The Rev. Dave Andrus helps the blind find faith with outreach organization

Although he has none, the Rev. Dave Andrus thinks eyesight can be a painful thing because it can draw people into temptation.

As the executive director of the Lutheran Mission to the Blind, a national organization that promotes an introduction to Christianity and ministry training for people who are blind, Andrus spoke to the congregation of Good Shepard Lutheran Chapel in Cape Girardeau on Sunday about the mission of his work. He lost his sight to a rare retinal disease at age 11, and has dedicated his life to helping people who are blind find religion.

"God can and will use people just how they are," Andrus said.

During his sermon, Andrus gave examples of Bible stories while he explained his personal history. As he animatedly spoke of constrasting passages and their meanings, he came to a conclusion: that the world is actually blind, and that it is in desperate need to find that God has other meanings for life.

Although parts of his sermon evoked laughter from the congregation, Andrus takes his work seriously.

Most of his weekends are spent traveling around the country, spreading awareness of his organization and founding outreach centers at churches. The outreach centers, now with 52 locations, are also known as "mission posts."

The centers host regular gatherings, monthly meals, Bible studies, Braille classes and job-related training. The individuals who use the centers and a 10-course curriculum have access to Braille and large type materials, as well as audio tapes that teach leadership and education in Christianity.

At its beginning, the organization began sending the materials upon request, which is still one of its major causes, and a starting point for individuals who use the centers.

Andrus helped begin the organization in 1994. For the past nine years, the organization has held an event called the Christian Blind Institute, which is based in St. Louis. So far, Andrus has helped found outreach centers across Missouri, including two in St. Louis and one each in Columbia, Kansas City, Lebanon and Springfield.

Andrus said he hopes a center will be established in Cape Girardeau in the near future as well. He said the center would take the city's name and be called the Cape Girardeau Outreach Center to the Blind.

The number of locations available reflects the needs Andrus sees from the country's blind population.

"Four percent of the American population is visually impaired, and 95 percent of people who are, aren't in church," he said.

"In the Lutheran Blind Mission we tell people they can do things, and through connections they are able to learn what they can do," Andrus said.

He said the mission is to show compassion and kindness on a human level, and to train blind leaders.

However, he said the goal of the training the organization provides is not necessarily to get people who are blind into church, because most won't come.

The Rev. Barry Pfanstiel, pastor of the Good Shepard Chapel, agreed.

He said he sees purpose in the training not to make people who are blind Lutheran, but to see them in heaven.

"You have to build a trusting relationship first," Pfanstiel said.

Pfanstiel and Andrus met when Andrus headed a congregation in St. Louis in the early 1990s. He invited Andrus for his first visit to a Cape Girardeau congregation.

Andrus said he hoped his visit would result in obtaining contact information of people in need of materials from the organization.