Spiritual Eyes Opened in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Joseph is wearing a big smile that’s verging on laughter as he rests under the sun cover in Isiro, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He’s beginning to see shapes and faces for the first time in years.
Cataracts had taken his sight long before, adding to Joseph’s other physical challenges, including hearing impairment and severe speech problems he’s had since birth. But just a day or so earlier, he underwent a simple but life-changing procedure performed by a Samaritan’s Purse surgical team. They successfully removed his cataracts in a matter of minutes.
Now, as he sits with his friend Midutini, a fellow patient—gauze just recently removed from their eyes—Joseph wears that wide grin behind his new pair of sunglasses.
Joseph is smiling for more than one reason. His sight has been restored, and then the eyes of his heart were opened to God as hospital chaplains shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ through a visual presentation.
Joseph, right, received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour during a visual presentation of the Gospel after his sight-restoring surgery.
Midutini speaks for his friend, sharing what God has done. “Joseph could not speak and he could not hear, but after receiving his sight through the surgeries, he was able to see a visual presentation of the Gospel,” Midutini explains. “Since he came here and started to see, he made the decision to follow Christ.”
More than 435 Congolese cataract patients received surgeries Nov. 6-17 this year in the Haut-Uele region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since 2017, when the programme started, Samaritan’s Purse cataract teams have provided more than 8,000 life-changing cataract surgeries across five countries. When these speciality teams apply their surgical training in Jesus’ Name, doors are opened to share the Gospel with patients and loved ones. In 2024 alone, the programme provided 1,670 cataract surgical procedures.
A nurse examines patients following a time of recovery.
“Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world,” says Bethany Densham, cataract team programme manager for Samaritan’s Purse. “Among the Congolese elderly population, cataracts cause these older men and women to be marginalised. They become completely dependant upon others to provide them with food, bathing, and just simple things in daily life. This is an essential surgery, and it provides us with an opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ during the programme.”
Another patient, Albert, explains the lonely life of sightless Congolese as he expresses the fears he was facing as his own sight began to diminish because of cataracts. He is grateful to God that Samaritan’s Purse was able to restore his vision.
Each year we provide hundreds of cataract surgeries worldwide.
“Life is in the eyes. You can be strong as you are now but if you lose your sight you will no longer be able to go anywhere and you come to feel useless,” he says. “Even if you were a boxer or practised in karate, you will not be able to do that or anything anymore.”
The Word of God for Restored Eyes
A Congolese soldier named Julien, a captain in the Army and a pastor, says his surgery and recovery experience with Samaritan’s Purse was surprisingly quick and pain-free. Now he can see, continue to work hard, and read cherished passages of Scripture.
Patients received the gift of restored sight, encouragement from our team, the saving message of the Gospel, and their very own copy of God’s Word.
Julien was thrilled to hear that Samaritan’s Purse was giving out Bibles to the patients. In this way, the Word of God is among the first books available to people to read immediately after receiving their sight.
“I would like to thank Samaritan’s Purse for these surgeries and for these Bibles,” he says. “The Bible gives us perpetual contact with God. May God bless you in all that you do. I am glad to be able to read God’s Word again and to tell others about Him wherever I go, bearing witness to Jesus Christ.”
As patients gather to praise God for their restored sight—and some for their salvation, a woman named Okasa joyfully thanks God for what He has done for them through Samaritan’s Purse surgical teams.
“You have already healed me, God of Israel! You have already healed me, Living Stone!”
