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ALL THINGS AREPOSSIBLEWITHGOD2021Issue 1
A GODWHOCARESthe consequences. Does God care?He cares so much that He hada plan to redeem and reconcileus to Himself but that plan costGod the dearest thing He had. Itnecessitated the coming of HisSon, Jesus Christ, into this worldto show us the heart of God and tosuffer and die for us to redeem usand bring us back into fellowshipwith God. In eternity, there will beno more death, no more suffering, no sin, no curse, no disability.When our Lord Jesus Christ washere on earth it is recorded thateach time someone came to himhe truth is we all have with a disability, he healed theiror will experience some physical problem as well as dealinglevel of disability in our with their spiritual need. Some exlifetime. Disabilities cov- amples out of many others are; theer a wide spectrum, and some paralysed man who was let downare not immediately visible such through the roof (Mark 2:1-12),as mental illness, poor eyesight, the man with the withered hand onor partial deafness while oth- the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-6), the deafers are very plain to see such as and dumb man at Decapolis (Markparalysis or physical deformity. 7:31-37), the man born blind (John9:1-12), the woman crippled for 18Now let us consider what God years (Luke 13:10-17), blind Bartifeels about disability when He maeus at Jericho (Mark 10: 46-52).created man originally perfect butour fallen desire to go our own If God cares so much and hasway and alienate ourselves from done so much for me thenGod and His holiness has brought what should my attitude besickness, suffering and death into to suffering and disability?our world and we live daily withT1Many Christian missionaries withrelevant professional skills havesought to relieve suffering andhelp those with disabilities overmany years in countries wherethe health and social care systemsimply cannot help them. Manyothers have supported them inpractical ways and worked alongside them sharing the gospel ofJesus Christ. Still others have usedtheir financial resources to supportthis work. They are all labourers together in the work of God and theyare all necessary and important.wheelchairs and other mobility aids to give them some levelof independence. Through thesemeans contact is made withfamilies and they are introducedto the gospel of Jesus Christand its message of hope andsalvation. At Bethany Hospital inThane near Mumbai the old unit,Lok Hospital, is now used by a teamworking with severely disabledchildren where families can bringtheir children to have physiotherapy and again come into contactwith the gospel of Jesus Christ.I have been privileged to witnessthe work of some Christians whoseek to help those strugglingwith a disability in a few of thepoorest regions of the world. InZambia and Malawi, Mission Hospitals and specialist OrthopaedicCentres deal with children andadults suffering disabilities everyday and sometimes can offer orthopaedic surgery which can correctconditions like club feet or similarconditions that would be corrected much earlier in this country. InMozambique, the Helping HandsMinistry run by One Mission Society works with local churchesto encourage families to bringfamily members with disability tochurch and provides appropriateAll of this has deeply impactedme. It has made me want to sharetheir stories with others who likeme are privileged to live in westernsociety where we have access to somuch help, treatment, and facilities. It makes me more thankful forthe privileges I enjoy. At the sametime it humbles me to experiencethe thankfulness and joy of thosepeople who are helped by the workof those who meet their needs andeven more so when I meet somewho through hearing the Christianmessage, have met with Christ andbecome believers for themselves.Editorial by SamPhillips (MMNTrustee)
A VITALEDUCATIONVIVA NETWORK & LETRA VIVATearfund, as well as Christian disability activists such as a groupof Deaf people. We were talkingabout how to encourage true inclusion of people with disabilitiesin local churches. Each personwho took part received not only adiploma, but also a copy of aOne young man, Jorge, who faced book I had written, which wasthis challenge had one factor to published by Ediciones Puma, ahis advantage - a sister who was small publishing ministry from Perú.willing to support him and pushhis wheelchair. When they turnedup to a three-day workshop Iwas giving, I knew I had to makea real effort to understand hisspeech and let him express himself.This workshop, like similar onesaround Spanish-speaking Latin America, was facilitated by theViva Network and was attendedby members of organisations liket’s not easy to be born withcerebral palsy; it’s especially hard if you happen to beborn into a poor family ina small Central American country, Honduras, that has very littlehealthcare or other social services.I3JORGEJorge was delighted with the education. Before leaving the UKworkshop and all he received; a I had taught children with