We had a great vision clinic as part of Go Inc with Amor Ministries in June in Tijuanna, Mexico. We did 5 clinics - Sat. at one location, Mon- Tues at a 2nd location and Wed. -Thurs. at a 3rd location. We tested over 1250 people using the auto refractor, and 2 doctors most of the time. If you recall, I call you periodically with odd questions about the system and yet, God faithfully provides us with tech. people on the trips who run with the program once they "get it". And we ,each day at the clinics, praise the Lord for giving you the vision and "smarts" to come up with the system.

We so value the auto refractor system you put together. What a blessing it has been on 2 Mexico trips and 1 Haiti trip in the last year and a half. Everyone that works with it, loves it! Two doctors that came on the trip with us this summer thought it was so helpful and wonderful, too. We thank God for giving you this vision to help so many receive new vision in the name of Jesus! God bless you and this wonderful ministry!

I went to Mexico this year for the fourth time, but it felt like my first because the last time I went was 15 years ago. I went as a High School Junior in 1995, a Senior in 1996 and as a college student in 1998. I remembered Mexico differently because, back then, I was younger and thinner and I was on one of the work sites. I remember the great reward I felt when working hard all week and then seeing the family’s faces when presenting them with their new home. Even though it was more like what a tool shed would be for us here in the states, the people there were so grateful for this “shack”. This time around I did something different. I was on the vision team. (Show pic #1)

Together, these machines assisted us in getting a reading of the eyes and printed out prescriptions we had available in our large inventory of glasses. The computer system would also let us know if the person only needed reading glasses or in some cases, no glasses at all and then they would just get sunglasses, however, everyone got sun glasses.

I wasn't seeing any of the results of the people getting glasses because all I did was print out a slip and hand it to the next member of our vision team so they could get the glasses for that person and help them try them on. I wasn't feeling rewarded for my deeds and was feeling a little down because of it. We were so busy, just one person after the next and so on and I was started to get kind of bogged down when low and behold we had a lull in the line and an elderly lady came up to me and was grinning from ear to ear and showed me her new glasses and hugged me about three times and kept shaking my hand and wanted a photo taken with me. (Show pic #3 and #4) That was so cool and it made me feel really good.

This situation made me think about something I read in a book called “Disrupted” written by the co-founder of Amor Ministries, Gayla Congdon. This book is about cultivating a mission-focused life. She signed the copy that I bought and wrote “May you continue to embrace a life of disruption-go boldly into the world and disrupt!” This saying “embrace a life of disruption” was on a big sign posted near the entrance of the Amor campsite. (Show pic #5)

There is a quote in her book that says “The participant’s need for immediate gratification was making it all about themselves.” This made me realize that, when I was not feeling rewarded about seeing the results of how happy people were to receive their glasses, that I am selfish. We all take the blessings we have for granted. It’s amazing all the blessings of richness we have here in the U.S., such as green grass and trees, the ability to wash our hands with soap and running water, our medical insurance, comfortable beds and recliners and the roofs over our head that are not put together with garage doors, billboards and cardboard. The list could go on and on. I have so much to be thankful for and I don't thank God enough for what he has blessed me with. If Jesus can die on a cross for my sins, I think I can stand ten days of being disrupted and out of my comfort zone because it is what God has called us to do.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.”

God, you are amazing! Thank you, Lord, for all that you bring to us and all that you do for us, whether or not we realize it. Thank you for so richly blessing us. Help us to not be selfish, but instead to embrace a life of disruption and go boldly into the world and disrupt. Help us not to seek gratification in serving you through serving others, but to be humbled and full of grace. It’s in your precious and holy name we pray. Amen.