Spirit of Humility

A Note from the MOST Team Leader

 

What is a short-term mission, and what does the team do?

First, there needs to be a request for some assistance from a church or missionary "in the field," that is, in a country where Lutheran churches are forming and missionaries are working. The request is not for money, but for projects that will help the church reach out to its neighbors and express their love for Jesus Christ. In our case, as you know, the project is providing refurbished eyeglasses as requested by the little Confessional Lutheran church in the capital city district of Honduras.

Prior to traveling, the team learns about the travel risks, cultural factors that guide our behavior, the specifics of the project, and most of all, how to express Christ's love to build up the congregation.

Essential team jobs are assigned during pre-travel training: Crisis Management Assistant, coordinators for luggage (we have 11 checked suitcases just for the project), for scheduling team devotions, managing our medical bag & serving as medic, researching & teaching specifics about the Honduran culture, taking photos & videos, and serving as music leader.

Essential project jobs are then piled on top of each team member's duties: nurse station (examines all eyes before they enter the clinic, so no infections can be spread); education for eye health and how to protect the eyeglasses they will receive; evangelizing station, to explain the plan of salvation in Jesus Christ; vision testing station for distance and reading; dispensing of eyeglasses and re-checking for prescription accuracy; adjustment of the eyeglasses; selecting a pair of nonprescription sunglasses; and finally, a friendly "good-bye." 

It goes without saying that for a team of eleven to be able to manage serving up to 200 "clients" per day requires close teamwork, willingness to chip in to help backed-up stations, giving other team members short breaks for water and to use the bathroom, and mostly, giving each other some grace when there are unusual circumstances. A spirit of humility goes a long way to making the work joyful and God-pleasing.

Our team is blessed with three teachers! Our music coordinator, Greg, is a retired high school band teacher. He came armed with 11 copies of a songbook he created of both Spanish-language and English-language songs. We were glad to know two of the songs to sing with the congregation last Sunday in the worship service.

Claire, a preschool teacher, serves as our medic, keeps our medical bag "at the ready," and can be seen using her preoccupation with organization to keep the eyeglasses in order as we pull several options for our clients, and then re-stock the ones not desired.

Megan is a high school Spanish teacher who served as a missionary in Venezuela. Her Spanish and teaching skills have made her an excellent educator for eye health and what clients can expect as they move through the clinic. She also assists as a capable translator.

Two university students are a blessing to our team. Emma is quick to catch on to new duties and is an expert "puller" of eyeglasses, studying the facial characteristics of the client and selecting several that might please him or her.

Chloe, an aspiring Spanish-language and ESL educator, knows the proper method of testing eyes for distance and reading. She is unflappable with cases where testing and re-testing needs to happen, to make our clients pleased with the result. Her Spanish is a huge help to us.

Christene is a steady influence in the vision testing area. She is a wonderful example of humility as she leads more by example than language. She is not frustrated by repeated testing of a challenging set of eyes. 

Luz, a church counselor from Texas, is our secret strength for her bilingual abilities and her beautiful devotions and daily blogs. She keeps us in stiches with her infectious laugh.

Bob & Kathy are a couple who have jumped into the work with a passion. Bob is a software designer and Kathy an applied mathematician/Christian Ed Director (how's that for a combination?) who take on any assignment uncomplainingly. 

Mostly, Bob hasn't met a pair of glasses he can't adjust; and Kathy moves around the clinic taking on any assignment to give others a break.

Pastor Micah is a leader with many talents! Besides leading our devotions, he fits and adjusts eyeglasses, takes photos of the cute kids in their new sunglasses, is determined to be fluent in Spanish by the end of our week here (to the hilarity of our Honduran friends), and leads us through processing our stories (Kairos moments) at the end of the day. 

Above all, this is a team that came to Honduras for their interest in the welfare of others, not themselves. Humility is at work here this week.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."    ~Philippians 2:3-4