Living Out The Gospel With Its Sleeves Rolled Up
Our Wheels for the World program does so much more than distribute wheelchairs. Let us tell you McKensley’s story, and how the Gospel came alive in his life and in the lives of his whole community.
When three-year-old McKensley arrived at our Wheels for the World outreach in Haiti, it soon became clear that he rarely – if ever – sat upright. His body was so rigid from disability and neglect that our volunteer therapists took great time and care in massaging every muscle in his body before placing him in his very first wheelchair.
Having his disability from birth, McKensley was unable to walk, so his mother and aunt needed to carry him everywhere. Including him in family life was an ever-present struggle. The fact that McKensley couldn’t tolerate the sitting position meant he would remain isolated and alone on the floor or in bed.
His future looked bleak and despairing.
But all that changed as our Wheels for the World team gave McKensley the gifts of therapy and mobility! McKensley received his custom-fitted wheelchair and learned how to sit upright so he could engage with his family and environment. And our therapists gave his mother and aunt extensive training so they would know how to care for McKensley and help him maintain that sitting position. He may have been crying when he arrived at our outreach, but his face glowed by the time his fitting session was complete.
As we shared the Gospel with his family, we learned that they longed to go to church but were told they weren’t welcome – simply because they did not have “church clothes.”
Because Jesus expects us to take these simple needs seriously, our team quickly responded by giving McKensley and his family the clothing they needed to attend church and eliminating all barriers to a relationship with the Lord.
“Belonging to the community of Christ has nothing to do with disability or clothing,” explained on of our Wheels for the World team members. “It’s all about the grace and mercy of God.”
With this understanding of who Jesus is and the value of their little boy, McKensley’d family left with an entirely new perspective on life and hope for their future!
And Haiti needs your ongoing prayers today. It is believed that the worst is yet to come in Haiti regarding COVID-19, as thousands of Haitians are being sent back home from the Dominican Republic. With no real enforcement concerning wearing masks or social distancing, our brothers and sisters in Haiti are facing a tremendous amount of fear and uncertainty. Our in-country partners have been able to provide hundreds of masks to local churches for distribution throughout their communities, and they are ensuring that the most vulnerable people – those who are medically fragile and have disabilities – will receive those masks first. This is yet another example of the Gospel with its sleeves rolled up!
“I needed clothes and you clothed me. I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 25:36, 40
Families like McKensley’s – who live without the basic needs that we so often take for granted – are in dire need of your help today. Through your generous donation, they will know that God has not forgotten them. Thank you for showing them there is always hope through hardship.
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As a Luke 14 Friend, you help every person living with a disability find dignity, practical care, and the hope of Jesus! Your monthly gift provides medical and mobility support, essential resources, and spiritual care so every person is welcomed into God’s house.
