Thursday began our outreach at Church 2. We were warmly welcomed and had many eager and able volunteers. We began the day short one mechanic (due to illness) and lost two more along the way. But God provided a Peruvian auto mechanic, who ably stepped in to help. Our other mechanics worked extra hard to fill in the slack.
Here is a glimpse of the process that people go through when they come to the outreach. The person enters at the registration table and is given a number. They then move to the waiting room where they are greeted by a smiling Roxy and other volunteers.
When there turn comes up, they are brought by Roxy and a “guide” to the seating station. The therapist, mechanic, support person, and translator (for those of us who don’t speak Spanish well) introduce themselves to the patient and any family member present. After discussing the person’s needs and praying, the search for a chair begins.
After choosing a chair, adaptations are made to the chair. A cushion is made if necessary. Most people are given gifts sent from some of you lovely people in the states: bags for the back of the wheelchair, blankets, hats, fingerless gloves, etc.
When the chair looks good and the patient and family members have been instructed in its use, the team prays again, thanking God for the chair and the gift of mobility. The guide then brings the patient and family to the evangelism station where the gospel is presented and they are given a Bible and a Joni book.
Just to give you a feel for the process of adapting a chair, here are some pictures of a chair we adapted for a three-year old little girl. Due to internet issues, the pictures will have to be posted later in the day!
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