July 3, 2009
Friday Wheelchair Story: Reach Up, Reach Out!
This story comes from our good friend Jeff Abbott. His Kingdom Assignment (www.kingdomassignment.com) is to raise funds for wheelchairs. He made a presentation at his church (Chino Valley Community Church) that got the attention of the children’s choir. Gail Atkinson is the choir leader. She wrote the following story:
 Our children’s choir tries to focus and put into practice the theme of the musical each year. This year the musical was Reach Up Reach Out, transforming our lives by knowing Jesus and then transforming the lives of others by serving. After hearing Jeff present the video from Free Wheelchair Mission, the kids voted to sell cookies after the musical and try to raise enough money for 10 wheelchairs. After the first performance they had $182. We prayed that God would honor their faithfulness, and He did. They reached their goal of 10 wheelchairs!
Their enthusiasm was incredible. Thank you, Free Wheelchair Mission for the great ministry opportunity. One of our scenes in the play was the lame beggar that God healed through the prayers of Peter and John.
We pray that God would use the wheelchairs to assure those that receive them that God loves them and cares for them.
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July 10, 2009
Friday Wheelchair Story: What a Motivator!
This story comes from Chris Kulchak in Boise who is helping to manage a statewide campaign called “Idaho Believes.” Our supporters in Idaho gave their project this name because they believe in Free Wheelchair Mission and are committed to sending the transforming gift of mobility around the world. The story Chris shared with me comes from a recent vacation Bible school project.
Three weeks ago, a fierce competition and the promise of some serious pie-throwing energized 134 boys and girls at Second Baptist Church’s Vacation Bible School in Boise, Idaho. Their goal? To raise ten people off the ground. The children learned about disability, discovered the spirit of philanthropy, and had fun working together to raise money for wheelchairs.
 Their week at summer bible school had been full of growth and understanding as they learned about FWM and the need for mobility. Mouth artist Hernan Reyes shared with the children his amazing artistic talent, and additional presentations by “Idaho Believes” team members helped communicate the desperate need for wheelchairs in developing countries.
Thoroughly enjoying the spirit of competition, the children left their donations in buckets marked either “boys’ or “girls.” As the week progressed, VBS organizer Dena shared with the kids their daily totals. Not only were they excited about the wheelchairs, but an additional reward had been planned for the children; it was announced by emcee Cecilia that if the girls raised the most money, they would have the honor of placing a pie in the face of Worship Pastor Chad. Should the boys raise more, it would be Cecilia taking a pie in the face. Talk about motivation!
“The wheelchairs were such a tangible need,” said Dena. “The kids understood and were really personally moved.”
On the final day of VBS, the fundraising count was very close. The girls had led all week, but the boys rallied on Friday. As word of a possible tight finish got out among VBS volunteers, last-minute donations ended the race in a tie! Both the emcee and the worship leader were wiping whipped cream from their eyes to the delight of some very generous young people. Dena was amazed by the cooperation of young fundraisers who set up lemonade stands to raise money even after they returned home after vacation bible school was over. And though the competition was genuine, some girls and boys worked together and split their collection equally.
“We were hoping to donate 10 chairs,” Dena said. “Our kids raised $1641.28! That’s 32 chairs the children will be able to donate!”
Thank you Second Baptist Church Vacation Bible School students for your loving gifts of mobility!
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July 17, 2009
Friday Wheelchair Story: The Popeye Moment
This story comes to you directly from our good friend Robert Kalatschan, the founder of Giving it Back to Kids (GIBTK), a charitable organization that serves children in need in Vietnam.
Some of you may be old enough to remember Popeye the Sailor, the comic book cartoon character. He would get to a point where he would finally say something like “I cants take its no more!”
 This morning I had an experience like that.We began our day early and already I was hot and tired. In my work here in Vietnam with GIBTK, I have interviewed many recipients and written much about them. This morning, to be perfectly honest, I just wasn’t in the mood. In fact, I stood back thinking to myself that today, this is something my team members can experience. I wanted to tell myself, “I’ll take it easy!”
We got there early and I saw the recipients arriving. Some were carried, some were crawling, some shuffled along using stools. I saw an old woman looking at me. Her leg was gone. I walked over and took her hand, brushing her face softly. As I did, she looked at me intently. I had to wonder when the last time was that someone touched her face. I went to hold her hands again when suddenly she pulled them from me, pressing them together, gesturing thank you. Something in me just snapped. I tried to stop her, no don’t thank me - it is me that needs to thank you for allowing me to serve. I began to cry. And still she thanked me. As hard as I tried to stop her, this frail 94-year-old woman insisted on putting her hands together to show her humble gratitude.
