TEMAZCAL, Mexico – During a mission trip to southern Mexico in late January, an eyeglass ministry founded roughly 15 years ago by members of Concord Baptist Church, Jefferson City, celebrated 80,000 lives impacted during the ministry’s history.
Domingo was the 80,000th person whose life was touched by the ministry, Vision 3:16. Beth Peeper, a Concord Baptist Church member and administrative assistant for The Pathway, participated in this mission trip and was privileged to meet Domingo.
TEMAZCAL, Mexico – Domingo, 103, was the 80,000th person ever served by Vision 3:16. During the clinic here, he received not only glasses to help him see, but he also found spiritual vision through the gospel.
“Domingo is 103 years old and received his first pair of glasses at a Vision 3:16 clinic in Mexico,” Peeper wrote in a Feb. 27 Facebook post. “He described his vision as foggy without glasses. Someone needed to accompany him wherever he went because he feared falling down and getting hurt. He doesn’t own a car, so he walks everywhere he needs to go. Also, he has only gone to a doctor once in his life. Domingo was very happy to receive glasses because now he can see again to walk by himself.
“Domingo and his wife, who is also 103, have six children and 30 grandchildren. His wife is unable to walk so she did not come to the clinic. In his younger years Domingo was a field worker planting and caring for corn and beans. He did field work for hire but also raised these vegetables for personal use. Domingo doesn’t speak Spanish; he speaks Mazatec, which is an indigenous language of Mexico.
“Domingo received a pair of glasses to meet a physical need,” Peeper added, “but the most impactful event is that he heard the Gospel and committed his life to Christ.”
According to leaders of Vision 3:16, a new set of eyeglasses is only the beginning for life transformation for hundreds and thousands of people like Domingo. “Our goal in every clinic is to share the gospel,” Larry Merry, Vision 3:16 co-founder and Concord Baptist Church member, told The Pathway. “The eyeglasses are just the attraction to bring people in. … And we always have a good percentage of people respond to the gospel.”
The Vision 3:16 Facebook page reported on Feb. 4 that roughly “1,000 people were served” during the trip to Temazcal, Mexico, “and they all heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Since January, the ministry has well exceeded 80,000 people served, sending teams to El Salvador, as well as to various clinics in the United States.
During day 1 at a clinic in Triunfo, El Salvador in early February, 350 people were served, and 16 people were saved. Another 17 came to faith in Christ on day 2 of the mission trip.
During a three day clinic in Atiquizaya, El Salvador, in mid-February, “619 people served and 31 people saved,” Vision 3:16 reported on Facebook.