Participants: John Lomacang (Host), Jacob Prabhakar Chindrupu, John Bradshaw
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY014097A
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord, let my words 00:29 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:07 Hello, friends, welcome to 3ABN Today. 01:09 My name is John Lomacang and you may already know 01:11 that if you're part of the 3ABN family but if not, 01:14 thank you for taking the time to tune in today. 01:17 Don't change the channel, this is not a mistake, 01:19 this is a divine appointment, so sit back 01:21 and enjoy what the Lord has prepared for you today 01:25 for your edification and for your inspiration. 01:28 Now a part of the ministry of Jesus 01:30 was opening the eyes of the blind, 01:32 you may know that if you've read the Bible. 01:34 Well, our guests here today will talk about that, 01:36 how God is still involved in that ministry today, 01:39 both spiritually as well as physically. 01:42 So stay tune for very inspiring and thought provoking program 01:46 that will challenge you and move you to do 01:48 something for the kingdom of God. 01:50 Also thank you for your prayers 01:51 and your financial support of this network. 01:53 We believe that Jesus is coming soon 01:55 and we're committed to quality programming, 01:57 if it's not in the Bible you won't hear it here 02:00 and so thank you for all that you do 02:01 for the cause of God. 02:03 Now before we introduce our guests today, 02:05 we have some music, a very good friend of mine 02:07 Rudy Micelli is going to bless you with a medley of songs, 02:11 I will sing the wonderous and also Ivory places, enjoy. 02:17 I will sing the wondrous story 02:24 Of the Christ Who died for me 02:30 How He left His home in glory 02:36 For the cross of Calvary 02:41 Yes, I'll sing the wondrous story 02:49 Of the Christ Who died for me 02:56 Sing it with the saints in glory 03:02 Gathered by the crystal sea 03:14 My Lord has garments so wondrous fine 03:21 And myrrh their texture fills 03:29 Its fragrance reached to this heart of mine 03:37 With joy my being thrills 03:44 Out of the ivory palaces 03:51 Into a world of woe 03:57 Only His great eternal love 04:05 Made my Savior go 04:12 In garments glorious He will come 04:18 To open wide the door 04:24 And I shall enter my heavenly home 04:33 To dwell forever more 04:41 Out of the ivory palaces 04:47 Into a world of woe 04:53 Only His great eternal love 05:01 Only His great eternal love 05:10 Made my Savior go 05:18 Out of the ivory palaces 05:24 Into a world of woe 05:31 Only His great eternal love 05:40 Made my Savior go 05:47 Made my Savior go 06:13 Thank you so much, Rudy Micelli. 06:15 He has such a ring to that name, 06:17 Micelli sound so famous. 06:18 And we thank you so much for your ministry here at 3ABN. 06:22 Now it's time to meet our guests today. 06:23 Two people one I know very well, 06:25 and one I'm getting to know even better. 06:27 Dr. Jacob Chindrupu, am I saying that correctly? 06:30 You're right, sir. 06:31 Good to have you here today. 06:33 We've spoken a number of times at ASI, 06:35 and I become familiar with your ministry. 06:37 We'll talk about that in just a moment. 06:39 And my good friend, 06:40 we share something in common the first name 06:41 and also the passion for Christ, 06:43 Pastor John Bradshaw. 06:44 Good to have you here today. 06:45 It's always good to be here, John, thank you. 06:47 Yes, yes, and could I call you Dr. Jacob? 06:50 Yes, sir. 06:51 That would be a lot easier for me, 06:52 I have a-- have an American tongue 06:54 and I want to be able to get through the problem 06:56 without twisting it too much but I do appreciate 06:58 the flavor of your name having gone to India. 07:01 Wonderful, wonderful to have you here today. 07:03 Now you are a part of a ministry called 07:06 "The Eyes for India." 07:09 We gonna get to that in just a moment 07:11 but before we talk about how God has used you 07:14 to open the eyes of countless of your country men and others, 07:20 begin by giving us some foundation of who you are, 07:24 where you're from and what you do right now? 07:26 I come from India. Okay. 07:28 I'm the medical director and ophthalmologist 07:31 at Ruby Nelson Memorial Hospital, Jalandhar, 07:34 located in the north-western part of India. 07:36 Okay. 07:38 My Wife Beaulah is pathologist. Oh, wonderful. 07:41 My daughter Angela, and my son Jonathan, 07:45 we live together in Punjab. 07:48 Okay. At Ruby Nelson. 07:49 And it's good to have you here. 07:50 You know, so you and both, 07:51 you and your wife are in the medical field? 07:53 That's right. 07:54 And when you said Angela, we remember taking a picture 07:56 with my wife and I who is also Angela. 07:57 That's right. 07:58 We took it at ASI. Yes. 08:00 Well, tell us about your beginnings, 08:01 often times when people meet doctors 08:05 that have been as accomplished as you are, 08:07 they often think well you come from a family line 08:10 where the advantages were always there. 08:12 But take us to your humble beginnings and why this project 08:15 to help those in India so special to you? 08:18 I give glory to God for having given me 08:19 the opportunity to be here. 08:21 And I've seen how the Lord has led me from humble family. 08:26 I was born in a remote coastal village in Andhra Pradesh, 08:30 born in family of eight siblings. 08:33 My parents were farmers and my father would go into the field 08:38 bringing money to care for my family 08:41 and it was utter poverty. 08:44 But in this, the Lord has picked me up 08:47 and took me to a Seventh-day Adventist boarding school 08:50 where I received training, 08:53 and that's when I had the desire 08:55 to become a physician 08:57 even though I do not have the advantages of becoming one. 09:01 But I realize, I have seen the Lord's leading 09:03 from my schooling days to higher secondary school, 09:08 there after everyday was a miracle 09:10 as I went through my life. 09:14 That God gave me an opportunity to get into medical school. 