For Josleen, a Wheelchair Means Dignity
Wheelbarrows Are Meant to Carry Dirt, Not People
So why did Josleen’s loving mom resort to bringing her 16-year-old daughter to our Wheels for the World™ outreach in a wheelbarrow? The answer is, she had no alternative. Josleen and her mom live in Haiti, a country facing challenges of ongoing turmoil and poverty. With basic needs for security, housing, and food unmet for many, getting a proper wheelchair can be difficult-to-impossible.
But Josleen’s mom knew that her daughter needed a wheelchair… Why else would she be here, gripping the rough handles of a wheelbarrow? Her hands and shoulders are sore, yet she aches all the more for Josleen, who must face the humiliation of this journey.
The sun pounds down like a punishment, adding to the sting of people’s stares. Josleen’s mom tightens her grip on the handles as the front wheel jolts into a pothole. Josleen felt that one. But this is no place to stop. Just take a deep breath; just keep walking. Because there is a glimmer of hope at the end of this laborious journey—for a wheelchair, and a better future.
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
When they arrived at our Wheels for the World distribution site, our team carefully assessed Josleen’s complex needs. And when they lovingly placed her in her own custom-fitted wheelchair for the first time, everything changed…
Imagine what it felt like for Josleen to get comfortably seated in her wheelchair—upright, meeting the world from a steady eye-level perspective. And think of her mom—the rising joy in her heart, watching Josleen being treated with full dignity, not to mention the relief of saying “good riddance!” to the days of pushing her in a wheelbarrow.
After Josleen’s fitting, a local pastor sat down to talk with her and her mother. He gave them a Bible and shared with them the astonishing truth of the Gospel—the story of God’s boundless love for every one of his children. Before they left, Josleen and her mom heard the powerful words from Psalm 139:14:
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
This knowledge—that Josleen, like every individual, has infinite value as a hand-crafted, beloved child of God—brought comfort and hope to Josleen’s mother. It also confirms that God sees and cares for the millions of people with disabilities worldwide who suffer because of their unmet critical needs.
Help Meet this Urgent Global Need…
Of the millions of people in the world who need wheelchairs, the majority today—especially in under-resourced countries like Haiti—have to do without. Joni and Friends is committed to helping meet this urgent need. It’s why our Wheels for the World program exists, sending teams to hand-deliver wheelchairs and Bibles to people like Josleen and her mother. Since its launch, Wheels for the World teams have provided more than 225,000 wheelchairs to people with disabilities.
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You can transform lives by providing mobility equipment and Gospel hope to people with disabilities worldwide!