severehuge smile spread across his face. cognitive disabilities. During asabbatical in 2001, I studied theMy name is Brenda Darke and to- theology of disability and begangether with my husband, Ian, we to pray about how I could improvehave been working in Latin Amer- the inclusion of people with disica as missionaries with Latin abilities in the churches of LatLink for 35 years. We left the UK in America. God was calling mewith our two young children in to share what I had learnt about1985. Our first years were spent the important role of people within Lima, during a time of social a disability in our churches. Backviolence. We saw the cruel real- in Costa Rica, I began to connectities of extreme poverty and the with Christians across the contilack of healthcare for the great nent who had themselves somemajority of Peruvians. Ian was kind of disability; they were goworking with the IFES affiliat- ing to teach me so many lessons.ed group in Peruvian universitiesand soon saw the need for locally Wilbert, who had polio as a child,produced books. Imported materi- leaving him without the use of hisals, mainly from the US, could not legs, was one of these. For manyrespond to the needs of Peruvian years one of the leaders of thestudents in such an impoverished student group in Nicaragua, hebut corrupt country, split by a now heads up an orphanage asvicious terrorist uprising. So, work- well as looking after his own family.ing with some of his colleagues,Ediciones Puma, was formed. We Sadly, at the time, very fewmoved to Costa Rica in 1995, and pastors had thought aboutIan kept closely involved with Puma; making their churches more accespart of a network of publishing sible and welcoming for disabledministries that he coordinates. This people. Most evangelical churchnetwork serves to train, inform and es are very poor and have fewleftformakingencourage collaborations between resourceseditorials, so they can make more any changes. Even the richerof an impact across Latin America. churches were not making adMy own background is in special aptations so that wheelchair4
users could have access. Very fewchurches had signing for deafpeople or large-print Bibles forpeople with visual disabilities.But, I also heard shocking storiesof exclusion and fear. Discrimination was a very real part of daily lifefor many people, especially thosewith some kind of obvious disability like Down’s syndrome. Familiesstill locked people away in backrooms and stories were repeatedabout how they had come to bedisabled, more myth than reality.for years, we have seen changes insociety, not least in attitudes. Thereis still much work to be done toopen up churches for all those whoare living with disabilities, especially as this is rarely seen as an important area of the church’s mission.DISABILITY&BOOKSI first received an invitation to teacha course about disability at a Biblecollege back in 2003. I realised thatall my source books were in Englishand contextualised to a more affluent society. As I wrote notes for myVery little special education was students, I began to see the needavailable in most Latin American for a more relevant text that couldcountries, although fortunately tell the stories of people with disathat has now changed enormously. bilities, living out their faith in theirWhen the Convention of the own situations in Latin America.Rights for Persons with Disabilities became widely known, and With some of my students weLatin American countries signed started a small ministry in aup to it, there was a gradual spread local church with the aim of givingof national laws promoting educa- pastoral support to the familiestion, health services, transport, of people living with severe dislegal representation, work oppor- abilities. As I listened to many oftunities and access to culture and these families sharing their joys,recreation for people living with as well as their heartbreak anddisabilities. Churches were includ- feelings of isolation, I was evened in the legislation and, little by more motivated to write, not justlittle, we have seen improvements for my students, but for a widin infrastructure and practice. er audience. It seemed importantAlthough these laws and regulations to bring this message to ordinaryoften remain on the statute book members of congregations whowithout being fully implemented often believed in myths rather5than biblical truth about disability.I wanted to encourage people withdisabilities themselves, and theirfamilies, to know that they are avital part of the body of Christ.Not only could they be includedbut they could also participatefully in the life and work of thechurch and be a blessing to others.So the idea of a book was born,bringing all of this together. Calledin spanish “Un camino compartido” which means “a shared path”,it would, I hoped, present God’sview of people living with disability,as people who He loves and coulduse for the advancement of HisKingdom. It might also bring muchneeded encouragement to familiesstruggling to care for a family member with a severe