Revealing the Glory of God--Francisco and Yamelin

2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him."                                                                                                     John 9: 2-3

As I sought the words to tell the story of my friend and coworker, Francisco, God put this Scripture on my heart.  No, God has not chosen to heal Francisco's vision, but I daily see God's glory revealed in the life of this young man.  (Francisco was not born blind, but has lost his sight due to Marfan syndrome, a disease of the connective tissue which can prove fatal if it affects his heart.)

I have to back up a bit, though, to really tell his story.  For a couple of years I have been struggling to teach Yamelin, a student at Nueva Vida who is blind.  About a year ago, my friend Donna Hultman, a teacher of the blind, came down to help, and after her visit I had more ideas of how to help Yamelin.  I still struggled, however, to know what she really needed, especially in her regular classroom.  I'm not trained in teaching the blind, and while I figured I was better than nothing, I felt I was not making much progress with her.

Mary, her husband Dennis, and daughter Maggie
visiting Antigua

Last July, however, we were blessed by the visit of Mary Johnson, a lady from Houston who is blind and has a love of Guatemala and Nueva Vida.  After visiting the school and meeting with Francisco, she asked whether or not it would be possible for Francisco to begin teaching Yamelin with my help.  This was one of those "DUH" moments in my life.  I'm not sure why we had not thought of this before, but I was sure glad Mary did.

Planning meeting to discuss Yamelin's curriculum

After a little bit of planning and showing Francisco what I had been doing with Yamelin, he took off working with her a few hours a day, both in my room and in her regular classroom.  I stand amazed at what a great teacher he is, using only his own experience of two years training at an institute in Guatemala City as the basis for his instruction.  I learn more about teaching those without sight each day from listening to him as he teaches Yamelin, and from the ideas he shares with me about what to do next with her.

Yamelin daily makes progress, in mobility, task completion, language and independence.  Francisco's faithfulness in serving her is truly changing her life.  She is coming to love her teacher, too.  The other day, I went to get her, telling her that her friend had come for her.  While I was expecting her to say my name to identify me, I was delighted when she replied, "¿Donde está Francisco?"  "Where is Francisco?"  

You can see Yamelin's affection for Francisco,
as she holds her mother's and Francisco's hands
during her planning meeting

As word got out that Francisco was working with Yamelin, I was approached by Brian Alexander, another young man who has Marfan's.  Brian still has a bit of residual sight, but has lost his ability to read.  He was wondering if Francisco could work with him, too, to teach him Braille.  This was a huge step for him, as Brian is still struggling to adjust to the changes brought on by the progression of his disease.  

While Braille is not the only thing Brian needs to learn, or perhaps even the most important, we have decided to start with this and give him time to get used to the idea that he will need to learn other things, such as moving around with a cane, as his vision continues to worsen.  Accepting new limitations is very hard for him, and, unfortunately, Brian does not have the same intensity of a walk with Jesus which Francisco does to support him through these losses.

We hope, though, that through Francisco's mentoring and instruction, Brian will come to know the firm love of Jesus, which is not dependent on his circumstances.  We pray he will decide to follow in the footsteps of his Lord, following Francisco's faithful example.  

When I have talk with Francisco about the impact he is making on the lives of these two young people, this humble man thanks me for the opportunity to work with them.  He does not think he is doing anything exceptional, though I surely think he is.  The support he offers me, and the friendship on a daily basis has changed my life, too.  It is his desire to serve them, and through them his God, in whatever way he can.  He also is grateful to be able to pay back to Nueva Vida for the education he received through this program.  His gratitude and faithfulness to Jesus is a good reminder to us all.

We joke about "the blind following the blind," as if it's ridiculous.  If Francisco is the one doing the leading, I think we should all start following him!