I Left My Heart In Sri Lanka

We’ve travelled to Sri Lanka often enough that it’s familiar and comfortable. Two short flights from our base in India, it’s on the same time zone, so no jet lag this trip. (If you have experienced jet-lag, you understand that this is a wonderful thing)  Peeling off layers of clothes as the heat and humidity embraces us, we are welcomed by our friends and hosts Layasing and Deepthi.  

The Peacock is Sri Lanka's National Bird

During our three-week stay in Sri Lanka, we found ourselves encouraging several people with God's promise that this would be a year where the 'fruit was sweet'.  That God is bringing his people into a season of mature, sweet tasting fruit, not immature and sour fruit.

Why is this encouraging?  Because as you work for Jesus in a country where only 7.4% of the people believe in Jesus - it can be discouraging. It's natural to want to see results 'now', but fruit that is sweet takes time to mature.  God’s promise is that we will reap the harvest – if we don’t become weary and give up. (Galatians 6:9)

Eye Clinics are an effective tool to share the love of Jesus while meeting a practical need.  We travelled to four different villages, performed basic eye exams for 321 people, gave free eyeglasses as needed, and prayed for everyone.  These are people who work hard for a living, many barely making enough to feed their family. Eyeglasses are totally unaffordable – but desperately needed:  to read, to pluck tea leaves, to clean the rice and lentils that are the mainstay of their daily diet.  The message that Jesus loves them softens hearts to receive the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.  

Sharing a word of encouragement with believers in the village of Panama was a humbling experience.  They are continually persecuted for their faith.  The Buddhist monk who controls the village has declared that ‘there will never be a church here.’  Yet they continue strong in their faith, meeting in home groups. During the Sunday service in Siyambalanduwa, Gary shared a powerful word on ‘Another Touch’.  After service we were honored to set the ceremonial cornerstone for a ten-foot expansion to the church a hall - a simple concrete structure that is filled to overflowing!  What a wonderful problem to have. 

Weekdays found us embracing our inner child and acting out Bible stories for the students at Adara Sevana – a school for the differently abled.  Their smiles and hugs convey their joy, even though they are unable to verbally communicate with us.  After morning chapel we spent time just being with them: sorting and stringing beads to help with hand-eye coordination and basic cognitive function or working on our laptops while they did their letters and numbers.

You are an important part of reaching hearts for Jesus through your faithful prayers, giving and ongoing encouragement. that enables us to share His love wherever He sends us. Thank you!  

Little pieces of our hearts are left in every nation we visit - Sri Lanka continues to call us back.  

May your heart be drawn deeper into the heart of God.  May His plans and purposes for your life be your priority every day.

The Journey Continues ~ Gary and Pat

It's Not Glamorous

Counting down: It’s less than three weeks until we head to India for an extended stay. 

It looks like a bomb went off in the house. 

• Piles of items set aside for the neighborhood yard sale clutter the downstairs and garage. We’ve cleaned out dark corners of our closets, borrowed tables, and slapped bright yellow price tags on everything. 
  
  
• The spare room overflows with piles that need to fit into our four allotted suitcases.
• An entire suitcase will contain eyeglasses for village eye clinics.
• Another one will hold children’s church materials, gifts for our Indian family and friends, a few household items for our apartment (called a flat) plus specific vitamin supplements and personal care items that are a challenge to find in India.
• We’ll fit our clothes around everything else to cushion anything breakable.

Pre-trip planning also involves preparing our hearts.  

• Staying open to what God has for this trip. Although we have been to India many times, every trip is different.  
• Times of prayer and fasting where we invite Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts, expand our vision and capacity to walk out His will and purpose. 

A song called “New Wine” speaks to our hearts.  We need to know what God is doing now, at this time, for this trip and the people we will minister to.  'New wine' speaks of a fresh anointing from Holy Spirit.  We are very aware that we need Holy Spirit to lead, guide and protect us as we go. This is why your prayers are so important to us. We feel ‘bubble-wrapped’, at peace and safe because of your prayers for us.

Make me Your vessel

Make me an offering

Make me whatever You want me to be

I came here with nothing

But all You have given me

Jesus bring new wine out of me

So I yield to You, into Your careful hand

When I trust You I don't need to understand

Listen to the song

Lyrics to the song

Siliguri Sunrise Awaits (Photo by Samuel Kahling)

(Photo by Brenda Williams)

Thank you for following our journey.

Thank you for praying.

The Journey Continues ~ Pat

"Now Lord, .... enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." 

Acts 4:29-39 NIV

Fresh Outlook

During our recent overseas mission trip, we received a request from Josh, who attends the same church as Pat's sister Cyndy, (who has accompanied us on missions trips before), asking if he could come for a week to be a part of our ministry in India.