disability. I hopedthat pastors and church leaderswould understand more about disability and how they could facilitateinclusion and more biblical attitudes among their congregations.Ediciones Puma agreed to publish the book and their small teamhelped to edit the text and design.before in a group of Christians.As many have felt marginalised and excluded over manyyears, it has been helpful to seehow God’s Word places them inthe midst of all others, as lovedby Him and potentially giftedto play their part in the church.MARCELAMarcela from El Salvador wroteto tell me how it had impactedher life. She was a Sunday schoolteacher for many years but whena degenerative illness meant thatshe had to use a wheelchair, shewas no longer able to access theroom. She began to feel excluded and depressed and stoppedtrying to get to church. For several years she hid away, convincedthat God had no more use for her.People with disabilities have Someone gave her a copy of mytold me how much it has meant book. As she read she realised thatto them to be validated in this God still loved her and had workbook: people like Jorge who have for her to do. She contacted anever heard disability talked about local pastor and opened her heart.6
She wanted to teach again. Eventually the church made it possible for her to use her gifts again.Not only that, she discovered asmall ministry for people with disabilities and started volunteering,helping others to come to termswith their disabilities and channeling practical help to the poorest.Through Viva Network I have beenable to give courses and workshops in many countries acrossLatin America. However, my bookhas travelled much more than Icould. In Guatemala, a friend hasused it for a diploma, trainingmany volunteers on how to welcome people with disabilities intotheir churches. I was eventuallyable to meet a few of them andhear their stories of its impact.Thanks to MMN we have beenable to bring out a new edition of“Un Camino Compartido”. The firstedition which came out in 2012is out of stock and we felt it wasvery important to keep it in print.This year, I finished a new chapterto bring the book up to date. Sincethe first edition was published Ihad acquired my own disability(affecting my vision). Althoughthis has largely been treated bycorneal transplants, it did give mea new and vivid insight into disability. I went through a frustratingperiod when I could not read a bookmyself and travelling independentlybecame much more difficult. I feltfor the first time the sense ofuselessness that so manypeople live with; it was a truelearning curve that has left mewith a much deeper appreciationfor my friends who live with thesechallenges. I had learnt personally that living with a disabilityis no barrier for God’s grace andthat He can enable all to join inHis work and live a fulfilling life.Thank you for being part of thisventure; as I write I have received arequest to teach my course on disability again, starting in January.I hope to have copies of the newedition complete with QR codethat will allow any person withsight issues to hear a spoken version. It should be truly accessible!why had I not seen them before.All these questions led in my journey to try and find out what thiswas, and so I started engagingwith the parents and asking themquestions. They were coming tothis medical facility every Tuesdayand Thursday, and they would bethere as early as 6am, even thoughthe medical person was arrivingat 11am and leaving about 2pm.FLORENCENAMAGANDASPECIAL CHILDREN‘STRUST,UGANDAThere would be about 100 people by 8am, just so they could tryto be seen. And, after the medicalperson has seen them, they wouldstay the entire day and not leave.When I asked them why they didn’tgo home, they explained that evenWHAT WAS YOURmost of their close family did notFIRST EXPERIENCE OFrealise they had a child with specialDISABILITY?I grew up in Kampala, Uganda, and needs. So, they would leave veryI studied Physiotherapy. While early in the morning and returnstudying Physiotherapy I saw home late, so that no one would getchildren with disabilities for the to see their child, and they wouldfirst time; they had cerebral palsy. keep their child in a back room.I saw many children at 7am, lining up, outside one of the medicalcentres in our major hospital anduniversity, waiting to be seen. Ihad never seen these children, soI kept wondering who these children were, what their disease is,why did they look like that andAt the medical facility, the medicalperson would show up about 11 andthen leave at two, in that space oftime, they would see maybe aroundten people. So very few would getregular therapies, and there waslittle progress, so parents wouldgive up bringing their children.8
