International Christian Hospice
Wilson’s Story
August 2010

The pain from the blow to his eye faded after just a few hours. And so did his sight. It was very scary now when he rubbed his left eye or the glare of the bright sun caught his face because his right eye was blind. This has been Wilson’s experience since last April.

Five year old Wilson Photo of eye damage

We met Wilson and his mother, Elvia, in Salem Baptist Church in Talanga, Honduras. This new church was built 2 years ago as a mission church in a remote area in central Honduras. Lourdes Argueta, our Honduran Volunteer Coordinator for International Christian Hospice, arranged and accompanied us as our translator as we presented our hospice training here and offered eye screening earlier in the day. We set up “shop” and began to see many adults who needed reading glasses and a few older folks with cataracts. Some we could not help but recommended they travel to the capital, Tegucigalpa, to be evaluated. The reality is that few in this poor community will have that option. We were surprised when our final patient, 5 year old Wilson, arrived with his family who are church members. It saddened us to see what appeared as a crack in the lens of his right eye. His mother reported that no one in the local clinic could offer any help nor had they heard of anyone in all Honduras who could restore Wilson’s sight. We showed her how to put comforting saline drops in his eyes and began to pray for God’s intervention.


Salem Baptist church

Within a week we had traveled to the other side of Honduras to the town of El Progreso. A few years ago God connected us with Medical Missions International, an organization based in Dominican Republic, which specializes in Ophthalmology. One branch of MMI is in El Progreso and our friend Melvin Tejada is the director.


Name of eye clinic

Building housing clinic

We were reminded anew of God’s perfect timing as we arranged for Wilson to be evaluated by a Pediatric Ophthalmic surgeon from the U.S. who was scheduled to be doing eye surgeries in El Progreso in just three weeks. Upon viewing the pictures we had taken of Wilson, Melvin was very optimistic that he could be helped.

Through the efforts of Lourdes, Pastor Guzman of Salem Church and our dear friends Pastor and Lesly Moreno of El Progreso God provided for the bus trip across the country as well food and lodging for Wilson and his father Luis. We wish to give special thanks to Dr. Arlo Jennings and his wife Arleen of Asheville, N.C. for donating $200.00 which covered the cost for a successful procedure which has restored Wilson’s sight. We also note that this procedure in the U.S. would cost thousands.

Our latest news was of a very happy little boy and a family and church who are praising God for the gift of sight! We give Him thanks for taking us to this remote little village that day and His special miracle that unfolded for Wilson! We also thank all you who pray for ICH ministry around the world. God is answering those prayers in great and unexpected ways!