An Ohio eye surgeon and his staff of six provided the gift of vision to 101 people when they performed a record number of cataract surgeries at a week-long clinic in Abengourou, Ivory Coast, in early September.

This was the second trip to Ivory Coast for Dr. Brian Stahl, a LASIK and cataract surgeon with a large practice in Dayton, Ohio, but his 17^th mission trip. He has made trips to seven countries and has permanent clinics in Nicaragua and Jamaica where he regularly travels to perform eye surgeries.

Dr. Stahl was coaxed into considering a trip to Ivory Coast when David Giles, CMF’s Director of Church Catalyst Ministries, was his patient.

“David came in for LASIK surgery and saw photos of my mission trips,” said Dr. Stahl. “He kept asking and asking, and finally told me to pray about it. That was so not fair! I said, ‘Lord, tell me why I can’t go to Africa,’ and it got really quiet. So we went!”

On the first trip, the team saw a fair number of patients, but by the time they returned this year, the word had spread.

“The second trip was crazy beyond belief,” said Dr. Stahl. “We just had to take the worst of the worst, the truly blind people. We did 101 surgeries in a week, which is a single doctor record. On the last day we did 28 surgeries, also a record. We even did a 10-year-old boy, Nada, and he was so brave, and now he can see.”

“The trip was nothing less than awesome,” he added. “I give people their vision back! Most haven’t seen their grandkids before! You take that patch off the next morning and it doesn’t matter how hot and tired you are, you’re laughing and crying and hugging and praying.”

CMF missionaries Brian and Tabitha Hauser, Andy Gable, and former missionary Juli Jones and son Austin were on hand in Abengourou to assist with the clinic, as well.

“The entire staff and crew from the mission did a great job,” said Dr. Stahl. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”

“Not only is Dr. Stahl incredibly generous and an exceptionally good surgeon,” said David Giles, “but he thanked me profusely for persistently asking him to go, when he was the one who gave of his time and resources to go and take his staff. He made a lasting impact on so many in Ivory Coast, including young children who now can see, thanks to his expertise.”

“I go because the Lord tells us to go the ends of the earth to share His love,” said Dr. Stahl. “These people are truly the ‘least of these,’ and I’m so very blessed to be able to go and help them.”