The Friday Story: "He Was Gone and They Were Happy!"

This story comes from our partner, Jessie, in China. 

On Sep. 19, 2008 we traveled to Tongren, Guizhou province. Tongren is located in the southwest of China. Guizhou is one of the poorest provinces in China, and Tongren is one of the poorest cities in Guizhou. Nine percent of the population is disabled. Particular to the Tongren region is the concentration of a minority group, the Miao people. The medical condition in this region is very backwards. It even has a leprosy village. We brought 1,100 of your wheelchairs to the Tongren area. 

It all started with a ceremony. What impressed me most is that not only the disabled recipients and their relatives came, but also students from the special education school, the local primary and middle schools, and the Vocational School for the Disabled. Also in the audience were members of the Association for the Blind, members of the Association of Deaf People, and employees from Tongren Water Factory and other local companies. They all came to honor the wheelchair recipients and show their gratitude for this amazing donation.

I addressed the group and introduced to them the ministries of FWM and CCC (Christian Church of China), particularly emphasizing the wheelchairs as a gift of the love from God to every recipient present.

The next day we went to visit some of the recipients in their homes. The last disabled friend we wished to visit who had received a wheelchair the day before was not at home. THE DOOR WAS CLOSED, BUT WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED AT ALL. His neighbor explained: "This is the first time for me to see the door shut during the day. This door has never been shut at daytime for more than 25 years." Because of his disability, our recipient was staying at home everyday, looking enviously at the passers-by from the open door. But today he was gone! He closed his front door and went out. He went somewhere. We do not know where. But most importantly, he got his freedom back!

The Friday Story: "An Inmate's Connection!"

We got a letter from Michael in Livingston, TX, who is currently serving time in a Texas prison. Despite being incarcerated, he has chosen to start a very touching ministry within the prison to help Free Wheelchair Mission!

Dear Don and Laurie, The unfolding story of your “Free Wheelchair Mission” is a blessing of faith, hope and love to all that you touch. Thank you and thank God for you. Amen.

After reading “Mobile Blessings” in The World Magazine (May 17/24, 2008) I was inspired to start the Polunsky Prison Partnership Ministry (3PM). 3PM would like to become a postal partner by sending you new $0.42 stamps in amounts equal to the cost of providing each of your wheelchairs ($51.29). 

As 3PM grows, we hope to publish our successes in the Texas Department of Criminal Justices newspaper called The Echo. We want to challenge the other 171,000+ inmates in the other 115+ prisons in Texas to start similar out-reach partnership ministries. Although we cannot guarantee that the other prisons will help you, we do have assurance that God’s blessings go out ahead of God’s work.

You may be wondering why we have chosen postage as a means of giving. A single $0.42 stamp may not seem like much to someone in the free world, but for a person in jail it represents a point of contact with a family member or a friend, a most precious thing. By sending it out to you it gives each one of us a way to touch the poorest of the poor in the nations you serve.

Thank you, Michael, for your very creative way to help Free Wheelchair Mission!

Friday Wheelchair Story: Hong’s new life – one year later

Friday Wheelchair Story: The opportunity to work

Blanca is a young mother currently living in Callao, Lima with two young children ages 9 and 10. At the age of 2, she was diagnosed with Polio and remained in the care of her parents up until the age of 16. She then moved in with her partner and they have been together ever since. Blanca is a hard worker and her sister helps care for her children while she goes to work. Her oldest son was born prematurely and now suffers with epilepsy. This requires extra income in order to buy the proper medication her son needs to prevent seizures.

Blanca is well known in the neighborhood. She works as a telephone operator for Hospital Negreiros del Callao. She starts at 8 am and works until 9:30 pm. Before this she sold candies in a small shop, but she had to leave as the owner of the store refused to pay her. She is currently presenting her resume to several companies where she hopes to find both stable income and health insurance.

Blanca understands that the wheelchair is her primary source of mobility and it gives her the opportunity to go to work. She is very grateful to the Free Wheelchair Mission for this donation. She asks God to help the Free Wheelchair Mission continue helping many disabled and handicapped people. She sums it up this way: “Truly this is a labor of mercy and love for those less fortunate.”

Friday Wheelchair Story: The Only Place to Sit.

This story comes from Vanessa Mendoza, our Logistics Manager. She just visited the Philippines.

Josephine received her wheelchair in August 2007. She is 49 years old and lost her ability to walk in her thirties as a result of hydrocephalus. She didn’t attend school. I couldn’t get a clear answer why but I imagine it had to do with the way she walked, which was on her curled toes, and the way her head was turned. Her younger sisters taught her at home which was the only way she received an education. 

