Lending A Helping Hand

I love Christians who do hands-on ministry!

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I mean it literally. And I’m thinking of my Christian friend Barbie. She’s an occupational therapist, and she specializes in treating people with significant hand injuries – quadriplegics like me who can’t even use their hands. Her ministry really is hands-on! And you know what? We saw it happen when Barbie served on a Wheels for the World outreach to Uganda, East Africa. Now as you know, our wheelchair ministry is, well, it’s about wheelchairs. Each chair that’s fitted to each disabled child or adult not only gives the gift of mobility, it provides the chance to give the Gospel of Jesus. So Wheels for the World usually attracts people who are physical therapists, not occupational therapists like Barbie. But, oh, did her skills come in handy there in Uganda!

You see, back when she packed her bags for the trip, she thought she’d mainly be helping our PTs fit people to wheelchairs; she assumed she’d have a support role in helping the others. But as she was packing up to go, on a whim, Barbie threw in a few support splints for wrists and hands and orthotic cuffs for the forearm and fingers. All of it standard equipment for an occupational therapist in helping people who’ve got, you know, problems with their hands and fingers. She had no idea if all this stuff would be useful on a Wheels for the World outreach, but she just felt – who knows – it might be needed. Well, one morning while Barbie was helping to set up for the wheelchair distribution in Kampala, Uganda, a stroke survivor was carried in on a beach chair. His parents had brought him hoping he might receive a wheelchair. Well, when Barbie, with all her occupational therapy skills, saw that this man had limited mobility in his arm and wrist, she reached right into her big bag. Miraculously, she had packed the perfect orthotic support cuff that could really help this guy use his arm and his hand to feed himself. He and his parents were astounded, but not Barbie. And that day not only did this family open their hearts to Christ, and a wheelchair and a Bible provided, but also they opened up to the new horizons of, wow, their son being able to use his hand and arm.

You know, Matthew chapter 6 says, “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Well, our occupational therapist friend had no idea that her arm splints would have such a noble purpose on that Wheels trip, but it was just one more way God opened tired and weary hearts in Uganda. Hey, we’ve got a Wheels for the World team heading back to Uganda later this month and next month to Guatemala. And since it’s National Occupational Therapy month, spread the word to an OT you know. Serving on our wheelchair outreach could be a great way for your friend to share their faith in Christ and use their skills to change a life. Just go to our Wheels for the World page at Joni and Friends and see what it’s all about! And if you’d like to learn more about occupational therapy, I have posted a link at joniradio.org to our Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast that explains the joys of serving as an OT. Oh, what a difference that physical and occupational therapists can make in the lives of people like that stroke survivor in Uganda who is now a lot less disabled in body, heart and soul. It’s another way we share hope in every hardship at Joni and Friends. So see you later at joniradio.org. 

© Joni and Friends