09:17 It is impossible for a child of my nature to be able to get 09:21 into the gates of a medical school 09:22 but for the grace of God, and he made me a physician, 09:28 that's just because the Lord led me 09:30 and there was a miraculous way how he led me through all 09:33 through providing the need and finances, 09:35 the resources, the people who came 09:37 and pitched in to make sure 09:39 that I had the opportunity to get 09:40 into medical schools and completed my schooling. 09:43 Also what we're seeing 09:44 is when God has a plan for your life, 09:46 nothing can hinder that plan, it's just a matter of time 09:49 and as we often see here at 3ABN, 09:51 God has all the resources 09:53 but it's often in the pockets of other individuals 09:55 on whose hearts he moved to make it reality. 09:58 God be for us who can be against us? 10:00 There you go. 10:01 It has always been the theme of my life 10:04 and I've seen through happening in my life. 10:07 So your beginning was not a prediction 10:09 of where you are today. 10:10 It was not even a road block because God's plan was, 10:13 what came to pass today and you are with God one-- 10:15 Nothing could come in my way as I see in my life. 10:19 Now briefly before we have a video 10:22 that I'm going to share with our viewing audience 10:25 and we'll describe to our listening audience 10:26 in just a moment here. 10:28 But I want you to just share with me, 10:29 what is the connection between you and Pastor John Bradshaw? 10:35 Meeting first John was miracle indeed. 10:39 We were encountering huge numbers of cataracts, 10:43 huge number of patients we need help. 10:46 We were not having the resources 10:48 but the challenge was too great 10:50 and we were in search of finding sponsors 10:53 who would help fund these large number of cataract surgeries. 10:58 And me and my wife and my little children 11:01 prayed that Sabbath afternoon, God please show us a sponsor. 11:07 I never knew Pastor John Bradshaw before, 11:09 I never knew what "It is Written" was all about? 11:12 But I had this 1.4 minute clipping of cataract surgery. 11:16 And I had this in my iPad 11:18 and I was walking around in this conference. 11:20 As I walked around, the Lord impressed me 11:22 that I must meet Pastor John Bradshaw. 11:26 And as I met him and requested for a short time two minutes, 11:30 in one and half minutes he saw this cataract surgery 11:33 which is impacting thousands of lives across India, 11:36 he said, this is something we got to do. 11:40 At the same time I also heard from Pastor John Bradshaw 11:44 that he was also looking for a humanitarian project. 11:47 Okay. 11:48 And it was a miracle indeed. 11:49 We were looking for a sponsor 11:51 and Pastor John Bradshaw was praying for a project. 11:55 Okay, so God-- 11:56 A humanitarian project. God connected, 11:58 you needed the sponsorship, 11:59 he needed a humanitarian project. 12:01 Chime in on that? 12:02 Let me-- tell me something about this? 12:04 The moment I saw this video and found out 12:07 what Dr. Jacob was doing there, 12:09 ministering to some of India's poorest people, 12:12 I'm not trying to sensationalize this. 12:14 Right. 12:15 These people are poor. 12:16 This is utter poverty, people with nothing. 12:20 In India there is an incredible lack of eye doctors, 12:26 but many of these poor people couldn't afford 12:29 an eye doctor even if they could find one. 12:31 So, you know, when grandma gets cataract, 12:33 she goes to a doctor, he refers her to an ophthalmologist. 12:35 It's a couple of days and she is good as gold again. 12:39 But in India people are getting cataracts, 12:41 they are not getting medical attention. 12:42 These cataracts are becoming 12:44 what we call hypermature cataract, 12:46 great big milky white blobs in the middle of people's eyes. 12:50 They can't-- in many cases 12:52 cannot see a thing, blind. 12:55 What that means is they lose the ability to work. 12:57 There is no social security. Often they lose their dignity. 13:00 It may mean they can't even use 13:02 the bathroom without being assisted. 13:04 Being blind is a difficult thing for anybody, 13:07 but in India if you are the bottle of the heap, 13:10 it makes life really, really tough 13:12 and people kind of accept blindness as a fact of life. 13:14 There are 15 million blind people in India. 13:17 Many of whom could get their sight back 13:20 if they had simple cataract surgery. 13:22 When we saw this we said, this is a God thing. 13:25 Wow, wow, and that was an answer, 13:28 so you needed two minutes, 13:29 but God just needed about a minute and half 13:31 to connect the resource with the need. 13:33 It was just a miracle. 13:35 Wow, wow. 13:36 You know, I want to be able to introduce this video, 13:39 the dark side of India. 13:40 This will give you some understanding 13:42 of the ministry that Dr. Jacob is involved in. 13:58 Fifty two million people in India 14:00 struggle with visual impairment and blindness. 14:09 Can anything be done to keep up with this growing problem? 14:14 Join Dr. Jacob Prabhakar and his surgical team. 14:17 As we explore his break through techniques, 14:19 to restore sight to India's blind. 14:36 In the early morning light, people begin to stir. 14:40 This forest camp services an overflow for those 14:43 who are in the process of receiving careful 14:45 visual impairment, disease and blindness. 14:49 Many people travel great distances for treatment 14:51 and there are not enough facilities to accommodate them. 14:54 So they make do with what is available. 15:01 When I look at these crowds, 15:03 I'm remained of the time of Jesus 15:06 when He was in this earth. 15:07 They were like sheep without shepherd. 15:10 And when He saw them, Jesus was moved with compassion. 15:17 India is the seventh largest country in the world, 15:20 and with over 1.2 billion people, 15:23 it holds the unfortunate distinction 15:25 of having the largest population 15:26 that struggles with visual impairment and blindness. 15:30 An estimated 52 million people in India are visually impair. 15:34 And of these, approximately 15 million people 15:37 are coping with blindness in their daily lives. 15:45 Despite the recent economic boom, 15:47 the divide between the rich 15:49 and the poor continues to increase, 15:51 leaving the significant portion of the population 15:53 without access to basic health care services. 15:57 These people live either in rural India 15:59 or in the urban slums. 