Wheelchair Distribution At Xela (August 11, 2010)

Today we are in Quetzeltenango, or as many here call it Xela (the city's Mayan name), holding a wheelchair distribution at the Fundabien therapy center.  This is a very nice facility, with good equipment and a great staff of therapists.  These folks immediately pitched in unloading the truck, setting up seating stations, and actively took part in the seating process.  They were eager to learn, and enjoyed getting hands-on experience in fitting wheelchairs. Many of the people coming today were "their" patients, and they wanted to help care for them.  You could tell that working with the disabled is more than a job for most of these folks; it's a calling.

23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Col. 3: 23-24)

One of the first things I experienced today was a little girl sitting with her mother, who grabbed me as I walked by and gave the the biggest hug, a kiss, and the sweetest smile.  Most Guatemalan children are a bit hesitant around gringos, but not this child.  She was the "life of the party" as Jorge worked to adapt a walker to her small size.  She was pretty fearful of using it at first, but I think within a few days she'll be running around in nothing flat.

I didn´t do much today except translate for Dick when he needed me (I´m practicing my medical and mechanical vocabulary a lot these days) and talking with the moms/grandmas and playing with the kids while Dick and Jay worked on their chairs.  I sometimes feel a bit guilty when I'm at distributions, because I get to do the "fun" stuff, while the others do the hard work of actually setting up chairs.  Today, one little girl stands out to me.  She was brought to the distribution by her grandmother.  Her mother had gotten married about ten months ago, and her new husband wanted nothing to do with this little one, so she abandoned her to her own mother.  This child was pretty sensitive, and would bite herself on her hand when she got agitated.  I was able to help her grandmother with some ideas of how to interrupt the biting, and discovered, as with many of the children here, that singing very softly to her calmed her immediately.  Her grandmother seemed pleased that someone cared enough to spend hime with this precious girl, and I left feeling like maybe I'd managed to contribute something after all.  More and more I realize that all I have to give is Jesus' message of love and hope and compassion to these families, whether I share the gospel in words or not.

I did get to present the gospel to one young woman in a rather interesting way.  While they were working on her son's chair, I noticed he had been given a "witness bracelet" (of colored beads each representing a gospel truth) by someone on the team.  I casually asked him if he knew what the colors meant, and he shook his head know.  Immediately, his mother asked me to explain them, and I gladly did.  Did she make a decision for Christ?  I don't know--I hope she did when she talked with a pastor before leaving.  But the seed was planted, and I believe that sometimes that's just what the Holy Spirit tells us to do.

Today it seemed many parents had brought their children to the distribution, but had not registered for a wheelchair in advance.  In this city there seemed to be a lot of children with hydrocephalus who either had never had shunts put in, or whose shunts were obviously not working.  These children need a very special type of chair, with adequate head support, and we had nothing suitable to give them.  I know it was hard for Chris, but he made the right decision in telling them that they would have to wait for the next distribution to receive the correct chair.  I used to think that any wheelchair was better than nothing, but working with Bethel I've learned just how wrong I was.  An improperly fit chair will cause bed sores, and in this country bedsores become infected and people die.  It's hard to say "wait," but it's better to disappoint a parent for a few months than to damage a child for life.

We also had another family who brought their  eighteen year old son to receive a chair, but had not registered.  They had brought him to the last distribution Bethel had done in this area, and left without one because there was not an appropriate chair to fit this young man.  He is so rigid that he cannot be put into a sitting position, and his legs are twisted to the point they cannot be straightened.  Dad was very upset that once again an appropriate chair was not available, but Dick promised to construct one at the shop in Chimaltenagno and bring it to Xela as soon as possible.  I'm not sure the father really believes he will do this, but he will when we make another trip there to bring him a chair made specifically for him.  I hope the father will soften when he sees that Dick said "no" to him out of love and compassion for his son, and that he is a man of his word who will follow through and make a 2 1/2 hour drive to deliver a chair.