Josephine’s parents live above their shoe shop. We walked into their house and Josephine’s father was sitting behind a counter filled with shoes. He jumped up immediately and started saying hello, shaking everyone’s hand and motioned us upstairs which lead to Josephine’s room. 

One thing that became very apparent was how well they cared for Josephine. Her family appreciated the wheelchair so much. They use it to take Josephine to church, to walk around the block and sometimes to bathe her in. The only time Josephine can sit up is when she is in the wheelchair. Otherwise, she has to lie down because her back is so weak. The fact that she could sit up when visiting with people was a blessing, and it was apparent that her family was so happy for this gift!

I was definitely made to feel very proud of the work we do at Free Wheelchair Mission while visiting with Josephine and her family. The fact that something so simple has had such an impact humbled me. They were tripping over themselves to be hospitable and even though Josephine was a little shy during our visit I knew that she appreciated this gift as much as her family did. Operation Blessing, our distribution partner, does a great job in the Philippines and I’m so glad they were able to set up this meeting! 

Friday Wheelchair Story: 32 years of guilt lifted

Laurie and I are in Laos this week, along with Dr. Michael Bayer (our Medical Director) and Wendy from DC (an amazing traveler as well as long time supporter). Are host is Gillian and her team from Operation Blessing. 

Chan La is 33 years old. Dr. Bayer was pretty certain she had Cerebral Palsy. Her 75 year old father has lived with guilt for 32 years. Chan La got a high fever and abdominal pain when she was one year old. He took her to the hospital and a doctor gave her an injection. He blames the hospital, but mostly himself, for bringing her there, believing that if he hadn’t, Chan La would not have these disabilities. Dr. Bayer did his best to explain: Chan La’s disabilities were caused during child delivery. Her father’s spirits seemed raised by Dr. Bayer’s words.

Chan La is happy. When I held her hand and rubbed her back our eyes met. I tried to talk to her in English, and she tried to talk to me in Lao. I learned to appreciate her smile. None of us could mistake her screams of delight in going for her first ride in her very own wheelchair. 

Laos has about 6 million people. By our simple estimate Laos needs 120,000 wheelchairs. Many other groups have given out wheelchairs here already, but in our week of travel we only saw our own. Operation blessing has delivered 1650 of our wheelchairs so far. There is so much work left to do.

Friday Wheelchair Story: Every Day Another Miracle

This story comes from our good friends Grace and Steven in Chile.

Nelson is 84 years old. He is blind from his diabetes. He cannot walk. Next month the doctor is amputating one of his legs. He lives with his daughter, her husband, and seven grand children. His daughter and her husband make a living picking up cardboard and selling it as recycle scrap. They live in really poor conditions, but they have such a sweet and united family - full of love. 

Nelson has needed a wheelchair for the past five years. When we told them the chair is a gift from God, they could not stop thanking God and all who were present. They could not believe that this miracle was happening. It is amazing how the wheelchairs change people’s lives, every day. Tell all your supporters they are changing the world with love! Thank you one trillion times and more for all your help and for letting us participate of this wonderful ministry.

Thanksgiving Wheelchair Story: Thankful in Advance

Whitney manages our wheelchair distribution network. She went to South Africa last month to assess the worthiness some potential partners. She wrote this story:

I was taken to meet a little girl named Mercuyru. She is 10 years old and has been disabled her entire life, both physically and mentally. I had a special connection with her. I looked at her and she smiled. There she was, sitting in the dirt, unable to walk, she has crawled all her life - everywhere she goes. Yet, she smiled.

I realized as I sat there and played with her that she is truly a special daughter of God. I thought of all of her trials, born unable to walk or talk or interact the way the most of us do. She has never had a wheelchair or really anything of material means to cling to, yet she smiled and beamed, and God’s light radiated from her. Her parents had passed away. Her grandfather is her guardian, but it didn’t seem that anyone really cared for her most of the time. However, she was full of love and light and hope. I felt so strongly that she knew of the love that God has for her and that has made all the difference. We didn’t have wheelchairs with us that day. I told her that the next time I’d see her she would be in her very own wheelchair, up off the ground and lifted up to a new level.

I’ve given wheelchairs to the poorest of the poor in many countries. I will never grow tired of remembering and telling these experiences. This was different. Mercuyru was profoundly thankful in advance. Her faith in what I told her would actually happen made her thankful in advance. She changed my life. 

