July 10, 2013 - A Day of Changed Lives

Fredy's Story

Our wheelchair recipient today was 30 year old Fredy who, five months ago,  contracted a mysterious illness that left him paralyzed from the chest down. After three months in the hospital where he underwent tests, doctors were unable to determine the cause and sent him home. Home is in a remote impoverished village where ramshackle residences polka dot the dirt hillside. His brothers had been alternating days of taking care of him. Freddy was admittedly depressed with his whole life turned upside down. Fredy, father of a 7 year old daughter, went overnight from went from being a functional individual to being totally dependent. We delivered a Generation Two Wheelchair to him. His countenance at first was shy and embarrassed, but after spending over an hour with us, he wanted to go outside and be in the sunshine for the first time in five months. We prayed over him and he asked us to take his picture before we left. The chair lifted him out of bed to an upright position, but what we really noticed was his emotional and spiritual transformation.

Krochet Kids

Grace Fellowship Church has a ministry they support called Krochet Kids which we were able to visit today. Similar to Don Schoendorfer's experience of traveling in a third world country, three young surfers who went to Bali could not get the impoverished out of their minds. This ministry is unique in that it "teaches people how to fish rather than giving them fish." Krochet Kids launched in 2009 in Uganda, at a time when other Fair Trade companies such as Tom's Shoes were becoming popular. In 2011 Peru was added. The ministry began employing 10 women and has grown to more than 150 women who started out crocheting hats and scarves and are now sewing t-shirts, sweatshirts, and other accessories. In addition to providing these women jobs, Krochet Kids teaches them financial skills of budgeting, saving and managing their money. Each woman has a mentor to grow spiritually, socially and emotionally. Wow! These items are sold in Nordstrom and can be found on line at BingKrochetkids. We were all quite moved at the momentum of this mission and are quite clear they need ongoing prayer for continued success.