Lucia Fillers
A deaf, mute man walked into a vision clinic in Paraguay, hopeful. He hadn’t seen well in years, and his vision was the link to the silent world around him. He had learned that an eye doctor from America would be offering free eye exams to the people of his rural town. After waiting for several hours with his neighbors, friends, and family, he was finally admitted to the clinic, where hope waited. When he received his free glasses, he looked around, surprise and happiness lighting up his face. From across the room, he saw one of his dear friends, whom he had not seen clearly for a long time. They started laughing and waving joyfully to each other. Sight — and hope — restored.
Twenty-nine volunteers from Greeneville Adventist Academy (GAA) recently partnered with Maranatha Volunteers International, and went on a mission trip to Paraguay to share the hope and love of Jesus Christ. At the six free vision clinics, led by Brad Emde, O.D., the team saw 832 patients and gave away 979 pairs of glasses and sunglasses. Jackson Fox, a senior at GAA said, “I really enjoyed helping people and feeling like I made a difference. It was a blessing to give people sight.”
The GAA students also worked on a construction project to build a church in the town of Curuguaty. They laid blocks to complete the walls of a church. Marcus Mitchell, a senior at GAA, said, “It was cool to think that as the walls raised, all this work was going to be a gift to the people who didn’t have the money to build their own church. It was great to see the transformation from just one row of blocks to almost a full church by the end of the week.”
After a day of work, the team then conducted two separate Vacation Bible School (VBS) programs as well as a revival series. Students told stories, gave health talks, led song service, shared crafts, and preached sermons — all pointing to a loving and saving relationship with Jesus Christ. GAA senior Emmie Grace Emde remembers singing the theme song at VBS each evening. “We were singing ‘Dios Descendio’ (‘Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul’), and I imagined all of us in Heaven together. I thought about how I probably won’t recognize some of the people we were helping, but once we start singing that song in Heaven, everyone is going to remember singing together at the VBS.”
The group also had the opportunity to go to Brazil and Argentina to see the world famous Iguazú Falls. Kenny Mathews, a junior at GAA said, “This mission trip to Paraguay was truly life-changing, as it opened my eyes to the beauty of God’s creation, leaving me with memories that I will treasure forever.”
Georgia-Cumberland | June 2025
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