A young man who wanted to become a physician never imagined how many hurdles he would have to overcome to make his dream come true. What is more, he never imagined how despite all the roadblocks along the way, his call would lead him to a call to service across the world as he found his life purpose in mission.

Following his dreams

Gibdel Wilson was born in Costa Rica, grew up in a Seventh-day Adventist family, and attended Adventist schools. In 1988, when he was 16, he decided to enrol in the medicine program at Montemorelos University in Mexico.

“I hadn’t heard about the university before,” he confessed. “But I did my research, took the entrance exam, and passed.”

Wilson shared that he arrived with a suitcase, limited financial resources, and many dreams. Some semesters, he would pause his studies to work and saved the funds that would allow him to keep studying. It was a formative experience, he acknowledged.

“I learned to depend on God, the community, and acts of service,” he recently recounted.

During his student years, Wilson found out that his future profession could also become a ministry. On weekends, while many went for a pleasure walk, he would join two friends, John Yates and James Farrington, to provide medical care in vulnerable communities in Nuevo León.

“The experience awakened in me a desire to become a missionary,” he shared.

Finally, after much effort, Wilson finished his degree in medicine in 1994.

Decades of service

Upon graduation, Wilson completed his internship in Costa Rica and his social service requirement in Tepozanes, Zaragoza, Nuevo León. He then returned to Costa Rica, where he worked for nearly three decades as a medical missionary, humanitarian officer, and disaster risk management specialist. With a laugh, Wilson says he chose that area of service “because I like action and not having to wear a tie.”

Since then, Wilson has been close to communities affected by earthquakes, floods, social crises, and extreme poverty. He has served in the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), the Red Cross, the National Emergency Commission, international mission organizations, and multiple medical brigades.

An unexpected hurdle

While studying at Montemorelos, Wilson said he began to stumble in the dark without knowing why. After a motorcycle accident, Wilson went to the hospital where he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa and told that he would eventually lose his sight. The process began in 1994, and by 2014, Wilson had become completely blind.

“I was afraid, and I was discouraged. I thought there was no point in specializing. But I understood that, when you focus on what you don’t have, you waste your time. God reminded me of everything I did have.”

That change of focus led him to continue studying, get an international scholarship, return to sports—today he is a triathlete and Costa Rican national champion in the T11 category. It also moved Wilson to launch OneLife, a ministry that provides free medical care, assists indigenous communities, and supports the upkeep of guide dogs across Costa Rica.

Wilson’s creativity also took him further. After the earthquake in El Salvador in 2001, he began working with puppets as a therapeutic and preventive tool. His character “Papelillo,” a doctor in a white coat, has traveled to different countries and won world awards from the International Puppet Union (UNESCO) for his educational and humanitarian impact.

Throughout his career, Wilson has also been a teacher, lecturer, air rescuer, volunteer doctor in international organizations, and visiting professor at his alma mater. In his most recent visit to Montemorelos, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the medicine degree, Wilson not only taught specialized classes but also dedicated time to motivating students who face difficulties.

“Every trip should have a purpose. If I go to a country for an award or a visit, I take the opportunity to serve. I don’t want life to be just about getting.”

During the celebrations of his career anniversary, Wilson’s classmates honored his career of missionary service with a small but significant graduation ceremony.

Today, after 25 years of medical missionary service, Wilson continues to give his only life—as the motto of his organization OneLife goes—to care for the lives of others, educational leaders shared.

“He does it with a firm voice, humor, gratitude, and a deep conviction that true professional excellence is demonstrated when it is used to transform others for good,” they said.

Wilson never forgets that academic training is just the starting point; the rest is forged by serving.

“Montemorelos taught me that I wasn’t supposed to study to become an important person, but to serve better. I never forgot that,” he said.

Lisandra Vicente and Brenda Cerón contributed to this story. The original article was published on the Inter-American Division news site.