CarolBeth Elliott:

    One highlight for me was seeing the almost 2300 people we saw fit with appropriate glasses. A really exciting highlight was that the nationals we worked with in the past years as well as this year, especially Yesudass and Gracy’s crew, learned to set up and run the clinics themselves. We left additional glasses with Gracy and she intends to do some clinics at their home! This is really gratifying to me. The additional highlight is that I got to see a bit of London and Paris on our return trip.  A totally unexpected bonus! (A snow storm at Heathrow cancelled our flight out of India for 3 days which gave us the opportunity to be a tourist for those days!)

Dan and Teri Riester:

We give God the glory for the spiritual seeds that were planted and watered in India. God gives the faithful increase. We also have to agree with Kevin and Gretchen, the most fulfilling aspect of our mission was the look of joy and gratitude on the faces and in the expressions of affection from these wonderful people of India. I have never been kissed by so many elderly women in my whole life. Teri and I stood on top of a beautiful church in the country near Chittor. An unforgettable experience for me was Pastor Jesse providing the opportunity for me to preach at this church. I taught on Romans 12:2, being transformed by the renewing of the mind. We were certainly transformed by this mission.

A Christian translator in India told me, “I could serve these people my whole life.” We thought likewise. We were so blessed by what we experienced that Teri and I are returning in May and in December for the Children’s Ministry. A last minute idea that we came up with on this trip was to purchase 200 Bibles in the languages of Tamil, Telegu, Kannada, and English to distribute to the children in Bangalore, on the last night of our journey. These Bibles were suppose to cost $2.50 each but with the purchase of 200,  they only cost $2.00 each. Part of our future mission is to ensure that every child and widow we meet is provided with a Bible.

Paul tells us in Thessalonians, “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for You.” We should never stop thanking Jesus for what he has done for us on the cross and what he continues to do in our lives. We would like to thank the body of Christ for their prayers and financial support. Hallelujah!

Kevin and Gretchen Keighron:

The most meaningful aspect of our mission to India was our ability to work with the local pastors to serve their people. We were able to improve the eyesight of 2300 people, thereby enriching their lives, enabling them to better perform their everyday tasks both in their homes and in the work place. This eye car project will provide the pastors the opportunity to continue their Christian mission throughout the villages that we served. The look of joy, astonishment and gratitude on the faces of these beautiful people made the trip so meaningful to us.

Jesse Liles:  

I have many fond memories of the people of India as this was my 7th time to be in Southern India. This was my 3rd eye care ministry trip.  What was memorable to me?  We served in a new village, outside the Kolar Gold Field area that was a village comprised mostly of Marxist’s. Karl Marx’s picture was in the building we used for the clinic and in the house that served us food. This village knew little about Jesus, in fact one of our patients said to one of us, “Thank you, comrade.  ” Yesudass, one of the Church Planter’s said “Your eye care clinic has provided inroads so that we can begin to talk with the leaders and the people of this village.” My prayer is that our work will serve as a bridge of love to that Marxist village.

THANKS: We acknowledge the efforts of all who did so much to make this endeavor possible. You prayed, cleaned, read and packaged glasses, drove us to the airport and gave money. Thanks to Pat Trout who helped organize the glasses and trained us in refracting. Rummel’s Eye Care provided training and medical supplies. Dr. Matthew Sullivan and Dr. Jon Bundy of Eyecare Associates of Prescott advised us as well. Vicki Hamrick spent many hours reading and marking the used glasses we obtained from the Lions Eye Bank. Thanks to David Curtis who encourages us and supplies glasses at his cost.  Also, thanks to Mike at Alcon Medical Mission Project, who supplied “Tears” eye drops.

NEXT trip early in 2010. Contact me if you are interested, 928-445-5520 or jesseliles@cableone.net.

PRAYER REQUESTS FOR 2010: funds to purchase glasses and purchase a Portable Nikon Auto Refractor; ability to purchase glasses in India; partnership with Bangalore Baptist Hospital for a site for free cataract surgery; funds to be raised for team members and perhaps 2 teams.