The San Lorenzo Clinic

Carlos was ready to kill himself. First a bad accident in one eye, then a cataract in the other. Now he was completely blind. Life did not seem worth living. He had no money for surgery to remove the cateract. Hopeless and discouraged, he allowed a friend to lead him carefully up the steps of HCJB Global's San Lorenzo Clinic.

San Lorenzo, one of HCJB Global's satellite clinics, rests on Ecuador's beautiful green coastland near the border of Columbia. The land is flat and the air warm. More than 25,000 people live in San Lorenzo today.

A girl waiting outside the clinic

They are a poor but good-hearted and hardworking people, says missionary Jane Weaver, who works at the clinic, "People like you and me".

The clinic began in 1989 as an ocular clinic treating eye diseases and problems. When Jane arrived in November 2003, the clinic expanded its services to offer general surgery, general medicine, and dentistry.

An organization called Jersey Overseas Aid funded the San Lorenzo Clinic. Jersey Island is one of the Channel Islands between France and England. JOA also sent a work team overseas to help with the construction. Today the clinic has six employees, including the doctor and dentist. Jane provides the general surgery in addition to coordinating volunteer surgeons who come to help.

Jose Arroyo working in ocular services

"His life had changed completely", Jane recalls, "He was so excited"!

Today, Carlos can see again. Jane and Jorge talked with Carlos about Jesus Christ and the free gift of eternal life. Carlos wanted to pray with them to become a child of God. This made quite a Christmas Eve to remember!

Dr. Jane Weaver performing surgery

Jane vividly recalls how Carlos first came to the clinic, being led as a blind man by a friend. What joy it was to see Carlos leave without assistance, walking like a freed man out the door!

Stories like these are highlights for Jane. "The hardest part is finding enough money to keep the clinic going", she says, "but the best part of this work are the people, both the employees, who are the absolute best, and the people of San Lorenzo".

What the clinic needs most is funding in order to keep its prices reasonable for the nationals living in a difficult economy. In addition to a general need for funds, San Lorenzo needs a full-time national physician, which would cost about $1,000 per month.