A Vision Lost, a Faith Tested
The words in the header above were made clear by the Lord in the Gospel of Mark. (Mark 2:17) This message truly resonates with me. In early 2025, I observed that my peripheral vision was starting to become blurred. By the end of November, the symptoms had worsened by affecting 60% of my vision. On December 12th, I received an MRI that clearly showed a benign tumor below my brain, above my pituitary gland, pressing on my optic nerves. Hence, I was losing my vision.
Surgery and the Grace of God
Six weeks later, I was at USC Medical Center in Los Angeles having surgery to remove the tumor and relieve the pressure on my optic chiasm. Through the Grace of God and the skill of the outstanding medical staff, the tumor was 99% removed, and my vision has been healed. I am so grateful to Jesus and the doctors for the success of the operation but the procedure had its share of difficulties.
Three Weeks in the ICU
Unfortunately, because of cranial fluid leakage at one point, the pain was almost beyond relief. What was supposed to be a few days in the hospital turned into almost three weeks in the ICU. The consistent headaches made it impossible to think, no matter pray and this is where God touched my faith. Now, I can truly see the meaning of St. Paul's words to the Roman that emphasized the blessings of suffering. (Rom 5:3-5)
In the hospital, I was confined to a bed for 85% of the day. While being incarcerated to my mattress, I realized that God is present even when you cannot do your morning prayers or read His Bible. Despite the three surgeries and my arms so sore from I.V.s, my belief in the Lord never wavered. Our belief does not rely on our ability to think. We are called to know Jesus and this relationship transcends all understanding.
What This Means for Our Mission
All this relates directly to the work of Project Mexico and St. Innocent Orphanage. We teach the boys and families that, even though we suffer and we cannot make sense of the craziness of the world, it does not mean you don't believe. The small babies who come to us from the streets of Tijuana and are addicted to drugs can still know God. That infant experiences Jesus through the loving care of the missionaries holding them. The teenage boys in their rebellious years learn to know God by the stable home that we give them to grow and mature. The young adults who serve realize that the Lord exists in the most dire situations, because even though poverty can be crushing, God is still working.
Therefore, Jesus is healing all of us and the cure to our sickness is to know Him being assured He is always with us.