Tuesday's Clinic builds on our good start

We had breakfast at 7am and then rode to the clinic.  The setup of all of our stations only took a few minutes.  We sang some Swahili praise songs with our volunteers and Pastor Kevin did a nice devotion based on the Gospel of John.  He talked about the joys of working together to share the Good News, how it is not something God wants for us to do alone.  We strengthen and encourage each other along the way and build unity in the church.

We had another very good day for so early in the week, seeing 501 patients, with 34 of them coming to Christ for the first time or wanting to know more.  It was pretty steady all day long and the clinic is now running smoothly enough for us to see much larger numbers of people easily.  Our only limitations may be how well our supplies of reading glasses and distance lenses and frames hold out.  I expect a very good week, with one question mark hanging over us.  There is a national holiday on Thursday, so we may have a monster day or people may do other things with their families.  Whatever happens, we will take the best care that we can of the people that the Lord sends our way.

At the end of the day, during our team devotion, Bishop Bakari Kea asked if anyone had a testimony to share about the God things that had happened.  Several people talked and then I told my story.   I was near the doctor’s table when an older gentleman approach Dr. Lillian.  He had been there earlier and had been told that he needed cataract surgery and that we would pay for it.  He had decided not to go through with it, saying he was too old.  I remembered that old man who had been in the same seat the day before and how he eagerly looked forward to having his second eye done.  I posted about this yesterday and there is a picture of him with Dr. Lillian on my Facebook page (I’m Dave DeVore there, so check it out).  I pulled out my phone, got the picture displayed and we showed it to our patient.  He then agreed to the surgery and I am looking forward to following his progress through Catherine.  If the story ended there, it would have been fine.  That’s where I finished in front of the group.  Only later did I find out that Tammy had seen the many leave and heard his excuse.  She shouted to Dr Lillian “Is he really too old?”  Lillian said that he wasn’t.  She followed him outside and convinced him to return, which is the point at which my story had begun.  Just look at how Pastor Kevin’s message of working together to accomplish God’s purposes had played out and how many of us He had used in the process.  All I can say is a phrase we hear often in Kenya “God is good.  All the time!”

We just got back from dinner at Java House.  I’m about ready to call it a night.  We have a busy day tomorrow and are going to the Carnivore with Catherine right after the clinic.  We’ll change and freshen up a bit at the restaurant.  It’s similar to a Brazilian steak house, they bring you meat until you surrender by raising a little flag in front of you.  We may be in fairly late, so my next report may be delayed a little bit.  Thanks everybody for all of your prayers, they have been heard and wonderful things are happening by the minute here.  Praise God!