The cloak of silence that envelops our home upon returning from a two week mission project with a team of 80 allows us to reflect and remember.
Once again, our amazing MMI team in Leticia, Colombia was able to give glasses to thousands of people and bring sight to hundreds who were blind from cataracts – all while showing them the love of God through their words and actions.
There are always special moments unique to each project:
The grandmother, blind from cataracts for 28 years, who rejoiced at finally seeing her granddaughter (yes, age 28!) when her patches were removed after surgery.
The young people who had surgery for strabismus (crossed eyes), streaming with tears when they saw their newly straightened eyes in the mirror.
We celebrated the opening of an MMI permanent center in Leticia – a joint project with Clinica Leticia, which will give greater access to medical care to the people in the Amazon region.
While we were busy with the work we had come to do, a cloud of concern hovered over us. Our medical and surgical supplies, so carefully documented and expeditiously shipped well ahead of our arrival, were being held in Customs, for no apparent reason.
Each day brought renewed hope that the supplies were to be put on “the next plane” from Bogota. As the project went on, our prayers became more fervent – but each subsequent day brought the addition of another layer of doubt that they would ever appear.
Meanwhile, the project proceeded at full tilt , bolstered by the supplies that were left from last year’s project (thank God!), and the 2500 pairs of glasses that were released from Customs last year, after we left the country.
We witnessed the wonders of healing, improved visions, and changed hearts. Team members shared their love for the Lord with the patients, and with each other.
As we worked, God was busy behind the scenes. I felt as if we witnessed the miracle of the loaves and fishes, for each time we were in danger of running out of a crucial piece of equipment ( intra-ocular lenses, eye drops for post-cataract treatments, sterilizing solution, etc.), we were somehow able to obtain more so we could continue to work.
The nurses in the OR found a way to make the most effective eye drapes out of minimal material; the clinic where they operated replenished our dwindling supply of gauze pads – and tablecloths from the Dollar Store, brought by one of the nurses “just in case”, became aprons for the surgeons.
As we set our sights on what we didn’t have, God quietly filled in the blank spaces…and 5,258 patients were served.
My heart overflows at the wonder of His providence – against all odds, God used His power to help us serve as many people as possible, minus the supplies that had not arrived.
It is so refreshing to know that our access to God is direct, without having to worry about regulations, or the whims of an intermediary.
And…there is nothing that would keep God from giving us what we need…just when we need it.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. ~Psalm 121:1-2
P.S. Our supplies finally did arrive…on the last day! (Thank you, Lord, in advance for providing our supplies for next year’s project!)
Visit the MMI Facebook page here
beWARM 
Thank you for your insights and descriptions! The Bible study that I teach has been praying, and with your permission, I would like to copy and paste this for them. How exciting to have a permanent center on the Amazon! God is in the business of salvation; He saves. Our position is to be still and watch the Lord at work! Reminds me of the Exodus story….He worked and the Israelites watched. Thankful for a God who saves!
Linda
Thank you for the prayers from your Bible study, Linda! And please do send it to them accompanied with the gratitude of everyone on our team. We have been both amazed and humbled at the enormity of His goodness! We were so thankful to have Mark with us, too….and we missed him during the second week!
I am warmed just hearing how prayers were answered & blessings flowed!
Indeed they did, Lois – and thanks for your prayers!
Prayed for the project every day! Wished I could have been there with you all!
And thank you so much, Sheila! We would have loved to have you and Bob with us! We will be praying for you and the Bolivia team….
Oh so good to hear from you !
What an amazing mission!
Welcome home…
Miss you! Here on my easier NYC mission…
Xo
Miss you, too – and know that your mission in NYC is meaningful – and helpful to those you are working with! xo
So happy you are safely home. I prayed for you all each day. What a wondrous gift you offer and what glorious gifts you receive in return.
Prayers were so needed…and appreciated! Thank you, Susan!!!
Reflecting today, I believe I understand that our God had a purpose for every piece of equipment, even the tiniest and least “significant” one – that was “supposed” to be used in Leticia this month – and it obviously (now, anyway) was to be for the future. While He is holding our tears of disappointment in His bottle, He has reminded us that He really is the One in charge – and His charge to us was only to trust, minute-by-minute, in Him and the bigger picture of salvation for His beloved Colombians. I was reminded while we were flying back of the Joseph story, and Joseph’s words to his brothers: “You intended to [deny] me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
A beautiful expression of what we know to be good and true, Betty – and the reference to Joseph’s story is so appropriate! Thank you for your words….and all of your hard work on the project!