Wednesday Clinic and a word or two about our prayer ministry here

I am very happy with our clinic today, we saw almost exactly the same number of patients as yesterday even on a national holiday and with the Muslims celebrating the end of Ramadan.  We only saw 8 Muslims for care, so my feeling is the clinic would have been much bigger without those factors.  I am bracing myself for tomorrow, it may be very big and we are running full blast all day as it is.  Pray for strength for us and for us to continue to treat every patient as if they were the only person in the world.  These clinics are great for teaching you the discipline of living in the moment.

Speaking of prayer, each of our patients is prayed over individually before receiving the services we provide, such as custom made distance glasses, reading glasses, eyedrops or medications for their eyes or even being referred for cataract or other surgeries.  Once we determine the physical needs that we might be able to address, we ask our Christian clients if there is anything we can offer up in prayer for them.  For people of other faiths, we usually ask if they have any questions about the Gospel presentation they heard before entering the clinic.  Many do have questions and we tell them about our faith, many times with personal testimonies of what the Lord has done for us.  After that conversation, we offer to pray and almost no one, regardless of their faith walk, refuses to be prayed over.  They feel it is special that someone has come halfway around the world to pray for their specific needs.  You hear many heartbreaking cries for help ranging from whole families without jobs, sickness in the family, failing marriages, parents that worry about their college educated children that can't find work, the list just goes on and on.  Almost everyone over 40 years of age that comes to us needs reading glasses and always describes their eye problem as "I can't read my Bible."  That just recharges me, could you imagine hearing almost everyone in our country being as hungry for the Word of God?  For those folks, I always also include a prayer that their faith may be strengthened by being in the Living Word and that they may be a light to their families and to their communities.

One of the most powerful prayers I was part of on this trip was a man that asked the I pray for the hatred he had in his heart for someone.  It was really troubling him and we talked about how hate just eats at the one who hates, many times the other person doesn't even know anything about it.  I prayed fervently with him, laying hands on his shoulders and when we were done, both of us had moist eyes.  I feel that the Lord moved in his heart during the prayer.  Thank you Jesus!

We just got back from dinner at a Mediterranean Restaurant at the mall across the street and it was a very relaxing meal with a lot of good conversation around the table.  Even though we are small in number, I love this team and how incredibly focused each of us has been at the task at hand.  We always keep it light with humor and there is a good chemistry to this group.  I would serve with them anytime, anywhere again.

Just about time for bed, we need to keep our strength up to finish the week strong before Bill and I leave next Saturday for four days of wildlife photography, mostly birds.  Please continue to keep us in our prayers that our mission lead many to the Lord and heal many of their eye maladies.  Praise God!