Not This Week, Satan

You've probably heard someone say "Not today, Satan!" in an attempt to shun the devil's wiles. Last week in Jamaica, he was working overtime such that our mantra became "Not this week, Satan!" I was there hosting an eyeglass team, OIM's 2nd in partnership with MOST Ministries, and we didn't have any eyeglasses to give out until clinic day 3 of 5. From the team's arrival on Saturday until Tuesday afternoon, they were in "prison" (aka customs). Despite such adverse circumstances, I heard ZERO complaints - from the team or from the "friends" who left empty-handed. Rather, in the midst of it, a morning devotion on Philippians 1, written during Paul's imprisonment, hit different for all of us: 

 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Allow me to explain: 

Flyers designed by a church member. 

Receiving the Lord's gifts from the Rev. Obot Ite. A congregation member surprised us with lunch after church.

This sight warmed my heart; you'd never know we didn't have any glasses.

New plan for once we'd run all of the church members through the process: switch Monday (a planned clinic day) and Friday (a planned cultural day). A few of the team members edited the remaining flyers, which we distributed in the neighborhood during an unanticipated block of free time.

New plan (I'm sensing a theme here) for breakfast since the hotel restaurant is closed on Mondays: typical Jamaican fare like my callaloo sandwich from Juici Patties.

Even this non-coffee drinker learned a few things at Craighton Estate. 

Tuesday left us no choice but to a) keep praying; and b) open for day 2 of an eyeglass clinic sans eyeglasses. Deb and Jamie greeted everyone with smiles and gently explained the situation.

Pastor Joel ran the evangelism station while Pastor Ite headed back to the airport.

A truck hitting a power line and knocking out power to a portion of a building mid-afternoon? Yep, THAT'S exactly what we needed. 

Brenda was prepped for the good news we got late Tuesday afternoon, though. Her sign would adorn the Ministry Centre's front gate come Wednesday morning.

We believed it when the van pulled up!

It's amazing what glasses and power will do: we were cooking with gas for the final three clinic days. Thursday saw a near-record 183 people come through. From my perspective, it was pure luxury not having to find translators. Add to that a team of FOURTEEN, and I settled comfortably into my role of plowing through other work on my computer while occasionally popping in to check on things and take pictures. I also nominated myself to set up each day's lunch buffet.

Station #1: Registration. We were thankful Georgia (right) from AB Vision Eyecare was on hand all week to provide referrals for local follow-up care.

Station #2: Evangelism.

Station #3: Education.

Station #4: Testing.

Station #5: Dispensing.

(which couldn't happen without the help of the pullers!)

Station #6: Cleaning (Tom & John also handed out sunglasses, cases, and a recipe for DIY eyedrops). 

Deb spent her 70th birthday in Jamaica and said there's nowhere else she'd rather be ❤ The Ites provided a delicious chicken fricassee dinner that night, so she had a helper blowing out her candles. 

LAST patient on the LAST day.

I took the team to a new-to-me Usain Bolt-themed sports bar for dinner on our last night. They'd leave the next morning, but I saw them back to the hotel and then Ubered to the airport for the best of the worst possible return flight options, departing at 2 am.

When people ask me the inevitable "How was Jamaica?," I can honestly say it was good. It started off a little rocky, but God is good and answered our prayers to make us, too, "much more bold to speak the word without fear." We did what we could with what we had, threw my carefully devised schedule out the window, and turned things around such that Wednesday through Friday seemed like a completely different trip. Satan didn't get the last word last week, nor will he the next time I, a team, or my colleagues face obstacles. In fact, we rest in the confidence that he never will because of Christ's triumphant resurrection. 

Until next time, blessings in Christ!

P.S. Read the same story but from the team's perspective here.