I looked over to see a young lady smiling at me. When I spoke with her parents, I found out that she is a victim of Agent Orange. What rocked my world was seeing her knees and the tops of her feet thick and calloused from a lifetime of crawling on the ground. Her father told us that “her knees have become her feet.”
I sit here in tears as I type and relive today’s events. Though I went out today “jaded,” I was again rocked to the core. God showed me a little bit of His heartbreak today. I believe I got to feel maybe just a little bit of what He feels when he sees His children crawl. It just isn’t right.
I cants take its no more.
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July 24, 2009
Friday Wheelchair Story: I feel like a bird
This story comes from Sobha Manuel. She will be the keynote speaker at our 6th annual Magic of Mobility Event to be held next Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at the Turnip Rose in Costa Mesa, California. If you live in the area, don’t miss this opportunity to hear first hand how powerfully your donations are able to change lives. Hear it from Sobha!
 I am Sobha and I come from a small village in Kerala, India. I was born in 1980 as a healthy child. At the age of five both my legs got paralyzed due to an attack from polio. I was bed ridden. I believe if I were given the Medical treatment at the right time, perhaps I would have been able to walk. But my parents are poor laborers and the money just was not there for medical care. I remain crippled.
I could not go to any school. But my disability did not put me away. I studied the maximum I could do at home. I crawled around for my needs rather than being a burden to all. I learned to read and write Malayalam.
My most unforgettable incident was receiving a wheelchair. Receiving the wheelchair was like getting wings to my dreams as now I could move about without the help of others. I am able to move about freely. I felt like a free bird.
My gratitude is very much to the Free Wheelchair Mission who has given the chance to many like me to move about without depending on others. Now I can move about in the four corners of Grace Rehabilitation Center where I am residing now. I am able to do my duties and responsibilities easily with the help of the wheelchair. Now I enjoy a great freedom which I have never enjoyed before.
I pray to God to Bless Sathyam Ministries and Free Wheelchair Mission who are engaged in uplifting the disabled throughout the world.
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July 31, 2009
Friday Wheelchair Story: Magic of Mobility Highlights
 Last Tuesday marked our 6th annual Magic of Mobility event in Orange County, CA! The evening was such a memorable one, and I want to share it with those of you who were not able to join us in Costa Mesa. As you might recall, our guest speaker from India, Sohba Manuel, joined the celebration and shared her story. What a wonderful experience for all of us; best of all, she treated us to a most beautiful song, as she put a readings from the Book of Psalms to music. It was truly glorious, and the audience rose to their feet, thanking Sobha with a standing ovation. It was a moment I will never forget.
During another of the evening’s many highlights, I introduced our new line of wheelchairs. In addition to our current wheelchair model, the Gen_1, we are now ready to roll out the next generation of FWM wheelchair design, an adjustable model we are calling the Gen_2. We have been working in collaboration with the premier disability advocacy group, Motivation UK, and teaming up with researchers from both UCI and Azusa Pacific University to develop an advanced adjustable design to accommodate children, smaller adults and recipients with special medical needs. Thanks to support from USAID, the Gen_2 is now ready to be tested in the field.
 The Gen_2 will be available in three widths, and will be a good alternative for active users who need to commute longer distances. The backbone of our distributions will continue to be the heart of our program, the GEN_1, as it is still an ideal choice for adults that spend a lot of time in a chair. This October, we will take our first shipment of Gen_2 wheelchairs to a distribution in Peru, where we will be able to study and further refine the new model. I’ll look forward to sharing with you how it goes!
God bless,
Don
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August 7, 2009
Friday Wheelchair Story: Two Wheels to Jalisco
Recently, we imported a container of wheelchairs right to our own warehouse here in southern California, where they will be used for a variety of purposes. Some are given to our fundraising ambassadors to help them raise support for the mission. Many people have a hard time believing we can deliver a quality wheelchair for just over $50 each, and allowing a supporter a chance to “kick the tires” and test one out for themselves is extremely useful. However, most of our container of wheelchairs will be sent out on small mission trips, a few at a time. As our headquarters are located only 100 miles or so from Mexico, many are delivered to disabled individuals living there. Here is a recent story of two wheelchairs, delivered across the border by our great friends Ann and Tim:
 Rufino (pictured) and his brother Israel live on a hillside in a remote valley in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. On a good day, you can get there without using a four-wheel drive jeep. The terrace on which their house sits is cut into a steep hillside and their mother plants corn and other crops on the hill above them. This 40 x 50 foot terrace is their entire world as the boys have no function in their legs and limited use of their arms. They are both teenagers and to our knowledge have never left their home.
Ann and I always take a wheelchair with us when we travel to Mexico and have always found someone who needs it. You don’t have to ask too many people before someone knows someone who is immobile. Thanks to FWM, we have a way to help them.
