We had the chance to work with some new folks and make some new friends this month. As these things often go, we ended up meeting a person from just down the road from where we used to live who regularly does ministry work in Guatemala. (Go figure.)
Anyway (and I apologize if I get these names wrong or miss someone), the ministries we hooked up with were called Bethel Ministries, Joni and Friends, and Mission Mobility. These guys gather and repair medical equipment (mostly wheelchairs, walkers, canes, etc.) and then transport them to Guatemala (and probably other places as well) to distribute them to those in need. One gentleman I met has a prison ministry in the States where he talks to the prisoners about the Gospel, and they have a shop where they repair equipment. How beautiful!
Because they were going to be doing a distribution in our town, Rachel, Rebecca, and I were able to tag along and help out. Rebecca did intake and exit paperwork, including giving every person who came for a chair a number, and taking pictures of the smiling recipients at the end of the day. Rachel and I assisted with translation. It was a humbling experience, to say the least.
Many (most) of the people who came were in desperate need of a wheelchair, and had never had one. The healthcare in Guatemala is bad, especially for people who have very profound needs and challenges. People who are so faithful to do this kind of work - collecting and bringing equipment - change lives! Their carefulness to present the Gospel and pray with people while doing so changes eternities! It was such a blessing to be able to be a very small part of the work these good folks did.
The distribution took place at a rehab center. By the time we arrived, the crew had already unloaded the equipment from the truck. (They'd worked with local organizations and churches months ahead of time to identify who needed what kind of equipment, and had contacted those people ahead of time.) We started by taking the shrinkwrap off the chairs and sorting them in the central courtyard area.
This is where Rebecca disappeared with a volunteer leader to go help with intake. The people had started to come - many from miles and miles away - to receive a new chair! Next up, the organizers started the day with prayer for everyone and instructions for how the distribution would go. That's when things got busy inside!
The crew was simply amazing. Most (I believe) were physical therapists, nurses, doctors, etc. They were so very skillful in helping fit each chair to each person. This was no easy task, since they only had the tools and equipment they brought with them. At one point, someone needed an adjustment made to the table affixed to a chair, but there was no extra wood. Solution? The walkway/ramp between the courtyard and room we were in would work! Many of the fits required an hour or more of work to customize the chair. They were gluing foam, cutting it to the right angle with electric knives, cutting off metal parts, boring holes, adding bolts, screwing on safety straps, and so much more. It was such an honor to see their focus and dedication to ensuring that each person got the perfect chair.
I can't tell you how many people cried that day to receive their first chair, or their mother's first chair, or their child's first chair, and to have it be such a perfect fit and blessing.
Rachel worked with the team that fit chairs for kids. She got to see families whose backstories are unimaginable for us. In her typical, friendly way, she put both children and parents at ease, and helped the team ensure that each family's needs were being met. She had parents thank her. Hug her. Show her photos on their phones of their family vacations. It was a wonderful experience. The best part was being able to pray with the families before they left. That Spanish was definitely coming in handy!
The team I worked with mostly assisted adults. The woman below is 42 years old. She's the oldest of 6 kids, ad has been unable to walk or speak since she was around 15 years old. The family used to have medicine to help with her seizures, but the doctor they were seeing no longer had access to it. She lives with her mother in an outlying town about 30 minutes from Xela. She's never had a chair, and has always had to be carried everywhere. She was hard to fit, but after about an hour and a half of work, the team had the perfect chair for her. This whole family's life has changed. Mom (and the neighbors who came to help) were so grateful, and praised God with us for this gift.
The very few people who came with chairs were in desperate need of new ones. Take a look at what was left behind. These chairs, even in as rough of shape as they are in, will be taken to a rehab facility here in Guatemala, and be made functional again to bless someone else in the future.
Right before the people left in their new chairs, they stopped and got prayed for - each family - by a local pastor. I'm praising God for the divine connections and life changes that I know were made here.
As people caught buses back to their homes (including this one, which had been hired to transport people to and from a local town), there were a whole lot more smiles, a whole lot more opportunities, and a whole lot more chairs along for the ride!
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