We said, 'Yes!'  He worked out his schedule to join us for his first overseas mission trip.  Here is Josh's view of what it was like to be in India on a mission trip.  We pray that you will be encouraged to follow the heart of God wherever He leads you.  Enjoy!

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My time in India was better than I had hoped for.  I arrived at the airport preparing myself for an eye-opening experience.  Gary and Pat along with Pastor Megha, met me and we were off into traffic. In the U.S. everyone stays in their lanes and follows the rules of the road.  In India however, it is what I can only describe as chaotic sympathy.  Driving is in the left lane and that is more of a suggestion then the rule.  Honking is not considered rude, it is a way of communicating and Indian drivers are constantly communicating. I loved how crazy it was and how well it seemed to work!

Gary and Pat spent time with me showing me around the area so I could soak up the culture to better understand life in India.  We took trips to the tea hills of Darjeeling with the view of the Himalaya Mountains, as well as the to markets in the area we lived.

My first outreach experience was to a small and very poor tea plantation village.  There we sang worship songs and I gave a short message on the story of David and Goliath to 40 young children, that was translated into Bengali.  Afterwards, we handed out cookies to all the children that were present.

The next day was a free eye clinic that Gary and Pat have established here as an evangelistic tool to help reach the community with the love of Jesus. This day was very special.  In 6 hours we saw 80 people come to receive free eye exams, free glasses and prayer. 


Gary, after he did the eye exams showed me how to use the instruments to find the correct prescription and let me do quite a few that needed reading glasses.  I was filled with joy to help and watch the smiles grow as the people began to see clearly for the first time. The highlight was no doubt when a gentleman received reading glasses and was asked to open the Bible that he was given to see if he was able to see and read correctly.  He randomly opens God's word and starts reading how Jesus heals the blind!  I tear up with happiness at how beautiful God works.

At the Eye Clinic - all are prayed for

That Sunday, I was told by Pastor Mike that if I wanted to say a few words at the Sunday Church service that he would let me have some time.  I felt fear come in as I thought about getting up in front of the congregation, but God whispered, 'say yes.'  So I told Pastor Mike I would be happy to.  As I thought about what to share and what would be meaningful, I felt to share my testimony.  It went well and I hope my words reached and encouraged whoever God had in mind.

Travelling by Auto Rickshaw (aka Tuk-Tuk)

This trip was unbelievable and I felt God's presence the whole time.  I was blessed to make this trip with Gary and Pat as they show God's love through kindness and care in ways that have an instant and powerful impact.  The family I made on this trip will forever be in my heart and I plan to provide continued support and God willing set dates for my next visit soon.

I learned on this trip that we don't always need to know what is next; we just need to listen for God's calling and walk boldly in faith.  When we do this God blesses us and the people we serve in ways that are far beyond our imagination."

God Bless - Josh

Trunkfuls of Eyeglasses!

What would you do with a trunkful of used eye glasses?
What about several trunkfuls of eye glasses?

Why not host an "Eyeglass Sorting Party"?  Invite a few friends over, offer to feed them lunch and put them to work.

A friend from church generously donates the excess eyeglasses from her business.  Our crew sorts out the single vision glasses (lenses for both eyes are essentially the same).  Then we label them, bag them by strength, and they are ready to go on our next mission trip.

Eyeglasses that we are not able to use are donated to two other non-profit organizations that are able to replace the existing lenses with new prescriptive lenses.

Thank you to the crew - you know who you are!
Sorry to the workers who left before photos were taken!

Click on any of these links to see reports from some of the eyeglass clinics we do in developing nations:

Sri Lanka Eye Clinic          Mexico Eye Clinic        Ghana Eye Clinic

"... and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." Malachi 3:10b

We can't wait to see the lives that will be changed for good, touched by the love of Jesus, through these eyeglasses.

Stay tuned for reports as the journey continues.....

Thambalagamuwa: Day 2 of 2

Today we returned to the general area of Thambalagamuwa, but another 15 or 10 minutes further up the road, at the home of one of the members of the church.
As always, people were already waiting well ahead of the clinic start time. As the day continued, people kept arriving via foot, motorcycle, tuk tuk, and motor scooter, and waited patiently in the shade of the trees and patio in our host's yard.

Totals exceeded what was expected to be a short day. In 4 hours & 50 minutes active working time, we gave:
 148 total eye exams &
 128 pairs of eye glasses.

That's 148 distinct individuals who thought it worth their time to wait, sometimes hours, for a basic eye exam, in hopes of receiving help for vision impairment. And that's 148 people of differing religions and backgrounds who received time and personal attention and care from our team - including our host family, two local pastors, and one pastor's wife - who all agreed it is a privilege to be a tangible & useful expression of how Jesus loves.

Please be encouraged right where you are: You don't have to travel away from home to be used by God to show His love.  It doesn't have to be the biggest or the most lavish anything - you just have to look, and God will help you see a genuine need you have the ability to fill.