-Tim
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August 14, 2009
Friday Wheelchair Story: He Had a Dream
This story comes from the Cliff McDaniel, a member of the Barnabas group in Houston. They travelled to Quito, Ecuador, on a wheelchair distribution mission.
Today far surpassed anything I have experienced on my many past mission trips. After a three hour bus ride in the mountains, we arrived at the church at about noon. Most of the people were already seated on the left hand side of the church with the wheelchairs on the other side. We set up and did our songs and our training skit; at this time, Juan gave a short testimony about his life. We then gave the wheelchairs out. Physically moving people into wheelchairs and praying over them is a very emotional event. Many of the people have limbs contorted in unimaginable ways and are so frail you are afraid you might hurt them.
Every wheelchair has a story but I'm going to tell you just one related to me from Nona, a member of our team. Pedro lives nearly 8 hours away. He is 83 years old and was hit by a car 4 years ago. He has no use of his left leg which was injured in the accident. Pedro's wife died 5 years ago and his 7 brothers and sisters are all dead. He had two sons but they moved away and he never sees them. He said he is all alone. He came to Pillaro because he had dream that if he came to this city there would be a gift for him. He didn't know that we were giving away wheelchairs in Pillaro this morning. He arrived yesterday and heard about the wheelchair ministry taking place and got to the church at 6:00 AM. He sat on the front row and waited. He had not filled out paperwork in advance and was unsure whether he would qualify. He was the last person to receive a wheelchair. He cried as he told his story and thanked us over and over again. We all cried. We gave him some food and put him on a bus back to his home with the wheelchair strapped to the bus. That's just one story, there are so many more
Cliff McDaniel
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August 21, 2009
Friday Wheelchair Story: Happiest Man in the World
This story comes from our Chilean partners Steven and Grace. They have distributed over 21,450 wheelchairs for us!
Gastón is 52 years old. Since he was a child, he has suffered from both physical and mental disabilities. He lives with his mother, as does his sister and her whole family.
His mother was so thankful when we came to give Gastón his new wheelchair. She said the Lord answered her prayers, since they have never before been able to afford a wheelchair. It had been really difficult to care for Gastón, to take him to the doctor or move him around. Because of this, he spent most of his time inside the house, in bed or in a chair.
Gaston lives next to a gas station. Whenever someone was able to carry him to the station, he was so happy as the owner would let him water the plants and grass. Gastón would get the chance to talk with the guys that work there. They all really gave lots of love and care to him. They also let him throw water onto the cars as they washed them. Gastón would say that this was the best part of his day. It kept him happy being with his friends and feeling useful.
His mother told us that he used to look through the window of the house and tell her, “Mom, if I only had a wheelchair, I will be the happiest person in the world!”
To you, our supporters … Imagine that! You just made someone be the happiest person in the world!
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August 28, 02009
Friday Wheelchair Story: Wo's Barbeque
We are delighted to receive support from so many people and such a variety of sources. Let me share with you a story from my recent vacation to Maine with my wife Laurie –
 If you ever find yourself driving south along the beautiful Maine coastline toward Acadia National Park, you may be tempted to pull over at Wo’s Wicked Fine BBQ Grill. This would be understandable - the aroma from the grill is very persuasive. Wo’s Wicked Fine BBQ is located on US Route 1 on Verona Island, just after you cross over the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. A century ago, Rear Admiral Peary’s ship, the Roosevelt, was built right here on this very island. Verona Island is the home of the mighty red oaks that provided the strength needed so the ice would not crush the Roosevelt’s hull during Peary’s historic expedition to the North Pole in the early 1900’s.
 Wo’s Wicked Fine BBQ is run by friends of FWM, the Wentworth family. If you were to stop here and indulge in the delicious offerings that I can attest are indeed “wicked fine", you would see that the Wo’s menu has the FWM logo at the bottom. Every Monday, the Wentworth family donates 10% of their sales from the day to raise money for wheelchairs. There is a table with FWM literature, books and videos. The youngest Wentworth, Laura, raised funds last spring for wheelchairs, sharing the word at her high school assembly and telling the students about our mission.
The Maine coast and its idyllic beauty seems so distant from the slum in Bangladesh or the desert in Sudan. And yet, through the power of one family’s caring, commitment and concern, they are joined. As the mighty Penobscot Narrows Bridge connects Verona Island to the mainland, through Free Wheelchair Mission the mighty Wentworth family connects both islanders and tourists with people and places all around the world, lifting up lives and sharing not only mobility, but the gifts of opportunity, hope, and love.
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September 4, 2009
Friday Wheelchair Story: Trout catch wheelchairs
What could trout fishing have to do with wheelchairs for the poorest of the poor?