16:06 Further compounding the problem, 16:07 about 80% of the approximately 16:09 14,000 ophthalmologists in India 16:12 live and practice in urban areas. 16:18 In the early 1990s India recognize the role of cataracts 16:22 as a major contributor to the causes 16:24 of preventable blindness and launch initiatives 16:28 and coordinated national efforts to tackle this problem. 16:32 Despite major advances 16:33 in surgical techniques over the years, 16:35 cataracts still present a major challenge. 16:38 It is estimated that in over half of all cases of blindness, 16:42 about 7 million people cataract is present. 16:46 3.8 million people a year become blind from cataract 16:50 and over 6 million cataract cases are added each year. 16:55 Though the prevalence of cataract blindness 16:57 will decrease overtime, 16:58 the absolute number of the cataract-blind 17:01 is expected to increase to over 8 million in 2020 17:05 due to a substantial increase 17:06 in the population about 50 years old. 17:10 With all the challenges that cataracts present, 17:12 there is also good news. 17:14 Cataract surgery has been viewed as one of the most 17:17 cost effective health interventions 17:18 for developing countries, producing the largest overall 17:22 increase in quality of life per dollar. 17:27 Dr. Jacob Prabhakar is the medical director 17:29 at Ruby Nelson Memorial Hospital. 17:34 He's a highly skilled surgeon, 17:35 who has perfected the art of performing 17:37 high volume cataract surgeries in minimal time 17:41 with the highest success rates possible. 17:43 From our experience, 17:44 we don't think anybody else could actually carry out 17:47 the number of operations 17:48 that are needed in India for this kind of work. 17:52 What matters to me is that he is a blessed doctor. 17:56 He has a beautiful family and other than that 17:59 what we love him for is that he is a wonderful human being. 18:02 What to say about Dr. Jacob sir, 18:06 I don't have any words, I'm just his fan, big fan. 18:10 His mission includes reaching some of India's poorest people, 18:14 who don't have access to healthcare. 18:16 To provide them with state of the art 18:18 quick and low cost operations 18:20 which enable them to have a better quality of life. 18:23 We have revolutionized the service here 18:29 in this place by providing high quality, 18:33 stitch less surgery 18:35 with intraocular lens implantation 18:39 to the poorest of the poor, rural masses of the state. 18:43 They would not have been able to afford 18:46 a cataract surgery of this nature 18:48 but for Ruby Nelson Hospital team. 18:51 He travels with the Ruby Nelson Mobile Eye unit, 18:54 and coordinates with local temples to provide eye care 18:57 to deprived and at need areas, 19:00 also using this avenue to teach 19:02 the principles of healthy living 19:04 and to share his beliefs in God. 19:06 We take the time to identify the patients in their villages, 19:12 also talk to each of them about the visual recovery 19:17 and to find out how happy they are. 19:20 We also take time to pray with these patients. 19:23 It's a very wonderful experience to do 19:27 such a thing in these villages. 19:31 Wow, I don't if you are as speechless 19:32 as I'm but I'm sitting here, 19:33 looking at something that is staggering to think 19:37 that in a country as large as India, 1.2 billion people 19:41 that the rate of so many individuals 19:44 struggling with cataract blindness 19:46 and blindness of different varieties 19:49 are is that constant challenge in India. 19:51 And, doctor, tell me how do you do it? 19:58 I mean, if I'm thinking of you as one individual, 20:02 I'm looking at the numbers, I'm looking at the statistics, 20:05 I'm looking at the ratio, 20:07 one individual to so many millions. 20:10 What keeps you going, when it almost seems 20:12 like an impossible task to accomplish? 20:15 Yeah, these numbers are alarming 20:17 and when we go to these clinics, 20:19 we see most of these patients are bilaterally blind. 20:24 And they cannot see anything, they're helpless. 20:27 That means in both eyes, bilateral, okay. 20:29 Yes, both eyes they're blind and they come 20:32 with the great hope to receive sight, 20:34 so that they could do-- 20:36 they could manage their own life again, 20:37 otherwise they are dependent and so RV to SV 20:41 we try to do as much as possible 20:44 to help these patients, 20:46 so we in a given day we screen about 1,500 patients or so. 20:51 And we line up about 200 to 250 patients for surgery, 20:55 after having done all the preparations for surgery, 20:58 we would start off day of surgery 21:01 at about 5 or 6 o'clock in the evening, 21:03 and by midnight would have finished 21:05 about 200 or 250 surgeries 21:08 and these surgeries are performed 21:11 less than two minutes one surgery, 21:13 30, 35 surgeries in one hour. 21:15 I mean 200 and 200 surgeries 21:17 would have finished in six hours. 21:20 That's-- I don't know, John, 21:21 I don't know, if you're just speechless as I'm, 21:23 I'm trying to-- I can't -- 21:25 how many things can you do in two minutes? 21:27 I've stood behind Dr. Jacob 21:29 with my stopwatch and timed him, 21:30 1:40 for an eye. 21:32 No, it's not a race to see who can go the fastest 21:34 but what God has done with such massive numbers. 21:37 Dr. Jacob is able to do-- I don't know, 21:40 if he will tell you that he has done 21:41 as many as 465 in a single day, 21:45 which means he is able to-- 21:47 God is using him to make a massive impact 21:49 and change the lives of thousands and thousands 21:52 and thousands of people, 21:53 otherwise would be blind right now without the help. 21:57 Give me some understanding 21:58 because I'm looking at the different demographic, 22:02 the age doesn't really matter, there are young children, 22:05 there are people that various stages 22:07 and various ages in life that are battling. 22:09 Could you give me some understanding 22:10 as to why this problem is so rampant in India? 22:13 What contributes to it? 22:14 Most of this blindness 22:16 is either preventable or treatable. 22:18 Okay. 22:20 There has been a huge backlog of cataract 22:22 over a period of time and every year 3.8 million 22:25 is added to the existing backlog. 