HOW DID THIS IMPACTYOU?And, so I prayed and said, “Godyou need to do something aboutthis.” I could literally feel the painand disappointment of thesepeople, and the more you ask,the more you hear ‘It is a curse God is punishing me I must havedone something wrong’. No onehad explained to the parents whatthe condition of their child was.The more I learnt about disabilityand the relevant medical conditions, I decided to volunteer, butwithin a government facility, therewas very little I could do. So, whenI finished my studies, I went backand volunteered with the aim toset up my own centre, but I realised I needed a lot of funding tobe able to set something up.I started praying about going overseas to raise money, and God inHis faithfulness brought me to theUK, but I ended up leaving withoutany money, with nothing. I endedup coming back to Uganda withless than I went with, as I couldn’tbring back my personal belongings. But, I now know God took meto the UK for knowledge, I had themedical expertise but didn’t knowexactly what it would look like.I learnt about health visitors,going into people’s homes,toddler groups etc, and saw howhelpful it was and built a community.I came back to Uganda with aproposal and eventually we gotour first bit of funding, I started by doing home visits, then wegot enough money to open ourfirst medical centre in 2006. Bythe end of the first month wehad 20 coming and by the end ofthe first year, we had over 100.You can watch the full interviewwith Florence on the MMN website.NEW MEDICAL CENTRE9ANew L I F ERICD,THAILANDt took three of us to help P*down into her wheelchairfrom the hospital bed inher bedroom; a hospital bedwhich she had received on loannearly six years ago from the localhospital and was clearly showingits age. Years of atrophy quicklytired her arms as she attempted towheel herself out the door and T*,her son and caregiver, quickly camebehind the wheelchair to help pushher the extra two meters neededto get outdoors. Her porch, like therest of her house, was adorned withplants and decorated in the classicThai aesthetic of a mix of teak andbare cement, a clash of the traditional and the modern worlds. Andit was right there, on her porch andIsurrounded by a throng of onlookers that she broke down in tears.We quickly asked if she was in painor if something was the matter,to which she replied that this wasthe first time in four years thatshe had left her room, let aloneher front door. Four years without a wheelchair, without freedom.P, unfortunately, is only one ofmore than 500,000 individualsin Thailand who are reportedlyliving with a disability but do nothave the assistive technology theyrequire, and this statistic will onlycontinue to climb as the population grows, and life expectancyextends further than ever before.This trend of modern medicine,10
allowing families to remain intact and mitigating the tragediesexperienced by parents, even asingle generation ago, is a triumphand nothing short of astounding.And yet, this does not negate theneeds this has introduced, or thefinancial and logistical burdenrequired to meet these needs, particularly in less-developed areas.testament to what we are capableof through unity and collaborativeefforts. Every aspect of the workbeing carried out by the Wheelchair Project is made possible by aworld-wide community of partnersworking together for the benefit ofothers. Equipment donors in Ireland, Germany, Japan, the US, andmore, collect wheelchairs and other mobility aids which are no longerbeing used. Logistics partners provide the shipping containers andtransportation for these to bebrought over into Thailand. Otherpartners arrange ground transportation for these containers to beprocessed and stored in warehousespace provided for free. Even theRICD Wheelchair Project team ismade up almost entirely of volunteers, some of whom have servedwith this project since its inception. All of this, and so much morebehind the scenes, is done or provided for without payment in orderthat individuals, like P, are affordedaccess to the equipment they havea fundamental right to receive.It was in 1999 that Douglas Tellwas first introduced to this immense need. The following 20 yearswould see the RICD WheelchairProject grow to an extent no onein those early days could ever haveexpected. Shortly after the inaugural shipment, the RICD WheelchairProject was adopted by the eldersister of the former king of Thailand, Her Serene Highness GalyaniVadhana, which not only broughtnational recognition and respect,but paved the way for future shipments and distributions. This royalpatronage later passed to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha ChakriSirindhorn in 2010, following thetragic passing of HSH Galyani, andshe has continued to preside over One particular aspect that setsthe project up until the present day. the Wheelchair Project apart fromsimilarly driven initiatives, is itsAmid a severely fractured and integration of sectors of the comfaction-centricworld,The munity which seldom work thisWheelchair Project stands as a closely together. This is not to11say that government, religious orphilanthropic groups are hostiletoward one another, but have different motivators driving them.However, this is not the case for theWheelchair Project. Local Christians are given a prominent placewithin the distribution events andseen as equal contributors, earningthe