 In early spring 2008, Mary Lynn heard a presentation about our mission at her church, the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood in Sun Valley, Idaho. Her pastor challenged the congregation to find ways to help us. Mary Lynn and her husband Bob accepted the challenge, but what could they do? Well, you will see that they are very creative!
Bob is a talented angler, and people in the valley know he has ‘secret” fishing holes. Mary Lynn designed a well-crafted fundraiser around a day of fishing with Bob and their pastor, also named Bob. When Pastor Bob heard the idea, his response was “I’ll be sure to pray for dumb fish!”
The plan included a raffle, at $10 per ticket. The result went beyond their wildest dreams. They raised enough for 35 wheelchairs! During a Sunday service, Pastor Bob drew the winning name from an antique wicker creel. Mike, the local software guru, won. Now the pressure was all on Bob, as the raffle guaranteed that they would catch fish.
They headed for Bob’s “spot” at 5:30 AM the following Tuesday. Mike mastered Bob’s pointers in casting technique and stream craft. They migrated up river and spent the morning catching rainbow trout. They rounded a bend in the river and came upon an odd sight: Mary Lynn wearing a chef’s coat and hat. She had a country-style lunch all set on the riverbank.
 They caught dozens of trout, and Pastor Bob caught the biggest one. According to Bob, “We had a great time and built new friendships, but we all agreed that finding a way to help others while getting a day on the river had to be one of the most rewarding days any of us had experienced in quite a while.”
This is just another way so many have used their gifts to support us!
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September 11, 2009
Friday Wheelchair Story: She used a wheelbarrow
 This story comes from our friends at Network 21. They are making a difference world-wide through their “Network of Caring” as they help distribute wheelchairs for Free Wheelchair Mission in both South Africa and now Ukraine. Their organization and the great people within it helped fund this container that went to South Africa.
My name is Ntombi. After a stroke 3 years ago, I must rely on my grand-daughter for everything. They were using a wheel-barrow to get me around. That was embarrassing to both me and my grand-daughter. Now that I have a wheelchair I am to show off to everyone in the community my new “legs.” Now I can get around like everybody else.
I was praying day and night and now God has finally answered my prayers. Now I will be able to get into the garden and look at the flowers.
Prayer request: Our dear friend Pastor John Rasz of the Vineyard Church in Wheeling, West Virginia, is facing a battle against brain cancer. Please pray for him and his family.
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September 18, 2009
Friday Wheelchair Story: Be the Blessing
 This story is about Pastor Chris Figaretti and the hugely exciting movement he started in Wheeling, West Virginia. We met Pastor Chris and Pastor John from the Vineyard Church during our bicycle ride campaign across the USA two years ago. We have seen one miracle after another from Wheeling ever since, each one more awesome than the last. The photo came from front page of The Intelligencer, Wheeling’s local newspaper – the 09/05/09 edition. Through a year-long initiative called “Be the Blessing,” Pastor Chris wants to make the Ohio Valley “the kindest community on the planet.”
“Be the Blessing” has been the Figaretti family’s personal mission statement for the past five years. When he presented his plan publically, Pastor Chris met overwhelming endorsements. Mayors of cities within the Ohio Valley joined the initiative, and the media is lending full support as well. The Wheeling Vintage Raceboat Regatta kicked off the“Be the Blessing” initiative on September 5.
The initiative is simple. People are encouraged to perform spontaneous, exceptional acts of kindness and share their stories on www.betheblessing.com. In sharing his encouragement about “Be the Blessing,” Pastor Chris said, “Keep encouraging each other, and soon we’ll be the kindest community on the planet.” He added, “To prove that the Ohio Valley is the kindest community on earth, one of our goals is to raise $1million for the Free Wheelchair Mission.”
To demonstrate their faith in Wheeling’s “Be the Blessing” initiative, plans are already being made for September 2010 when a check will be presented to Free Wheelchair Mission to provide for 16,892 wheelchairs.
Go Wheeling! Go “Be the Blessing!”
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September 25, 2009
Friday Wheelchair Story: A Once Again Thanks
This story comes from Peter Kyalo of the Beit Trust Cure International Hospital, one of our distribution partners in Zambia.
 The local member of our parliament was approached by her constituency on behalf of the disabled persons needing wheelchairs. We had the privilege of hosting her at a local hospital. We were able to donate 20 more wheelchairs to very needy people.
I am still amazed at how much these wheelchairs mean to so many people. Each and every recipient had lived a very undignified life, crawling on the ground, or not able to move at all.
I can honestly tell you that Free Wheelchair Mission has changed the lives of many people. One woman was in tears as she could not believe she could receive a free wheelchair.
I know we have given you pictures and stories as requested but I thought I would just once again share how tremendously these wheelchairs have impacted on the lives of the disabled in Zambia.
We can never thank you enough.
God bless, Peter
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