I started my journey with GHO in 2016 as a servant on a team to El Salvador under the leadership of Dr. Frank Imbarrato. When I signed up, I signed up to work in the Children's Ministry. It wasn't long until I was introduced to the eye glass ministry and that has been my passion ever since! There can't be any more joy than putting a pair of glasses on a patient who hasn't been able to read their Bible's for an extended period of time and now they can. Or watching the lady who sews for a living be able to thread the needle without difficulty because she has been blessed with a pair of "magnifiers/readers!" Children have also been blessed by the donation of a pair of glasses that were refurbished by the Lion's Club and were the perfect fit for a child in another country whose family wasn't able to afford prescription glasses.
On this last trip to San Miguel under the leadership of Lloyd Defoor, we partnered with Global Vision 2020 and was able to give patients prescription quality glasses for distance vision. By using the auto-refractor supplied in the GV 2020 kit, each patient was fitted with a pair of glasses that was perfect for them. I look forward to the next opportunity I have to be able to work in the eye glass ministry and see blinded eyes now able to see and read! I feel that I was well trained by "senior leaders" who had been taught by others through the years and now am able to "run" the eye glass clinic.
Another joy of going and serving is being able to mentor the younger members of the team. Watching them learn and take responsibility and being actively involved gives me great joy and peace in knowing that when I am no longer able to go and serve, the eye glass ministry will be in good hands.
On this last trip to San Miguel under the leadership of Lloyd Defoor, we partnered with Global Vision 2020 and was able to give patients prescription quality glasses for distance vision. By using the auto-refractor supplied in the GV 2020 kit, each patient was fitted with a pair of glasses that was perfect for them. I look forward to the next opportunity I have to be able to work in the eye glass ministry and see blinded eyes now able to see and read! I feel that I was well trained by "senior leaders" who had been taught by others through the years and now am able to "run" the eye glass clinic.
Another joy of going and serving is being able to mentor the younger members of the team. Watching them learn and take responsibility and being actively involved gives me great joy and peace in knowing that when I am no longer able to go and serve, the eye glass ministry will be in good hands.
The Eye Glass Ministry is such an important part of a medical mission trip. Unless you can help the patient see, giving them a Bible is almost useless.