22:27 The surgeons in India all of them put together, 22:30 they perform about 1.2 million cataracts, 22:33 still it is less than 50% 22:35 of what is actually added every year to the existing backlog. 22:40 And most of this blindness is due to cataract 22:44 and refractive errors. 22:46 Cataract is that which is causing 22:49 so much blindness across and 80% of the 50 million 22:53 could be helped with the simple cataract surgery. 22:57 And we have improvised this technique 22:59 which could take about 20 minutes or 40 minutes or less, 23:04 they've reduced the time taken 23:05 for a cataract surgery to less than two minutes, 23:08 improvised the technique, reduce the instrumentation, 23:11 reduce the consumables, reduce the time taken 23:17 in order to accommodate as many surgeries as possible. 23:20 Wow, wow, I'm almost asking myself, 23:22 when does he-- when do you eat? 23:25 There were times we really do not think of having a meal, 23:30 on a given day when we have thousands 23:33 of patients waiting outside, 23:34 there are times 2-3,000 patients are waiting outside 23:37 the operating room for surgery. 23:40 We begin our surgery 23:41 in the morning about 6 or 7 o'clock. 23:44 We go through the day 23:46 with no breakfast, no lunch, 23:48 sometimes even skip any breaks to perform 23:52 as many surgeries as possible in order, 23:54 if you break for breakfast or lunch, 23:58 it would cost us about an hour or so, 24:01 which means 35 surgeries each break. 24:03 Wow. 24:04 In three breaks we would have to foregot 24:07 about 100 surgeries in five days 24:11 we would have lost 500 patients 24:14 whose sights could not have been restored 24:16 and so the Lord gives us strength 24:19 and the energy and the motivation 24:20 and the spirit, 24:21 and the spirit of the Lord is upon you. 24:23 That's right. 24:24 It drives you to help as many patients as possible. 24:27 Wow, you know, Pastor Bradshaw, 24:28 this reminds me of the statement 24:30 that Jesus made, I'm beginning to get the context of it. 24:33 "My food is to do the will of the father." 24:37 I said just recently to someone 24:38 who I visited couple of days ago. 24:41 I said, my wife is calling me to eat, 24:42 I said the best diet is giving Bible studies, 24:45 and so each one of us finds our fuel 24:47 somewhere when we're doing God's will, 24:48 I know what it's like to be, an evangelist, 24:50 when you're thinking of the souls coming to Christ, 24:52 when you're thinking of-- Sure. 24:53 You break that down to an hour, 24:54 35 an hour and you add that up 24:56 and you could lose 500 patients in a week 24:58 that could have been seen if you didn't eat, 25:01 that's a hard scale to balance. 25:03 But those are the challenges that you face. 25:06 At the end of operating 350 to 400 surgeries, 25:10 you would still have the energy to want to go back and operate. 25:13 Because you think of the lives. Yes. 25:15 You're thinking of the homes that you're impacting, 25:17 I don't know, I don't know, I'm telling you, 25:19 I didn't anticipate this program to be so-- 25:21 to get hold of me this way, 25:23 often times you do interviews about various ministries, 25:25 but this is just so amazing 'cause we went to India, 25:28 we went with Maranatha, my wife and I went with Maranatha. 25:30 We were in Andhra Pradesh 25:32 and various other cities in India, 25:36 and you could see the masses of people. 25:38 I'm sure you've been there, John. Sure. 25:39 You can see the masses of people 25:41 and you almost want to pause in the streets and say, 25:45 Lord, how are you going to reach all of these people? 25:48 And your ministry is not just opening their eyes 25:51 but because of the opening of their eyes, 25:53 it's also opening the door for them to consider 25:55 the Lord that you serve. 25:56 Tell us about that? 25:59 After the surgery, these patients 26:01 who receive the sight again they're so excited. 26:04 They're able to see allover the world, 26:07 again the entire, the beauty of God's creation. 26:10 They're able to go back home excited 26:12 because they can depend on themselves. 26:14 They can eat their food, they can cook, 26:16 they can earn some living, 26:18 and they are able see their children. 26:20 It's such a very wonderful thing for them. 26:22 They're so excited to have this vision restored. 26:25 And as they see the physical eyes opened, 26:30 we also have the opportunity to sing songs for them, 26:33 we pray with them. 26:34 We share the love of Jesus to these patients. Amen. 26:37 I think that's the greatest joy we have. 26:39 You're not only opening 26:40 the physical eyes of these patients 26:42 but also give them the spiritual sight. 26:44 And go, John, chime in on that. 26:47 What's remarkable about 26:48 this medical missionary project, 26:50 think about India, 26:51 it's a predominantly Hindu nation. 26:53 Right. 26:54 There are many Muslims there as well, it's very difficult. 26:56 In fact in many cases impossible for Christians 27:00 to effectively witness to these people 27:02 in many, many cases. 27:03 Yet, I've been welcomed as a guest along with Dr. Jacob 27:07 into a Hindu temple like a long lost brother, 27:10 into Sikh temples as though we were part of the family. 27:13 Muslims welcoming this Christian project 27:17 and they're grateful because Dr. Jacob 27:20 and his team are bringing the healing touch of Jesus. 27:23 This is where religious barriers disappear. 27:26 And people of all different religious backgrounds 27:29 are impressed with these Christians. 27:31 Seventh-day Adventist Christians, 27:33 coming and blessing them when they don't have to, 27:36 the care is provided free, 27:38 there is the love of God demonstrated, 27:40 that's a language anybody can understand. 27:41 That's right. 27:42 So this ministry is opening doors 27:44 that are usually locked tight. 27:48 That is a, you know, you can breakdown 27:49 the door many ways, 27:51 but I think one of the most effective 27:52 is through first the persons needs and you know, 27:55 James says, if they are hungry and they are naked, 27:56 you take care of these needs and then that opens the door, 27:59 so the ministry of Jesus is more than 28:00 just the gospel in preaching, 28:02 but the actual physical gospel and the value of your hands 28:05 in your life are without estimate. 