Exploring the world of Mercy Ships: The eye team

Wanted to give you all a glimpse of some of the other things going on through Mercy Ships in the Congo... like I said in a previous post, I play only a very, VERY, minuscule part.

**Be sure to scroll down for some beautiful photos below!**

The eye team is like the honey bee of the medical world. They work insanely quickly & efficiently, providing 4,522 eye evaluations/treatments since we arrived in Pointe-Noire in August! That hard work equals 202 eye surgeries that have been performed so far, and it is only November! I know you are probably aware, but I still feel the need to point out that is not just a number. Behind that number are people whose lives have been dramatically transformed with the gift of sight! In the tents on the dock beside the ship the "reveal" ceremonies are held. Eye patches are removed from the patients who have had cataract surgery, and when they count the number of fingers on the hand held out in front of them, the whole tent erupts in celebration! The singing and dancing often goes on for a couple hours, all to the euphonious beat of African drums. Hearts are FULL. Joy abounds. 

I look for lessons in everything. Maybe a little bit too much? But my thought is: What is the point of life if not to learn from everything in it? Lessons from the eye team and the eye patients: 

>Each morning you open your eyes and can see, though what you are seeing may be an ungodly time on the alarm clock, give thanks for your vision before you even get out of bed. 

See how that changes your approach to the day. 

>Open your eyes to what is happening in the world around you. And by world, yes I mean the WORLD. This life is so much bigger than just you & I. Recently, when I find myself feeling a little "off", in a funk, annoyed, [insert other unbecoming emotions here], I pause to assess the ratio of focusing on myself to focusing on others... and the majority of the time I discover I am sitting in a giant puddle of preoccupation with my needs, my wants, my feelings. From there I have a choice: to wallow in that puddle or to turn my thoughts, my gaze, outward & upward. I don't always choose the latter, but I am 100% happier when I do, 100% of the time. If you haven't read my post about my perspective-shifting encounter with one of the eye patients several weeks ago, I invite you to join me here.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but to the interests of others. [Philippians 2:3-4]

All photos by Mercy Ships photographer Deb Bell