validation and trust of the recipients and families being served.This allows the church to establishrelationships with these individuals free from the apprehensionChristianity is typically met withdue to it being labeled a “foreignreligion.” Furthermore, because thegospel message is being shared bysomeone from the area, these relationships can be pursued andcuriosity has the opportunity toblossom. This model has allowedthe hope of Jesus Christ to beshared to tens of thousands ofpeople throughout Southeast Asia,as well as promote the church as aforce for good in their communities.It is no wonder that the Wheelchair Project continues to growyear-after-year, as it nears its100th shipment this coming year,and demand for its services onlygrow along with its notoriety. Tomeet this demand, the WheelchairProject is adopting a new strategy which focuses on leveragingits reputation throughout Thailand to train and establish newcenters following the World HealthOrganisation’s Wheelchair ServiceTraining Package. This will provideoutlets to not only provide moreequipment, but also year-roundservice throughout the nation.While it is impossible topredict what the future holdsfor Thailand and the Wheelchair Project, what is clear is thatour work is far from finished.*namechangedforsecurity12
church encouraged and equippedto serve ‘the least of these’ (Matt.25:40) in society, namely thosewith disabilities, and in doing soshare the gospel and be discipledin their walk with the Lord. Thistwo pronged approach of evangelism and discipleship makes this astrategic ministry in terms of mission involvement in Mozambique.MOZAMBIQUEHEATHER PHILLIPSHELPING HANDSfirst visited Mozambiquefor a short trip while I wasstudying Occupational Therapy at the University ofUlster. While I was there, I sawfirst-hand the huge need amongpeople with disabilities and the lackof understanding about disabilityin society and also in the church.II learned of the vision other missionaries had to reach out to thesepeople and encourage and empower the local church in this ministry. Ireturned for a period of six monthsafter I qualified to work alongsidethe local church in the early stages of Helping Hands. Since then,I have been challenged to serve13the Lord with Helping Hands for alonger period of time and use theskills I have learned from workingin community paediatrics over thelast few years. I re-joined the teamin Mozambique in November 2019.HELPING HANDSHelping Hands is a compassionate outreach ministry which beganin Maputo, Mozambique, with thevision to reach out to people withdisabilities through both practical support and the good newsof the gospel. The ministry is apartnership between One MissionSociety and the local, Mozambican ‘Living Word EvangelicalChurch’. We seek to see the localthat He had just the right thing tomeet her needs which will greatly help both Dina and her family.On each visit we clearly explainwho we are and ask if we can praywith the family and share something of God’s Word. We praisethe Lord for some recent opportunities we have had with Muslimfamilies who have been open toThe ministry largely consists of listen and discuss the differenchouse-to-house visits, where we es in our understanding of Jesus.have heard of someone living witha disability who needs help. Pas- As the ministry has grown ator Carlos heard about a little girl monthly parent support groupcalled Dina* living with a disability. was established where those withShe is the first contact we have in children with disabilities coulda new area and we had the joy of come together with their childrenvisiting her and the family at home. for peer support, a small breakWhile listening to their story we fast, and a Bible study. While thelearnt that Dina had been rejected adults have the opportunity toby her mother apparently because hear God’s Word, the children alsoof her disability and was cared for have time to learn about God in aby her grandmother. Despite hav- multi-sensory way. Through song,ing no independent movement activities and showing practicalfrom the neck down, Dina lights love to these precious children weup the room with her beautiful pray that they would know somesmile. Her postural needs were thing of the great love of God.assessed, and it was difficult tothink of what we could do to help Helping Hands seek to investher. After some thinking through in those from the church whothe resources available, we took serve with this ministry so thata couple of items to her home to they are better equipped tosee if she could tolerate the sit- serve people with disabilities andting position. We praise the Lord grow in their walk with the Lord.14