I will try many times this Thanksgiving Day to be thankful for what I have. I am humbled by ten year old Mercuyru. Her faith is so strong. She is thankful for what her faith tells her she will someday receive.

Friday Wheelchair Story:  A non-runner, running for those who can’t.

So many of our stories are about people who get our wheelchairs. There is another huge part of our mission - the people who provide the funds for us to do this. Many of you know our next big event is our Run for Mobility with Surf City USA® Marathon on Superbowl Sunday (Feb. 1, 2009). To date, 244 participants running in the marathon, ½ marathon and 5 K run/walk have decided to raise funds for Free Wheelchair Mission! Holly is one runner, and here is her story:

I was convinced to run the half marathon by my friend, and he's definitely a runner. I am definitely NOT a runner! I was excited to take on a new challenge. I knew that these types of races usually benefit some sort of charity, so I looked on the Surf City Marathon website to see the cause. I loved the idea of "running for those who can’t" so I immediately set up my personal page and set a goal to raise $1,000. I emailed about 200 people in my address book and received my first donation within the 5 minutes! From then it hasn't stopped and it is so inspiring to think of it in terms of wheelchairs.

When I raised my first $50, I was so excited to know that I had given a wheelchair to someone in need. Since then, I always seem to get a confirmation email telling me I've raised more money right when I don't want to go run! It is so motivating to keep training. Not only does it benefit people in need, but it has been so rewarding for me to know how much all of my family, friends and co-workers support me! I get more and more excited about the upcoming marathon every day, and I hope to surpass my goal of $1,000!

Friday Wheelchair Story: He had to ask neighbors to be carried.

This story comes from our great friends from the new Barnabas Group in Houston. They got so excited when they distributed part of the first container of wheelchairs they funded, that they set a new goal to raise funds for ten more containers!

We walked down an almost vertical hill in Cusco, Peru to the door to Justiano’s one room home. The foot of his single bed butted against the wall. The only other furniture in the room was two wooden straight back chairs in one corner. The floor was uneven, hard packed dirt. The walls were adobe brick. The ceiling and the walls adjacent to the 3 sides of his bed had bright blue plastic sheeting tacked to them. 

Justiano demonstrated how he could use his hands to move his paralyzed legs and slide from the bed into his new wheelchair. 

He is 44 years old. Eleven years ago he was in an accident that resulted in a spinal injury. He said he has to ask neighbors to carry him. He was very excited about the new freedom the wheelchair would bring and hopeful that he could find some work to do. When we offered a prayer for him, he took off his baseball cap, and participated in the prayer. He asked Pastor Willy a question about religion. Rather than answer, Pastor Willy invited him to attend the church’s men’s ministry, and offered to take him. Justiano was very grateful and excited to pose for his photo outside his door in his wheelchair. It was a great day for him and the beginning of a new ability to move and maybe much more!

Friday Wheelchair Story: We can tell when she is happy

This letter comes from Doug and Jean in Fullerton, CA who received it from the social worker of a wheelchair recipient in the Philippines.

Friday Wheelchair Story: Last month a stranger, now a friend.

This story comes from Robert Kalatchan, our dear friend and partner in Vietnam (Giving it Back to Kids). 
A month ago, we gathered together for a common cause – to distribute wheelchairs to several needy families in Hanoi. Today, The People Committee brought me back to Thai and his family.

Thai’s mother welcomed me with her sincere smile. She remembered me – a stranger a month ago, but now a friend. She was deeply grateful for the gift of the wheelchair.

“We are so glad to have this wheelchair as it has relieved me of some of the tiring chores taking care of my son. The wheelchair has greatly benefited our family in many ways.”

Thai’s elderly grandmother added:

“Thai used to be so dependent on his mother for everything. Many times, Thai’s mother had to go hungry without food, just to carry him, as the boy is so active and cannot be left unattended.”

As I bade farewell to the family, my heart was touched that our little gesture has made a difference. This is enough to motivate us to repeat the wheelchair distributions, over and over again. It is not mere wheelchairs that we give, we give transformation and happiness.

This is a translation of the letter from Thai’s mother:

"My name is Dai and I’m Thai’s mother. We received the wheelchair from the sponsors about one month ago. First of all, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to all who made this gift possible. With this new wheelchair my son found a new life companion. It helps him to move around easily and I can now bring Thai out for strolls and to the market. With the wheelchair, I do not have to carry my son all day any more. The mobile plastic seat of the wheelchair also makes it very convenient for my son to take a shower or go to the toilet. I hope that your sponsors are able to extend their helping hands to more families and transform their lives, like they have for mine."