This was my sixth GHO trip to Nicaragua. Not being a medical professional, my primary role has been to run the Reading Glass Clinic. This year, we operated two stations with two interpreters with either me and one other logistics person or two (with me organizing and restocking glasses and answering questions). In the four days, we saw 545 patients! Thanks to the generous donation of a couple of donors, I was able to also bring along 8 cases of eye drops and 96 pair of sunglasses. They were all gone by the end of the third day.
But my real passion and ministry has become working with the VBS leaders by performing Gospel Magic for the children. As an amateur magician, I realized in that first year that teaching children (as well as others) about God and Jesus through gospel illusions is a great way to capture and hold their attention and build relationships that allow the actual message of salvation to be heard. I perform both fun tricks as well as serious gospel illusions to build the rapport with the children. This has worked well as each day, we tend to have more and more children participating.
For the past two years, something special has occurred. Thanks to the help of the local pastors, we have been invited to also share our program in the public schools in the area. This year, we opened our program with my illusions and followed that up with an abbreviated VBS program (salvation bracelets, testimonies, the Four Spiritual Laws in Spanish, etc.) and presented to about 120 children at each of three public schools and about 100 teens at a Christian high school. We get to spend about a half hour with each class, occupying most of the afternoon. While a little skeptical at first, even the teachers and the principals become interested and involved. This is having a huge impact in the communities that we serve. I am both amazed and blessed that these opportunities have opened up. God is good!
But my real passion and ministry has become working with the VBS leaders by performing Gospel Magic for the children. As an amateur magician, I realized in that first year that teaching children (as well as others) about God and Jesus through gospel illusions is a great way to capture and hold their attention and build relationships that allow the actual message of salvation to be heard. I perform both fun tricks as well as serious gospel illusions to build the rapport with the children. This has worked well as each day, we tend to have more and more children participating.
For the past two years, something special has occurred. Thanks to the help of the local pastors, we have been invited to also share our program in the public schools in the area. This year, we opened our program with my illusions and followed that up with an abbreviated VBS program (salvation bracelets, testimonies, the Four Spiritual Laws in Spanish, etc.) and presented to about 120 children at each of three public schools and about 100 teens at a Christian high school. We get to spend about a half hour with each class, occupying most of the afternoon. While a little skeptical at first, even the teachers and the principals become interested and involved. This is having a huge impact in the communities that we serve. I am both amazed and blessed that these opportunities have opened up. God is good!
Richard is amazing with children and adults alike. While I was filling prescriptions, he was filling hearts with JOY and untiringly opening eyes with the miracle of Glasses. YES GOD IS GOOD. .kate