Meet Carlos.
He works at Faithful Servant Missions as the Recreation Supervisor. When you visit the mission, you’ll usually see him running around with the children and a whistle. He organizes games, teams, challenges, and more for students of all ages. He gives kids a place to play safely and carefree in a community that sees a lot of drugs, violence, and depression.
Before he worked at the mission, Carlos and his siblings were students at the mission! He grew up in Bajo Tejares and has been part of the education program and ministries for most of his life, first as a student and now as a teacher. At the end of each day when the mission closes, you’ll see Carlos walk down the hill with many of the students. He has a great connection with both the children and teens, because he relates to them in many ways. He’s their neighbor, leader, and friend.
During my month-long trip there this summer, Carlos was often wearing sunglasses inside. I didn’t think anything of it at the time; there’s a lot of natural light in the buildings. I soon learned there was a reason, and further action is now needed to help him. His vision has been challenging for awhile; some days his eyes are more sensitive than others. In San Ramón there are limited ophthalmology options. As a result, he has had to travel to San José for specialized appointments. The doctors have said he needs to get blocked tear duct surgery.
While every surgery is scary, in my opinion this is one of the most challenging. Vision loss is scary, and unlike other biological systems, eye damage is permanent. When we lose blood, our bodies remake those cells. Broken bones can heal; damaged skin can grow back. But eye injuries are almost always irreversible. Carlos is at risk of vision loss, complications, and ultimately being unable to work as a result.
He comes from a community with limited access to healthcare and where unemployment rates are high, so his work at the mission is essential for him and his family. He needs financial assistance in order to receive this surgery. One of the U.S. friends he met at FSM has organized a GoFundMe for Carlos to be able to receive this life-changing care.
If you’ve been around me awhile, you’ll know this is not the first GoFundMe I’ve shared for a missionary friend. Earlier this year, Jessica Moulding, who serves in education in the Dominican Republic, was flying to the states for her daughter’s surgery. Healthcare is difficult to get in many places of the world. And when it’s easy to find, the quality of care varies.
Supporting each other like this is one of the most important parts of mission work. We don’t just go to a new place and help for a week; we enter into a relationship with another community and support each other. Just like when our neighbors are sick and we bring them soup, this is one of the ways we can share love while living thousands of miles away.
Learn more about Jessica and relational missions in the EMPOWERED Mission Trip Devotional Journal.
Learn more about Carlos at https://www.faithfulservantmissions.org/staff.
Donate to support Carlos’ eye surgery at https://gofund.me/04564ecb.
