I spent the past month busily preparing for the MOST Ministries eyeglass and dental team that came from June 12-19. They were such a blessing for me, for the Peru mission team, and MOST of all for the people of Lunahuaná.
Lunahuaná is a district, and within the district there are 9 annexes. I would compare Lunahuaná to a county and the annexes to the towns/cities within the county. Anthony and I worked with the Municipality in Lunahuaná to prepare for the Third Annual Eyeglass clinic and the first Dental Clinic, meeting with the local leadership, inspecting the facilities (checking for restrooms, water, electricity, tables, and chairs), and advertising throughout the area.
On June 12, when the team of 14 arrived from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa, we picked them up at at the Lima airport at 5 a.m., and, after a slight delay with dental equipment, we were on our way to Lunahuaná.
We traveled to a different annex each day, one of which was on the other side of the river, and we had to cross two bridges made of branches to get there. Thankfully the locals helped us carry all the eyeglasses and dental equipment across. Even our municipality coordinator, Diana, who was 9 months pregnant crossed the river. (I said "was" because the day after the clinic ended, and two days after crossing the wooden bridge, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy!)
I don't remember the exact numbers, but we gave glasses to over 500 people and dental help to over 100. We distributed more than 700 pairs of glasses, as some people got two pairs, one for reading and for distance. Some of the people were in their 70's or 80's and had never owned a pair of glasses in their life. The expression on their faces when they could finally see was priceless! What a joy to be able to serve them in that way!
Not only were we able to meet the physical needs of many people in Lunahuaná through the team, it was an awesome opportunity to tell everyone about the Bibles studies for children and adults and worship that we will be starting in Lunahuaná on July 6. Anthony designed a pamphlet thoroughly describing the beliefs of the Lutheran church, which led to many conversations and opportunities for evangelism at the clinic. We also made a flyer with our schedule of events on every first and third Wednesday of the month, when we will be returning to Lunahuaná for Bible studies and worship.
MOST Ministries, Anthony, and I began planning for this clinic and scheduled the date back in October. At the time, we didn't know what great timing it would be, but God did. It was humbling, amazing and encouraging to see His hand in everything. From the date of the clinic and how it coincided with our move to Lima and the start of worship in Lunahuaná, to translators dropping out at the last minute and getting even better translators to replace them, God worked mightily throughout the week.
We are SO grateful to the team who came to help others see, both physically and spiritually.
