Who do you trust

We have a team here this week doing medical brigades. 

Since we have not had an optometry/eye team for many years, and thus can't do a rural brigade for that since we would need quite a few folks to pull that off...at a minimum at least we can take reading glasses for those over 40 to compliment the medical (and for this trip, dental and gynecology with some of the gang from the clinic going with us.)  

Valerie needs to be in the clinic in Tegucigalpa of course, so I have been handling dispensing the reading glasses...and addressing any other vision complaints, giving advice or pointing them to the clinic or public hospitals depending on what they need.  

What I am continually amazed to see is how often places here try to sell glasses to people that do not need them...or at least, sell them glasses that arguably aren't worth the investment.  

In Cantarranas yesterday I saw a prescription that was the minimum you can put in a pair of glasses (also optioned with expensive add ons to increase the price) and the patient was told she absolutely needed these to see clearly and be able to function. 

They wouldn't hurt her of course...but this was a money grab for sure, not really thinking in her best interest.

Just yesterday there were several other such stories, and over the years we have heard and seen countless examples.  It definitely makes it hard to know who you can trust.  Especially since the above prescription I saw was given at another church and was presented as a brigade, not a for profit business (which it is.)

 So...I could just post here Matthew 10:16 "“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves."

But there is a reminder there to check ourselves when we act/react to others in all circumstances as well.  

So I will add two other verses about trust:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst."  I Timothy 1:15