28:09 But I see you're brimming. 28:10 I must share this testimony, when Jesus was on this earth, 28:14 He went to the people, He met them where they were, 28:16 I think it's the great challenge for us 28:18 to go to these remote villages, 28:20 without us going there, they'd never see again. 28:24 There is no healthcare, 28:25 they cannot afford, lack of awareness, 28:27 all these cause these patients to live and die blind. 28:31 We get an opportunity to go to them, 28:33 ministering to them, open their eyes. 28:36 We pick them up, adults and childrens as well. 28:39 Take them to the nearest operating theater. 28:41 In few minutes, they're able to see again. 28:44 It's such a great joy. 28:46 And I must share with you a testimony, 28:48 where most of our ministry is in Hindu temples 28:51 and Sikh temples as pastor has said. 28:54 And in one of those temples where we were invited 28:57 as a small team of Christians operating on one side, 29:00 and there was another team of nine surgeons 29:03 from Mumbai operating and then we had 29:07 the greatest opportunity of witnessing in this temple 29:10 when we are called there for the first time, 29:11 there were nine surgeons operating on one side 29:14 and one surgeon, one team on the other side, 29:18 we did more than 400 surgeries on a given day. 29:21 Wow. 29:22 And the chief priest was announcing 29:24 in the Hindu temple. 29:25 These Christians are performing magic. Wow. 29:29 I went to the chief priest 29:30 and told him we don't believe in magic, 29:33 but we believe in a miracle performing God. 29:36 Amen. Amen. Wow. 29:38 And since then onwards, this chief priest gives us 29:41 the opportunity to worship with them in the Hindu temple. 29:46 Unbelievable. 29:47 Devotees come to worship their God, 29:50 singing chants to their Gods 29:54 but we while they were also worshiping on one side, 29:57 we conduct worships service, sing songs, 29:59 Bible study to the chief priest. 30:01 Wow. 30:02 And the devotees listen to us, 30:05 if it is not for the medical ministry, 30:08 Christians would never have an entry 30:09 into the gates of this temple complexes. 30:12 I tell you, I have to give you 30:13 Pastor Bradshaw a chance to say something 30:15 'cause that is an evangelic series you cannot buy. 30:17 Oh, that's right. 30:18 In fact, we held an evangelistic series 30:20 earlier this year, 30:21 this remarkable-- in Andhra Pradesh, 30:25 and Dr. Jacob's Eyes for India team had been there 30:27 and seen many, many patients. 30:29 Among those baptized were at least 100 30:33 would receive this medical missionary touch. 30:35 You see them sitting in the congregation 30:37 with their dark glasses on, 30:39 this is the postoperative glasses 30:40 they wear to protect their eyes. 30:42 Opening up their eyes is one thing 30:43 and that's very important, 30:45 but we praise the Lord because in many cases 30:47 it means opening up their hearts. 30:48 That right. 30:49 And when you reach out in the love of Jesus, 30:52 and offer that healing touch, 30:54 it touches their heart in ways that nothing else can. 30:57 Oh, I just want to preach right now, 30:58 I'm just-- that sermon with the man 31:00 when the chief priest was saying, 31:02 who-- what was his name? 31:04 Who was it that opened your eyes? 31:06 He said. That's right. 31:07 Do you want to become his disciples? Yeah. 31:09 And then he says, well, how did that happened? 31:11 He said, I've told you and you still don't believe it. 31:14 All I know is I once was blind, but now I seen. 31:19 What a powerful-- what a-- 31:20 what a sermon in action, no longer in theory. 31:25 It has jumped off the page to me today. 31:28 You know, I want you to, you have some pictures 31:30 that you brought with you 31:31 before we go to the next video roll. 31:33 I want to bring these pictures up 31:35 and for the benefit of our listening audience, 31:37 I want you to describe what we are seeing. 31:39 Let's just go to those pictures, one at a time. 31:42 These are the huge numbers of patients 31:44 waiting for surgery, 31:45 when we go for conducting a clinic in a village. 31:49 They are waiting for their turn to be operated upon. 31:52 In fact there are 2 million blind children in India, 31:56 they have cataract, they have crossed eyes, 32:00 many other eye deformities 32:02 which may not enable them to see. 32:06 And so we do screening of all these children and adults, 32:10 we bring them to the hospital those patients 32:12 which cannot be operated in the periphery, 32:14 we bring them to the hospital and do advance screening 32:16 in order to provide them advanced facilities. 32:19 Ours is a comprehensive eye care including diabetes, 32:24 hypertension, and glaucoma, and other diseases. 32:27 In fact look at this child blind from childhood. 32:31 Sometimes we find children who are almost, 32:34 you know, we are unable to help them. 32:37 We can only pray for them, 32:38 but we refer them to rehabilitation centers, 32:41 where they can be trained in other areas. 32:43 These are the patients 32:44 who we bring them to the hospital, 32:47 admit them, we screen in the villages, 32:48 our bus goes from the hospital picks them up, 32:51 brings them to the hospital and admits them. 32:53 So you go get them? 32:54 In fact what you see here is at the temple complex 32:57 where this is the wards, 32:59 this is the patients were admitted, 33:01 in fact they are the postoperative wards. 33:04 Those who are already seen. 33:06 Yes, this is the operating room 33:07 where we have two tables and a microscope in the center. 33:12 So we have a very excellent highly motivated team 33:15 who prepares the patients for surgery. 33:17 So I swing between the two tables, 33:20 one-- one and half minutes 33:22 in one table and the other table. 33:24 By the time I finish one surgery, 33:26 the team has prepared the other eye. 33:28 Look at this child blind both eyes, 33:31 the child is blind and we help these children. 33:34 Wow. This is just phenomenal. 33:37 This is the postoperativ patient 33:40 who has undergone surgery. 