In case you wondered at the difference between the numbers of eye exams and distributed glasses, there are varied reasons some people do not receive eyeglasses at these clinics.
The best scenario is when they have perfect vision. Other reasons are typically for situations we cannot cover: different prescriptions in each eye, cataracts, glaucoma, injury to the eye, or extreme prescriptions strengths.

This gentleman informed us that he is a tailor and the reading glasses he received today will be very helpful in his daily work.



















After we'd finished the last exam and packed up our gear, our gracious hosts served tea in a traditional village manner, with chunks of hakuru or jaggery, a raw sweetener made from reduced kithul palm tree sap - you take a small bite of the hakuru then a sip of tea - yum!



On our return journey, we again debarked to portage at a very deep and rough section of the road. The little van has been impressive on its inaugural road trip with 5 adults and eye clinic luggage, but this would have been asking too much.





 
Once back in Trincomalee, we refueled with dinner at Trinco Lanka Seafood Restaurant, owned by friends of the local pastor - amazing fresh seafood! In a show of sisterly love, I gladly gave up my shrimp heads for Gary to enjoy.

Tomorrow we return to the same home for morning church service, and then continue our 6-ish hour drive back to Moratuwa.

This is a perfect illustration of the contrast in both geography and population between my home state of Montana and the nation of Sri Lanka. On developed roads in Sri Lanka (population: just under 21 million), with villages and towns peppered along many segments, the 6-ish hours covers about 270 km, or 168 miles. 
In Montana (population: just over 1 million, in a land mass almost 6 times that of Sri Lanka) the drive of 165 miles from Kalispell to Drummond will take just under 3 hours, through mountain & lakeside communities. You may see a few cows, deer, elk, bear - but not an abundance of three-wheel tuk-tuks. (Note: Click the text links for more information.)

 

And then Monday we rest up and prep for the week ahead - me to travel homeward, and Pat & Gary and the local team to prep for services in Moratuwa and eye clinics in Buttala. We appreciate all your support for this journey and your continued prayers.

-Cyndy 

Thambalagamuwa: Day 1 of 2

Well, grand totals from today's eye clinic in Thambalagamuwa set a new record for a single day clinic thus far:
 -186 people's eyes examined
 -141 pairs of glasses given away.
And this all in 6 hours and 20 minutes of working time.
Exams started at 9:40 AM, paused for a short lunch break in the early afternoon, and the last one finished at 5:05 PM.

There is a bit of a back story to this amazing day unfolding as it did.
The Methodist pastor's requests to build a church have been denied by local officials. But when he brought a request for permission to hold the eye clinic at a private location in the district, the same officials said, "Why don't you hold it at our district government offices?" So, this morning's clinic started with formal greetings and addresses from several district representatives, as well as the local pastor who laid the groundwork & coordinated logistics.

We saw a fair number of students in the morning, many brought by their parents with permission from the school officials.

During both the morning and afternoon, many area police officers took their break time to wait for an exam. We saw this as a positive opportunity to build goodwill relationships with more local officials.

The caption that sprung to mind for this next scene was:
How many Reverends does it take to examine the eyes of a Buddhist monk?
(From these pictures, the answer, apparently, is three!)

The entire day was an amazing example of eye clinics - or any relevant answer to an actual need - opening doors and building relationship bridges - and relationship opens doors of the heart and mind for the very relevant Gospel of Jesus to be heard.
-Cyndy

Hiniduma Update

Apologies for the update delay.
Since arriving Sunday evening back at our base in Moratuwa, we've had a busy few days visiting Adara Savana, the school for differently-abled, sorting glasses for our next clinics, and a couple outside events. (Plus trying to sleep just a bit...and enjoying some tasty "short eats", as they call certain traditional snack foods prepared by local vendors.)

To catch up, I'll focus this post on our last eye clinic.

After resigning ourselves to not being able to travel to Sunday's planned location due to flood danger, we were blessed with clear skies, and were able to join with the local church in Hiniduma for Sunday morning service.

Immediately following the service, we set up the clinic and got to work with exams and dispensing eyeglasses. The pastor, his mother, and sister graciously opened their home near the church to host the afternoon's clinic.

To reiterate, this home was flooded up to the roof just in May 2017.
It's a bit hard to tell from this next picture, but the still-high river level is currently 15-20 feet down the fairly steep riverbank behind their home. The floodwaters in May came up so quickly that some - including the pastor's family - had to be rescued from their rooftops, but we heard testimonies of thankfulness that they were able to get to safety, even though many homes required extensive repair.

We were inspired by the resourcefulness and lack of self-pity in the midst of heart-breaking and extremely difficult scenarios.

One gentlemen attending the clinic shared that he needed glasses because his were lost in the chaos of the flood.