Agusto is a man in his thirties wholost a leg in a train accident whenhe was a child. Since his first encounter with Helping Hands hehas been attending church withus, and is actively involved in visitsand bringing people with disabilities into contact with the gospel.Following a number of visits wherewe shared John 14:6 where Jesus says, “I am the way, the truthand the life, no one comes to theFather except by me”. It was a joyto see Agusto share this verse anda portion of his testimony with oneof his friends who also lost a leg inan accident. We pray that more believers from the local church wouldgrow in their faith in Jesus and theirability to share the gospel with others as they serve in this ministry.We pray that more believers.wouldgrow in their ability tosharethe gospel with others.Mozambique for adaption and distribution. The workshop providesgood opportunities to maintaincontact with those with disabilities in the local community asthey visit for wheelchair repairs.It is stating the obvious to saythat there have been challengesover the past year due to the pandemic and we have been unable tocontinue with certain aspects ofthe ministry, such as the parents’groups and certain numbers ofhome visits. Please pray for visionand guidance as we move forwardas a ministry both practically interms of home visits, the workshop, parent groups and developing training for those servingin Helping Hands. Pray that wewould also know God’s leadingWe are thankful that a workshop and blessing as we seek evangelishas been established in one of tic and discipleship opportunitiesthe communities providing em- as we serve with, and to, peopleployment for two local men who with disabilities in Mozambique.repair, adapt and assemble wheelchairs and walking aids. Last yearwe received a container of newwheelchairs from South America, shipped as boxed kits, whichwe assembled in the workshop. Inaddition, many more second-handwheelchairs and postural supportive pieces of equipment have beenshipped from Northern Ireland to16
RUNAPERUGOING THEEXTRA MILEunaperu has been working in Montero, a villageand rural district in thenorth of the country,near the border with Ecuador, forten years. We work with peoplewho have any kind of disability,whether intellectual or physical,genetic or acquired. Our aim incaring for the poor and marginalised is always to bring God’s loveto the people we encounter. Thepopulation of Montero villagenumbers around 2,000 and the43 hamlets which lie scattered inthe extensive hillsides around thevillage make the total populationup to 6,179. The current numberR17of people registered with a disability with the local authority is 173.That’s 3.6%, and therefore belowthe national figure. The population is declining, as younger people tend to leave for the cities insearch of better prospects. Whenwe first began, the local authoritynumbered the population at 11,500.Healthcare provision in the district is limited. Each year, a newdoctor undertakes a placementat the local health centre. Theyneed to do their rural practice yearbefore being signed off as fullyqualified. There is a dentist and acouple of midwives and nurses. Thenearest hospital is at least threehours away and there are no localfacilities for specialist treatmentor rehabilitation. The same pattern exists in our neighbouringdistricts and it is for this reasonthat Runaperu treats many patients who travel into Montero forsupport. In our day centre, we offerphysiotherapy initially to peoplewith disabilities and then to anybody from the general population,requiring referrals and where possible, x-rays. Many of our disabled clients cannot access us andwe visit them in their homes on aregular basis. Alongside physiotherapy, we teach life skills toa small group of young disabledpeople in our centre and on a programme of home visits. We areindebted to MMN for their supportin enabling us to build our centre, situated in the heart of Montero town.not expected to contribute to family life, develop their own skills, or toparticipate in their society. Gradually, as news of changes in the lawhave filtered through to rural Peru,disability has become more visible.Runaperu has walked through thechanging ideology with people – anexample of God’s wonderful timing! First, we needed to be patientwhile people got used to us and toovercome their deep suspicions ofus, with our ‘funny religion’ that isnot Roman Catholic. We work withthe local Baptist Church. A spateof Down’s syndrome births was attributed to us: ‘they are spreadingdisability’. Educating people to newways of thinking is a slow process,but it now seems that our lovingconsistency has established us inthe hearts of most Monterinos.There was ignorance too ofpeople’s rights under the law. OnIn our rural community, we bat- several occasions, we have beentle a lack of understanding about able to support people to get theirhealthcare for the population as a National Identity Card, the firstwhole and a high level of ignorance step towards claiming the benefitsabout disability. Access for all but which are available to them. Thethe f
was giving, I knew I had to make a real effort to understand his speech and let him express himself. This workshop, like similar ones around Spanish-speaking Lat-in America, was facilitated by the Viva Network and was attended by members of organisations like Tearfund, as well as Christian dis-ability activists such as a group of Deaf people.