33:42 They put a bandage on him for protection 33:44 through the night and the next day morning 33:46 we remove this bandage and the patient is able to see. 33:49 Well, you know, this looks like a picture 33:50 that you see on National Geographic Magazine, 33:52 it's amazing. 33:54 This is the Eyes for India- It is Written, 33:55 sponsored clinics across the country 33:58 where there are grateful patients 34:00 who after surgery wear this dark glasses. 34:02 They're so thankful to the sponsors 34:04 for having made made this sight restored possible. 34:10 As we operate upon them, 34:11 we also give them spiritual health talk. 34:13 This is the-- 34:15 Peace in the Storm. 34:16 Steps to Christ booklet in their very own language. 34:19 The patient after having received physical sight, 34:21 we also give them the spiritual sight, 34:23 enabling them to open this book and they're able to read. 34:26 And normally they wouldn't take that, 34:27 but now that you hold their hearts. 34:28 They're so excited, in fact some of the patients 34:31 they just open the book and start reading it 34:34 as they're sitting right in front of us, 34:36 as they receive this booklet. 34:38 And these are-- those are some of the people. 34:40 These are the grateful patients 34:41 whose vision has been restored. 34:43 Wow. 34:45 And so I notice that the poster in the back, 34:50 the gift of sight for Christmas 34:51 sponsored by It is Written Internationals, 34:53 so you had to have been there on some of these occasions. 34:55 I've been-- I've been blessed to be there 34:56 a couple of times and stand up at Dr. Jacobs shoulder 34:59 and watch him operating. 35:01 What's powerful is to see people beforehand, 35:05 they come shuffling in, often being led by somebody else 35:08 if they can partially see, 35:10 they come in little bit under their own steam 35:13 and then to stand in the operating room 35:15 while that person is being brought in, 35:17 to see that person the next day, 35:19 able to see beaming, speaking to be in words, 35:22 I don't always understand but for a translator, 35:25 but with expressions and with the warmth 35:27 that you can't fail to understand. 35:29 So I've actually witness that transformation 35:31 from somebody going from blindness 35:33 to be able to see again it's just, 35:35 this is life changing you know, it really is. 35:37 You know, the loss of a person sight, 35:39 I think now you, really, I thank God 35:43 that we don't have to go through a checklist 35:44 and decide what we want to lose. 35:46 We have been so blessed here in America, 35:48 and another parts of the world, 35:49 but when you are a part of a country 35:51 that's your home, this is your home, 35:53 and the passion for this is not just 35:55 that God has given you the skill 35:57 but tell us what else drives you? 35:59 I mean, I know, I could see it by-- 36:01 I don't even probably need an answer, 36:02 but there is something else that keeps you going. 36:04 In fact the pictures that you have just seen, 36:06 the grateful patients thanking, it's my own village. 36:10 Wow. 36:11 The clinic was conducted at my very own home, 36:14 sponsored by It is Written. 36:16 And I know the poverty. 36:18 I've seen the suffering of this people in the village. 36:22 And I feel that I should go back 36:24 and help these patients across India, 36:27 in the rural areas, 36:29 who have nothing to look forward to. 36:32 How do you put your medial team together? 36:34 I've heard number of references about your medical team. 36:36 Are they there or do they travel with you, 36:38 how does that work? 36:39 We travel across India. 36:40 We have a very highly motivated team 36:42 which is ready to go anywhere wherever there is a call. 36:45 And we travel with our equipment, 36:47 in a It is Written sponsored bus. 36:50 We put our equipment, we take our team, 36:52 and travel across 18, 20 hours into the interior places. 36:58 Make shift clinic and an operating theater 37:01 in an approved theater 37:02 in the nearest operating theater. 37:04 After having screened them, 37:05 we would take them to the hospital, 37:06 operate them, keep them for a day or two, 37:10 provide them postoperative care, and we discharge them. 37:13 So before you get to the next theater or the next clinic, 37:15 you pretty much know where you're headed, 37:18 and then you led the people that are waiting for you, 37:21 know that you are on the way, am I correct? 37:23 In fact most of these camps have been organized 37:27 six months or in fact one year in advance. 37:29 Wow. 37:30 We collaborate with temples and religious places, 37:35 so the local organizers to help us in making 37:39 the publicity in announcing the camp was coming 37:44 and the team was going to come. 37:47 Now the reason I'm saying this because I just-- 37:49 Pastor Bradshaw John, you know we are friends here 37:52 so I'm being casual but I know, 37:53 our viewers may think I'm being downgrading your position but-- 37:58 I can only anticipate, I can only imagine the anticipation 38:01 when those patients that have been waiting is like today, 38:06 today this blessing has come to my house, 38:10 I could almost anticipate them hearing the bus 38:13 they're listening for the bus, 38:15 they're listening for the voices of people 38:16 that they've not heard before 38:18 and someone is saying to someone else they are here. 38:20 I could only anticipate, I mean, 38:22 just they hairs under my shirt are just raised 38:24 with the thought of you are like the freedom 38:27 that they have looked for and longed for. 38:30 God has put that passion, in this team to carry 38:34 the light of God's gospel and in shoes 38:38 and in the passion that God continues to fuel you with. 38:42 What is that like? 38:43 I mean, if you-- Have you been on the bus? 38:44 I tell you what's really amazing, 38:46 going to their homes afterwards and seeing their family, 38:51 scarcely able to believe what they've seen, 38:53 they've had-- mom with them for so long 38:55 and mom has been blind and she hasn't been able to do 38:58 anything and they've been waiting 38:59 on who hand and foot which they, 39:00 don't be grudge but honestly in some families 39:03 they do get kind of tired of that 39:04 and little bit resentful of them, it makes friction, 39:06 but his mom and she has been without the ability to do 39:12 what she used to doing. 