was hit so hard in the left eye that his cornea was lacerated and the iris had plugged up the hole that had developed in the cornea. He then developed a traumatic white cataract that was cosmetically very noticeable. He saw nothing out of this eye. He was a very quiet, unemotional, inward soul.
The surgeons struggled as to what to do. We did not have general anesthesia and his eye would need to be numbed like a regular adult patient with a one inch needle directed underneath and behind the eye. (Are you kidding me!) Dr. Jud did the injection successfully. As we put Eduardo on the OR table, the volunteers quickly sensed my nervousness. It became apparent that he was not able to lie still. I asked everyone to pray that God would give me a sign if I should proceed. Once I entered the eye, I had to finish.
As I draped the eye he fell asleep. Not a light sleep but a deep, deep sleep. I finished the surgery successfully in 12 minutes.
"Thank you Lord."
The next day Eduardo returned seeing well but still very unemotional. The outpouring of love by the volunteers was unbelievable. One heartfelt volunteer gave him a pair of shoes to replace the duct taped ones he had had and a soccer ball. Another volunteer gave him a soccer shirt. All the volunteers loved on him. Later he was seen smiling, laughing, and loving being loved.
Mother Teresa said, "The greatest poverty is not one of food or money. The greatest poverty is a lack of love."
I have said this before, "You get when you give." That day we got a lot. Miracles witnessed, prayers answered, the face of Jesus seen.
"Thank you God."
Peace,
Jim