A missionary ophthalmologist in Southeast Asia shares the following testimony for our community:

In December, our eye team returned for a second time to the southern part of our province to a remote village called to conduct a surgical eye outreach for the poor in that region. It takes two days to travel to this village. During a typical surgical outreach, the team generally works long hours in remote settings with the goal of helping as many people as possible. The cumulative joy and excitement of so many patients whose vision has been restored, however, more than compensates for the travel and long days in clinic and surgery.

This joy expressed by so many whose vision has been restored is infectious to all who witness it. It is not uncommon in the mornings (when we take off the eye patches) to have not only the patients and family members smiling, laughing and even crying (tears of joy), but pretty much the rest of the staff as well!

Below are few of the patient stories from the outreach in December:

• When a team member asked one man who had been blind for a year what he wanted to do now that he could see, he said “The first thing I want to do when I get home is kiss my wife! I haven’t seen her face in a whole year.”
• Another woman was a traditional birth attendant. In order to have her attend a birth, people would have to come get her and walk her carefully to their house because she was blind. She was so excited that she could see again that she kept answering for other people and excitedly calling out how many fingers were being held up to test people’s vision after the bandages had come off. Although she had continued to deliver babies when she was blind, she admitted it would be safer now that she could see!
• One man said he was a farmer and after becoming blind in both eyes was unable to work in his fields. His adult son had to care for him and take on all the work of the farm. He knew he had become a burden to his son and was so excited to be able to see again and contribute to the work of his family farm.
• A 38 year old woman who had lost the vision in one eye from a motorcycle accident years before, had become blind from a cataract in her only eye 5 months before the eye team arrived. She said she wasn’t sure what she would do to care for herself after becoming blind. She was very happy to be able to see again and plan for her new life as a sighted person.

We were able to perform 74 sight restoring surgeries during the four outreach days. The team performed beautifully and has developed an expertise in conducting mobile surgical outreaches. We are thankful for the local clinic staff who contributed greatly to the success of the outreach.

One of the doctors in the local clinic, where the outreach above was held, reflected on the reactions of the patients and the experience of witnessing the restoring of sight to the blind. She referred to the experience as like being a part of a miracle.

So who is the miracle worker? Is it the doctors and other members of the eye team? No, clearly not. We basically showed up to work and did the medical care we have been trained and equipped to do. Was it the local clinic staff?

No. However, they did play a role in announcing the outreach, pre-screening patients and assisting the eye team. The real miracle worker prepared for us this opportunity, or should I say gave us the privilege of being a part of it. Am I just being humble? Well yes, because that is the appropriate position to take when one realizes he is only a very small thread of a much more beautiful tapestry God is weaving. We don’t know how this outreach will ultimately impact the people of this 90% Muslim community for eternity – but God does.

Restoring physical sight to the blind is certainly a worthy goal, but ultimately is not of much eternal significance if the person remains spiritually blind to the truth of God’s amazing grace offered to us through Jesus Christ. We pray that the prayers we prayed with each patient before surgery will be answered – that not only will their physical sight be restored, but also that they might come to know the One who offers salvation through His free gift of grace.

We know from the testimony of others who have become followers of Christ coming from other faith backgrounds, that when they personally experienced believers extending kindness to them, faith in the One who saves becomes more attractive to them. As we try to share the love of Christ with others, we hope He will be glorified and seen clearly as the true miracle worker.