Project Managers Mike & Memz Medich Iloilo City, Philippines Eternal Vision   Michael Medich had a vision to offer physical and eternal vision to indigent people in Third World countries. In February of 1998 he went with a team of others to Bolivia, then followed that up with a trip to Paraguay, followed by another excursion to Brazil, and then the Philippines, and Vietnam--where he assisted with eye exams and the dispensing of free glasses. “Altogether I dispensed a couple thousand pairs of glasses on these trips, and spoke to all about my belief in God's love for all mankind." In 2001, Michael moved to the Philippines, where he continues his good work.

Young Filipina gets her first pair of glasses

Mike conducting an eye test while dispensing free glasses

Life in the Philippines –How do you describe a country made up of 7,107 islands, many with their own unique culture and language? Luzon, the largest island group, accounts for more than half of the entire population of 76.5 million people. Our work is mainly in the southern islands of the country, as well as rural Luzon.

The majority of the population lives in very simple housing. Unfortunately, some live right on the street!

Travel between islands is usually by all types of boats and ferries. The jeepney (above right) is a post-war creation inspired by GI jeeps that the American soldiers brought to the country in the 1940s. Enterprising Filipinos salvaged the surplus engines and created unique vehicles of art.

For shorter distances, there's motorcycle rickshaws, and the pedicab, a bicycle with a sidecar.

The way I got involved in this was accompanying members of a Michigan church to Iloilo City in the Philippines. We held a full medical clinic, including medical, dental, pharmacy and optical. I dispensed an estimated 400 pairs of glasses and led an estimated 200 people to the Lord with the help of counselors. As a whole I found the Filipino people very warm and friendly, very much in need and appreciative!

Now, with four teams working, we have a total of 7 eyeglass clinics here in the Philippines, 4 on the island of Panay and 3 on the island of Luzon.

Mike with local Filipinas, who attended his clinics.

Eternal Vision has been actively based here in the Philippines since July, 2001. Upon our arrival here, we only had six hundred pairs of eyeglasses to minister with. Then, one month later we received an additional 10,000. And then in May, 2002 we received another 30,000 pairs! Thank God for all the people in the States involved in helping with this project. It takes countless man hours to collect, sort, clean , categorize and pack the glasses.

Grateful eyeglass recipients - "The gift of sight."

Once the glasses get here, we get out the word that Eternal Vision is available for eyeglass clinics if needed. The demand has been so great that we have found it neccesary to establish three full time crews, each team made up of two. Every eyeglass clinic is in a different place and in each different place we serve shoulder to shoulder with different people who help us with setting up the clinic, dispensing and assist us to prepare to go to our next venue. We travel in everything from jeepneys (extended jeeps), to tricycles (motorcycles with side cars), buses and boats.

We held a clinic at a sanitarium for lepers (a Lepersarium), and the people were just so grateful that someone came to provide them with free eyeglasses. I remember one man in particular who had been confined in this Lepersarium since 1966. One of his lenses was smashed and the other just filthy. You can't imagine how happy he was to be fitted with a new, clean, unbroken pair of glasses that allowed him to read and see clearly after so many years.

The one common thread is this, that are so many people in need of corrective vision without the means to acquire glasses.

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