The wheel was broken and the hand rests were in shreds. Maybe those things could be repaired, but the boy had outgrown the chair-- and there was only one remedy for that. How could I find a new wheelchair on an island community deep in the country of Nicaragua? And if I could find one on the main land, how could I know that it was the right one for this boy and how would I get it back to him?
The boy is Jesse, the son of a pastor in Nicaragua. He has been in our sponsorship program since we started on the Island of Ometepe. Like all of the others, his family lives on a minimum of worldly goods. Prices are high for anything brought to the island on the ferry. Fortunately, volcanic ash makes fertile soil and lots of good food grows almost year round. But the island cannot grow a wheel chair.
It was exciting for me as I watched the Lord answer each question-- that is, those about which chair, how to find it, how to get it back to the island..... One issue was already resolved-- that of how to pay for the wheel chair. Assuming that we could find the chair and resolve the logistic issues (which we did) the Allow The Children Urgent needs Fund exists for situations like this one. Many people give generous un-designated gifts which we use for needs like this one. During travel in country, we often come upon needs that just cannot or should not wait for fundraising or search for a specific donor. It is a joy to be ready to meet needs like this one and to know that the Lord has used many hands along the way to accomplish His provision.