Team 12 was great! We had a very dedicated, hard working and enthusiastic team of 9 from Woodland Park Community Church (CO), Venue 302 Church (KS), and Woodmen Valley Chapel (CO). During the week we served over 50 families with disability equipment. The work was challenging and rewarding. The distributions ran incredibly smooth, especially considering one day was through the eye of a tropical storm. Wow did the skies open up!
 I would like to share a few stories of the people we served. First is a 16 year old young man named Israel. He was born with cerebral palsy and received his first wheelchair at the age of 10. I was there that day, 6 years ago to give the first wheelchair to this bright eyed boy. What a rewarding opportunity to see him again, advancing and progressing in life physically and emotionally. He came to the distribution not in need of a new wheelchair, but a walker to advance his therapy. He has started school & physical therapy at Centro de Esperanza, a new start up rehab center & school for the disabled in Concordia, Mexico. The director at the center, Daniela Aguirre, couldn’t stop talking about how Israel doesn’t stop amazing her and how he is improving. He is taking language therapy and talks more fluid. She explains that he was not able to attend public school and now he is learning to write and read at the center which is defiantly meeting his needs. Daniela said “it won’t amaze me if the next time you come he will be using the walker.” This blessed my socks off. Sustainability is so cool!
 The second story that I would like to share with you happened on a home visit distribution. We visited the home of Martha, who had a stroke 2 year ago and has lost the ability to speak and walk. She was depressed, insecure, and very sad. When we arrived at her house, Martha’s daughter went inside to bring her out onto the patio for us to do the seating. Martha began to cry uncontrollably, she was scared, very scared. I sensed that she felt as if we were coming to “take her away”. Sergio and Miriam, locals we work with in Mazatlan, began speaking words of comfort to calm her down. After she realized that we were there to give her something and not take her a way she calmed down and began to communicate with us. She had a small little text machine that she could type out words. We learned that she had been married for 28 year and her husband was still right there beside her. He loved her and had never give up hope that she will get better. Though kind calming words and unconditional love, we were able to seat her in a wheelchair that allowed her to sit up and face the world again. The wheelchair brought back her dignity and hope that with the love of her family she could rehabilitate back to a more sustainable life. Martha’s life was not over, but starting a new chapter.
OK, one more. I want you to meet Nancy, 26 years old and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She can no longer walk independently and told us that she had given up on life prior to us giving her a wheelchair. She said the joy & hope this wheelchair brought her has convinced her to fight more every day and not give up. She was so excited and grateful that the next day she came to the center, riding on the back of a motor bike, to bring us cookies that she had baked. Again, the next day after cookies she brought the team fresh empanadas she had made. With her new found mobility she can more efficiently pursue her job of baking cookies, candies, and empanadas to be sold in the market place by her family. She can work and has her dignity restored. Mobility is an amazing thing that most of us take for granted.
I have dozens more stories to tell, but more than that, I hope you would consider coming with us to share in one of these amazing stories yourself.
- Jeff Musgrave - Team Leader
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