 This little grandma, who is 76 years old, still has to support herself through the backbreaking work as a tea picker on a local estate. It has become very hard for her to even see the select leaves she must pluck. Her prescription ended up being a Coke-bottle-bottom -6.00 strength - the strongest glasses we had with us.

And why, you may ask, is this gentleman threading a needle? He works as an umbrella repairman, and so this is the perfect practical double-check of his diagnosed prescription.

In 2 hours and 40 minutes, 98 people had their eyes examined, and 83 received free eyeglasses, thanks to the generosity of many of you reading this. Thank you so much for being a vital part of this exciting journey in Sri Lanka.

Tomorrow we drive about 6 hours northeast to Trincomalee, where we will hold clinics in nearby settlements on Friday and Saturday. I've never been to this area, and am looking forward to seeing new regions of this beautiful country and meeting more of its gracious people. Stay tuned!

- Cyndy

INDIA 2016!

Hi Everyone!

Where has the summer gone?  September 22 was the start of Autumn and the weather has changed even in Las Vegas. There is a sense of Fall in the air.

One thing that has not changed for us  - is our desire to see people touched with the compassion of Jesus!

Pat and I have been ministering in India since 1996 and it is like our second home. Our local contacts, who we have known for over 20 years, have requested that we come to do Eye Vision Clinics.  Since Pat is not able to accompanying me on this trip, I have invited a friend to join me. He is a seasoned missionary whom I have taken to India on numerous occasions.

This will be a pioneering trip. We will need to find an eyeglass wholesaler where we can buy glasses and optical equipment at a good price.  We will also be setting up the places to hold eye clinics in March 2017 when Pat and I plan to return.

Pray with us that the Lord will bring us someone with a heart to be trained to do eye exams and run the clinics when Pat and I are not able to be there.

As you know, Pat and I are not ashamed to ask you to pray for our mission work.  We need as much prayer covering as we can amass.  An itinerary has been set up for ministry in churches, Bible schools and conferences. The situation in India is changing, with the government's attitudes towards Christianity and funding coming into the country from outside sources making it more difficult to minister.

Harry Lovell and I leave for India on October 31st and return November 22nd.
I will be posting updates as I can so please follow our Journey With God to India!

Thank you for partnering with us and thank you for your prayers!

Gary

BUT GOD .....

A Buddhist Monk, a Hindu High Priest and a Witch Doctor walk into a Eye Clinic .... seriously, this is no joke, it actually happened!

While contemplating what happened and what we experienced during our Sri Lanka trip, we cannot help but give God all the glory!

While Conferences, Seminars, Crusades and Church Meetings are an important tool to bring the Word of God to feed the spiritually hungry, we have found that by doing Eye Vision Clinics, we get to interact with people of different religions, ideology and beliefs that we would never get to touch in a church setting.

That is why we are so thankful to the Lord!  Who BUT GOD, would bring a Hindu High Priest, a Buddhist Monk, a Witch Doctor, Muslim women,  numerous Police Officers and a Criminal Investigator to our clinics.

After every examination, we ask the person if we can pray for them.  We begin with a prayer for their eye conditions and any other physical healing they need.  And then we pray that salvation will come to them and their household; that they would experience and know the power and love of the Lord.

Pat and I were given a report of the effectiveness of this type of prayer.  Last time we were in Sri Lanka, we prayed for a female Witch Doctor (at the time we did not know this was how she earned a living).  She received glasses and was prayed for.  Two weeks later she came back to the church where she attended the Eye Vision Clinic.  She told the Pastor that for the past two weeks she had been unable to cast any spells and she no longer feels a power within her.   The Pastor shared with her about Jesus, and was able to lead her and her family to salvation.  For the past year and a half, she and her family have been faithfully coming to church and growing in the Lord.

Witch Doctor -  -  -  - Buddhist Monk

Muslim Women - - - Hindu High Priest

Who BUT GOD would love someone so much that He would reveal Himself to them at a Eye Vision Clinic.

It gives us great satisfaction to help people with glasses for their natural sight; but there is an unexplainable joy that fills us when they receive their spiritual sight!

Who knows what testimonies we will hear the next time we journey to Sri Lanka.   We might not know - BUT GOD does!

Thank you for your faithful love, prayers and support ~ Gary.

A Brief Recap

Most people find statistics dry, uninteresting, even boring.  Movies, pictures, action - that's what we all like.

When the numbers represent people, families, lives that have been impacted by the love of God - it's the most exciting thing in this world.

Here's a quick overview of our recent mission trip that took us across the nation of Sri Lanka:

• During four weeks we held 12 Eye Vision Clinics
• Performed 768 Eye Exams and gave away 657 Pairs of Glasses

More reports to follow as we settle back at home, and contemplate all that was accomplished.

For more visual delights - visit Cyndy's blog Montana1aDay.com

~ Pat