GLOBAL EYEGLASS MINISTRY was founded in 2013 to provide short-term mission teams with all of the training and equipment necessary to hold vision clinics. GEM has branches in the Seattle metro area and the Portland metro area. Since its founding, dozens of teams from around the United States have held clinics and helped thousands of people around the world! See the Gallery for pictures!
GEM uses a combination of donated prescription glasses and donated/purchased readers to match with clinic visitors. Interested in donating? Click on Donate at the top of the page.
Wonder how a clinic works? In a clinic, patients are first triaged to assess their vision needs. If necessary, their prescription is then determined with an autorefractor. A computer system then searches the inventory of glasses brought by the team to find a match! Many people’s vision problems can be corrected with just readers, and that is also determined and facilitated by the team.
No prior training or experience is required to host a vision clinic through GEM! Interested in partnering with GEM on a mission trip? Contact us for more information and an application!
Check out the following testimonials to learn how GEM has been utilized around the world.
A USA mission pastor says:
“Global Eyeglass provides us with an excellent tool that helps us take the gospel to the nations more effectively. Our overseas missionary partners love to be able to offer eyeglass clinics to their communities for free. And while people receive glasses, each one has the gospel explained to them. We’ve seen hundreds come to Christ. And the local churches over there do follow-up, discipleship and church planting. That’s why we love working with GEM. They are about Jesus and the Great Commission, above everything else.”
A missionary in the Philippines says:
“GEM has been a power partner in our vision to share the Gospel and plant churches. We consider GEM as a powerful gateway ministry opening doors into communities and people that we may otherwise never had the opportunity to meet. We constantly sing GEM’s praises to other churches and organizations all over the world. We are raving fans of GEM and how God has used and continues to use this unique and important ministry in sharing the gospel and planting churches all over the world.”
A missionary in Kenya says:
“Hosting a vision clinic with GEM was both beneficial for our ministry and our local church. We were able to meet so many people we wouldn’t have met without the clinic, and a year later we have new members in our church that have been coming ever since. The vision clinic enabled us to interact with the community in a new way, to help meet physical needs, and share a bonding experience with new people. It was a blessing to us and everyone involved, from the volunteers to the people who received new sight.”
A missionary in Cambodia says:
“It is hard to put into words the effect that GEM has had on the communities we were able to serve. For most of the poor who were served, the cost of prescription eyeglasses or even a good pair of readers is out of reach. Such a blessing to see someone who could not read be able to read or see clearly for the first time in years. Cambodians have a tendency to fall back on ‘this is my life.’ A statement without hope for a future. Not only did you bring the gift of sight but a real statement of Christ’s love to those who might not otherwise set foot on the Jesus place. Many would not have come without the opportunity to get glasses. All who did were able to see the love of Christ reflected through His faithful servants and were able to receive a clear presentation of the gospel. Thank you.”
Global Eyeglass Ministry Board:
Tim P. Shay (Chairman)
Dr. Don Andrews (Vice Chairman)
Mary Shay (Secretary & Treasurer)
Gale Andrews
Anne Dennis
Joby Duggan
Wayne Duggan
Debbie Kaumans
Anne Shannon
Kevin Shay
Ryan Shay
Euojin Shay
Chris Welch
Cora Welch