39:14 It's like they've seen something they can't believe. 39:16 She gets around, now she can walk to the gate now, 39:20 she can cook now, she can take delight 39:24 and do the things she used to do now. 39:26 We have this woman back again most of them we had, 39:30 and I've got to be careful that I'm not trying to portray 39:33 if a person is blind, they have no life. 39:35 I've blind for against myself, 39:37 they live these wonderful lives and may God bless them. 39:40 In India it's very difficult to have that kind of a life 39:43 because they don't have the helps 39:45 and the assistance that perhaps 39:47 and some of the facilities that we have in the west. 39:50 So you know, life kind of ends in many ways. 39:53 And for families to see grandma back or mom back, 39:56 dad is back, he says, I can go and go back to my job 39:59 as I got now, I can provide for my children. 40:01 It makes heart ready to burst. Oh, absolutely. 40:04 So you see that end of the process. 40:07 It really is phenomenal. 40:09 We have another video roll 40:10 that I want to prepare for our listeners 40:13 and viewers about the cataract camps. 40:17 I want you to just give us an introduction 40:20 to what we're going to see. 40:24 These cataract camps are conducted 40:26 in the remotest of villages 40:29 where we have thousands of patients waiting. 40:35 And we as the team travel across, 40:37 we conduct makeshift clinic in these places 40:39 and we identify patients with various ailments. 40:44 We give them free medication 40:46 to those who have simple ailments. 40:48 Those patients which has cataract, 40:49 we line them up for surgery 40:51 and perform all the tests that are required. 40:53 Okay. 40:54 And those with, which has a advance 40:57 complicated problems, 40:59 we refer them to the base hospital 41:00 where we conduct diagnostic test on them. 41:03 I understand. 41:04 Patients with diabetes, diabetic retinopathy 41:06 and other complications 41:07 we perform surgeries on them in the hospital. 41:10 And after having lined up these patients, 41:13 after having done the surgery on them during the night, 41:16 the next day morning we open the bandages, 41:19 we do the testing of the eyes, 41:22 postoperatively we put drops on their eyes 41:25 and then we may sometimes keep them for one or two days 41:28 if they have come from a very remote village. 41:31 We give them food. 41:32 We care for them and then we discharge them. 41:35 Not just to be for, but during and after. 41:38 Let's look at this video. 41:41 Despite their efforts to provide eye care 41:43 to impoverished areas, 41:44 there are major challenges carrying out this work. 41:47 These include lack of patient facilities, 41:50 sustainability, retaining staff 41:52 and the cost of simply running a hospital. 41:55 Their mobile eye vehicle has been 41:57 in the use for over 10 years 41:59 and there's a need of replacement. 42:01 Furthermore Dr. Jacob Prabhakar and Ruby Nelson Hospital 42:05 have great ambitions to expand their services, 42:08 helping even more people obtain health 42:10 and independence from eye disease 42:12 and raising the quality of livin 42:13 for as many as possible. 42:15 Their future yielded goal 42:17 eye patients, 42:20 restore sight to 10,000 42:22 of the most disadvantage blind people, dispense spectacles 42:25 and supplemental vitamins to 15,000 children 42:28 and train 20 students of ophthalmetry 42:31 and 24 ophthalmologists in cataract surgery. 42:35 Ruby Nelson staff is accepting volunteers 42:37 participating in the community clinics, 42:39 donations in the form of equipment, mobile vans, 42:42 surgical clinics and money are all welcome. 42:45 At present 25% of surgeries 42:48 are provided free of cost to the patients. 42:50 And 60% of these re covered by philanthropists, 42:53 non-governmental organizations and generous donors. 42:57 The cost of providing prescription spectacles 42:59 for 10 children is $50. 43:01 Building a surgical eye clinic in a remote village is $1,500. 43:06 Purchasing a specialized mobile van is $200,000. 43:09 A mobile surgical clinic will cost $100,000. 43:14 India hosts over 52 million visually impaired 43:18 and blind people whose daily lives are incredibly difficult. 43:22 Our decisions and responses increasingly 43:24 have a greater effect in the global community 43:27 and this is a planet and a reality 43:29 that we all share. 43:31 We invite you to open your hearts 43:33 to the beautiful people of India and help provide them 43:36 a future free from fear, dependence and disease 43:40 with your generous donations of time, 43:42 energy, equipment and money. 43:45 The remarkable change in just one life 43:47 after providing clear sight 43:49 will change the future of this world. 44:11 Wow. 44:12 I don't know what else we can tell you 44:14 that wouldn't move you to want to be 44:15 a part of this in some way. 44:18 Dr. Jacob, I want to try that last name again. 44:21 Chindrupu. Chindrupu, yes. 44:24 I'm working on this, and I think I'm gonna better 44:27 as the program goes along. 44:29 God has, has so equipped you. 44:33 Let me ask another question. 44:35 How does your family adjust to this great demand 44:40 'cause I know that the call is heavy on you? 44:43 Tell me about the challenges 'cause I mean, 44:46 you have a family, you have daughter, 44:47 you have a son, wife? 44:51 They have been a big blessing for me. 44:53 They support me more than 2-300 percent. 44:59 I'm hardly at home. 45:02 Most of the time, I'm either traveling or operating. 45:04 Okay. 45:05 Even if I'm in the hospital or at home, 45:07 I'm in the operating room. 45:09 And so they have been great support for me, 45:11 they pray with me and they know 45:13 dad is on the job, on the mission for Jesus. 45:17 And so, they've been a tremendous support for me 45:20 wherever I go, whatever I propose, 45:22 the needs are so great 45:23 and the challenges are too high. 45:25 The work is only becoming more than it was before, 45:28 and they're with me, and praying for me. 45:32 You know, Pastor Bradshaw, 45:33 this reminds me of a good friend of 3ABN 45:36 and his name is probably familiar among 45:38 the Adventist world, Garwin McNeilus. 