Making People's Lives Better

Isaiah 35:4-5

"say to those with fearful hearts,"Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with diving retribution he will come to save you."

"Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped."

The 2016 team had their first meeting tonight, marking the official kickoff of the mission to take the gospel to Burkina Faso in 2016. The gospel is not the only thing that we are taking. We will also be administering eye exams which is a complicated and technical process that requires an attention to detail and passion for making people's lives better.

Making People's Lives Better

This simple phrase colored our medical training as we worked with an expert in optometry, ministry and missions to prepare for our trip. Every question about technicalities came back to this one simple objective: to make one more person's life a little bit better.

Old School Techniques

As junior optometrists, we are equipped with the most accurate equipment and procedures for administering eye exams and writing prescriptions. After viewing the medical kit, it was awesome to realize how all the shiny hardware at your local optometrist' office can be condensed and transferred all over the world. Our trainer and fellow missionary shared that he completed many optical ministry mission trips worldwide. His work with Save Vision Mission, our medical sponsors, has inspired him to invest in his own set.

During a class break, we learned from our instructor that he started out working with the youth during mission trips. After a few experiences, he realized that it would be best to simply work with the medical missions and has invested his life in this work. He does trainings regularly and cites Africa as his favorite mission field worldwide due to the joy and gratitude of the people.

Another notable moment from the old school equipment training is the fact that this process- a personal series of questions and tests administered with a variety of lenses is the MOST accurate method.

It's About Progress, Not Perfection

This small tip for working in general rang true as we surveyed the huge undertaking of serving the population of Burkina Faso. Ultimately, we are going to make people's lives better. If one person is able to read or if a child is saved from living with lazy eye with our help then we have achieved our goal. The optical mission will open the door for the gospel as we partner with deacons and co-missionaries to pray for people as they wait to get their eyes examined.