I have returned from the country of Nicaragua where our latest Global Infusion team of 37 optometrists (doctors), students and GI personnel treated 1,853 patients in less than a week. We were in both villages and small cities – we even had a door of opportunity open for us to treat over 200 local police officers and their families. We converted their main headquarters into a medical facility – we even invited their family members.
At one point, when the line had slowed down in the police station, I saw in the distance, a large cage attached to a building, and there were about 50 men in it. I found out, it was a jail, and the cage was the common area the prisoners would be deposited when their family members came for visitation. I walked over to the jail, and saw many women outside in line – mothers, sisters, wives, and girlfriends of the inmates. There were even some children. I saw their faces were greatly strained as the men in their lives have now been incarcerated and no longer able to provide for their family, or help at home. So I got an idea. When the women walked out of the jail, I stood there, and invited them over to our clinic – a free eye exam for them and their kids. While some of the cops whined about being in line so long, these women and children’s faces lit up, and they gladly followed me over to the clinic. As I was walking the women over to the make-shift clinic, the only thing in my mind was the Parable of the Great Supper in Luke 14 – where there is a man providing a great feast, and the invitees give every excuse in the book as to why they cannot come. However, when he goes to find the least of these, they gladly come. I’ve done a lot of missions work, but I couldn’t help but smile (and cry) as I led this group of women and children from the jail to the clinic, and I would turn around periodically to see if they were still with me – and not only were they with me, they were beaming with smiles, talking, laughing, and excited.
There is a field ready to be harvested, but it’s not always where you think it is.
