Monday

Up at 4:00 a.m. and out the door at 5:00 with no complaints. What an amazing team you have!  The anticipation of our wheelchair distribution probably had a lot to do with that. We drove three hours to San Bernardino. (Guatemala, not California.) It was a beautiful drive through lush green hills with several volcanos making the back drop.

We arrived to find that the location for the distribution had been pulled at the last minute and we had to move to a nearby open air court yard. It was completely covered so provided needed shade and a cool breeze blew thru the open sides. Praise God for this gift.  We unloaded the truck, set up shop, and got a brief lesson in properly seating someone in a wheelchair. Emily was used at the registration table, while Noah and Clint were assigned to assist with specialty chairs. That left four teams of two, one experienced person and one first timer, to seat everyone else.

Each person has a story. Every family member is affected in some way. We were encouraged to take the time to “love on” the people. We were not to be in a hurry. The chairs were important, but sharing God’s love was more important. It was an important reminder. We did take time with the chairs, adjusting foot rests, adding back cushions, installing seat belts, and properly sizing. But when it was all done we took time to hug each individual, say “God bless you,” and converse more by tone and emotion, rather than words.

One of the stories was of a young man, not well enough to attend, who had recently been severely injured in a car accident. His wife did not make it. They have two children, one a new born. There are no grandparents or relatives. One of the local volunteers was there on his behalf. She did not speak English, but spoke Spanish so eloquently I got the gist and Chris filled in the details later. He was not a relative, friend, or neighbor, just someone in need. She was following the example of the Good Samaritan and helping her “neighbor” in need.

We seated a very upbeat gregarious man. He arrived on a deluxe tricycle/wooden wagon contraption with his two preschool age sons. (His wife, who also has health issues, picked their young daughter up from school and met them there.) I was struck with how happy and friendly he was. It was a joy to watch him interact with his boys.

After each individual is seated they and their family go to the side and talk with a local pastor. The only problem was the scheduled pastors did not show up! It was a difficult start to the day, but in the end Chris said God had a plan. The first two people to receive wheelchairs were strong Christians who loved to share the Good News of Jesus. They stayed on (seated in their new chairs) for the duration and 19 people gave their hearts to the Lord. Our best laid plans fell apart, but God knew what He was about.

It is such a blessing to be here!

Marcy