"We thank God for you."

Tuesday morning began with a devotion from Tom using John 15:1-8.  We were reminded that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Our daily dependence as Christians relies on our relationship with Him.  He prunes us as an act of love in order that we bear fruits of service for His kingdom.  We listened to the song "God Does" from the band Red Clay Strays.

As we gathered at the worship center to prepare for service to others at the eyeglass clinic, it was very clear that we needed God.  We could gather information from the people who came through the door.  We could share the Good News of Christ with them through His story.  We could educate them on the importance of healthy habits for maintaining their eyes.  We could screen their distance and upclose vision capacities.  But at 9:30 am, we had no eyeglasses or sunglasses to distribute.

God provided His support with others to walk beside us when we needed Him.  Volunteers from the congregation and the community came to share in the work of the day.  We soon had the first stations of the clinic busy with conversations and activities.  After testing, we explained that we would let them know when to return to receive their glasses.  And we heard over and over from the people, "Thank you for helping us"

In addition to the 25 people we screened on Sunday following worship, we screened 69 people on Tuesday.  They came because they had seen our flyers.  They came because their neighbors told them about the clinic.  They came when their employers released them from their work assignments.  They came with smiles and stories and genuine thankfulness.  

God was present during the day as we depended on His strength.  And He delivered on His promise to us.  When Alysia announced that our supplies had been released from customs, a shout and clapping could be heard throughout the worship center.  Our driver Michael returned from the airport with our large suitcases around 4:30 pm.  We spent the next hour organizing the stations to dispense the eyeglasses and sunglasses.  We sorted our trays to ensure that we were ready Wednesday to serve those people we had screened previously, as well as new people we would see for the first time.  Alysia asked that we be flexible with our talents and have a "all hands on deck" mentality.

Our late afternoon and evening was spent visiting a local store to purchase gift items for ourselves and our loved ones.  We ate dinner under the trees and umbrella tables at Pimentos within the Devon House area.  We enjoyed ice cream in cones and cups at I Scream.  Michael navigated heavy traffic in the evening to return us back to our hotel.

We gathered in Keith and Brenda's room to have our devotion.  Christen spoke from John 8:12.  Yes, Jesus is the Light of the world for us.  We sang "My Lighthouse" from Rend Collective and said good night to each other.  As we headed back to our rooms, we were encoraged to thank God for his goodness and mercy to equip us and sustain us for the day.  We look forward to what He has planned for us on Wednesday.