Luke 7:22  “And answering, Jesus said to them, Go and tell John what you have seen and heard; that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is proclaimed to the poor.”  Luke 4:18  “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me; because of this He has anointed Me to proclaim the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and new sight to the blind, to set at liberty those having been crushed,” Modern King James

There are many verses in both the Old Testament and New Testament about the blind seeing again – we are seeing the same here on the Africa Mercy once again through life-changing surgery for adults, teens and children who are blind primarily from cataracts.  As of March 10^th, 461 patients received their sight restored (214 Men, 247 Female – all adults except for 6 children ~ part of the statistics that I report out weekly).  We continue this week and four more weeks of surgery including two weeks of special pediatric eye surgery under general anesthesia for 25 children born blind.  From the donations I have in my office, my day crew and I filled small bag packs with small gifts items for each of the children aged from one to ten years old.  They will be given the gifts at their final discharge.  I can’t wait to hear the results of these special ones surgeries.

Some reports from Dr. Glenn and Kim Strauss about those who have already had their surgery:  “I want to declare this day, the 17^th of February, ‘The Day for the Celebration of Sight’!” Says Rita, who dances in her pink patterned dress, able to see for the first time in years. “Every year on this day, you must praise God with your family,” she shouts. “Praise God that we have sight!!!”  A 19-year old woman who was blind for the last three years who now plans to complete her education now that she can see, and an 8-year old boy who now has improved vision and who can carry on life as an independent individual.

Another man was very interested and had recently been given a Bible.  He was excited to know more and was going to use his new eyes to go home and read that Bible!  Others had lost faith due to their blindness and wanted to tell us how their sight had brought their faith back to them.

A mother, who brought her blind 16 year old daughter to our Eye Team, told them that not long ago a local pastor’s wife came into the market sharing Christ.  This woman had accepted Christ then, but the pastor’s wife came back weeks later and told her about Mercy Ships and that she should bring her daughter.  At screening she was told we would only do one eye, but when our ophthalmologist Dr. Glenn saw her, he decided to do both on the same day!

One last short report:  A friend took a picture of a patient because he could now see.  She showed it to him.  When he looked, he let out a loud whoop! And began laughing hysterically!  He had not realized that he had gotten that OLD!!  Hahahahahaha!

Please continue to pray for our surgical patients – for physical healing but also impact on their emotional and spiritual life.

Serving Together,   Keith