45:40 I remember calling him once 45:42 during the winter up in Minnesota 45:44 and I said how you're doing and he says, 45:47 I need to be in Africa. 45:48 I'm wasting time in America, it's snowing, 45:50 I need to be in Africa, my brothers and sisters, 45:51 they need a one day church, they have these needs 45:54 and I could imagine that your passion is the same 45:57 when you're home, you're thinking, 45:58 oh, how many more people 45:59 can I be restoring their sight too, 46:01 and the heart of Christ 46:03 is what moves us and motivate us, 46:05 the next evangelistic series, the next sermon, 46:08 the next Bible study. 46:09 Those are the things that throb in your heart. 46:12 You're an evangelist 46:14 as well as a missionary, not just a doctor. 46:15 Praise God for that. 46:16 We perform more than 11,000 surgeries in a year. 46:19 Wow! 46:20 Conduct 120 peripheral clinics or screening clinics 46:24 and 50 or more surgical camps in a year. 46:28 And but the needs 46:29 that were just mentioned are astronomical. 46:32 Talk about some of those financial needs 46:34 'cause to partner with Dr. Jacob, 46:37 is a significant thing for it is Written to come on board. 46:40 Talk about some of those needs 46:41 'cause we see some dollar amounts that are very real. 46:44 Those dollar amounts do not represent vacations. 46:47 Those represent lives. 46:48 Talk about that for a brief moment. 46:51 It is Written historically has had a humanitarian project. 46:54 You know, we like to be involved in humanitarian work. 46:57 When Eyes for India came to me, to us, 47:02 we realized, we realized 47:04 this was something God was in the midst of, 47:06 we really believe that. 47:08 What's phenomenal about 47:09 this is $75 pays for cataract surgery. 47:13 And let's just think about what that means. 47:15 If you're blind what would you give to get your sight back? 47:18 Well, someone else's sight is just as important as yours. 47:21 $75 will given them their sight back, just like that. 47:25 Now, there is, it will cost it little more 47:27 for to have a restorative surgery for child, 47:30 not a cataract surgery but one of more complex surgeries, 47:33 but a whole lot more. 47:34 We're talking 200-$250 47:36 and a child gets eyes back for life. 47:39 So imagine, ten eyes, $750, $75 47:45 you can spend that in evening and not worry about it. 47:47 Most people pay more than that 47:49 for a month of self on coverage. 47:52 Your cable package would cost 47:53 way more that more often than not. 47:56 And this is a life changed, a human being 47:59 who is back where they were once before, 48:02 whatever it was, robbed them of their sight. 48:04 These are real people. 48:05 Well, some of them sees for the first time. 48:08 Yes, I think that's true. 48:09 For the ones that are born blind. 48:10 There are some that are born blind. 48:11 Yes, some children are born blind. 48:12 They have not seen their parents. 48:14 They have not seen the beauty of the world. 48:17 They have been blind for 5 years, 10 years, 15 years 48:21 and they haven't seen the world, 48:22 and then they come to us, 48:23 we just operate upon them, they're able to see. 48:28 What I wanted to do for our audience 48:29 is to give you the information 48:30 that you need to find a way to participate 48:32 and then we're going to share a few more details 48:34 with you on information 48:36 that we believe is very helpful to the ministry 48:39 that we have talked about here today. 48:43 Fifteen million people in India 48:45 are afflicted with sight impairing conditions 48:47 that in many cases a simple surgery can cure. 48:50 If you'd like to know 48:51 how you can help to give the gift of sight, 48:53 then you can write to Eyes For India, 48:56 It Is Written, P.O. Box 0, Thousand Oaks, 49:00 California 91359. 49:02 That's Eyes For India, It Is Written, 49:05 P.O. Box 0, Thousand Oaks, California 91359. 49:10 You can call 800-253-3000. 49:13 That's 800-253-3000. 49:17 You can also visit their website at ItIsWritten.com. 49:21 That's ItIsWritten.com. 49:28 As you know, this is quite an extensive ministry 49:30 reaching into the lives and hearts 49:32 of hundreds of thousands 49:34 as the medical teams continue to do their work. 49:36 Just briefly, give me about 30 seconds 49:39 or so, tell me about the brochures, 49:40 we've had some brochures, 49:41 and you have some connected to the ministry. 49:43 Talk about those very briefly for me? 49:45 These brochures are have been helped by the Eyes For India, 49:50 It Is Written Project as well the PCLI 49:53 which is the Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute 49:56 at Washington State. 49:58 So they have printed these and they've send across 50:01 the world in order for people to see the beautiful stories, 50:04 they're kind of life changing stories of patients 50:07 who have been restored to sight. 50:10 So this is letting the world know that outside of India 50:13 that they can do what they-- 50:15 what God has put upon their hearts. 50:17 Pastor Bradshaw, you put that so wonderfully together. 50:19 I mean cable bills, phone bills, 50:21 things that we just waste money on, 50:23 that could be the difference between our pleasures 50:27 being fulfilled or someone's sights being restored. 50:30 And I tell you that would puts 50:32 that into such perspective here today 50:33 that we would think and I believe 50:35 that those of you watching the program would think about 50:38 what it means to spend the money, 50:39 whether it's the kingdom dollar or whether it's a dollar 50:42 that's going up in flame for something 50:44 that is transitory and temporary. 50:46 And I want to take a little bit of time here 50:49 to let people know that have looked at the dollar amounts, 50:51 that everything that is contributed or donated 50:54 to this ministry is in fact tax deductible. 50:58 And I know that as you have been move 51:00 by what you've seen and what you've heard today, 51:03 God has called you to partner with It Is Written 51:06 and with Dr. Chindrupu 51:08 as he goes with his medical team and, 51:11 but after this newsbreak, 51:12 we'll come back and give you a few closing thoughts 51:14 so stay with us, we'll be right back. |
Revised 2015-06-11