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43 episodes with wheels for the world
39 episodes with wheels for the world
2 episodes with wheels for the world
2 episodes with wheels for the world
English Version - In April 2023, our host David Hirsch traveled to Cuba with Joni and Friends, as one of 12 U.S. volunteers participating in a Wheels For The World Program, to fit and distribute 200+ wheelchairs to youth and adults, who might not otherwise experience mobility. This week's guest is Leonardo Cespedes of Bayamo, Cuba, a Baptist Preacher and father of two including a son with intellectual and physical disabilities. Leonardo and his wife, Mairelis, have been married for 26 years and are the proud parents of two; daughter Reveca (23) who is a teacher, and son Marko (20) who has undiagnosed intellectual disabilities, suffers from seizures and is hard of hearing. Marko was one of the recipients of a wheelchair. During his visit, David spoke with and recorded interviews with two Cubans connected to the disability community in Cuba. Special thanks to Dairy Hernandez, the young Cuban woman that served as one of David's translators during the week and for her help translating today's episode in English and Spanish. That's all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Notes - WhatsApp - 53 58 01 426 627 Email – leobayamo@nauta.cuJoni & Friends - https://joniandfriends.org/ACLIFIM (Asociación Cubana de Personas con Discapacidad Físico - Motora - https://www.aclifim.cu/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 700+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/SFN Dads Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/Find out about Horizon Therapeutics – Science and Compassion Working Together To Transform Lives. https://www.horizontherapeutics.com/Versión en Español - En abril de 2023, nuestro anfitrión David Hirsch viajó a Cuba con Joni y sus amigos, como uno de los 12 voluntarios estadounidenses que participan en un programa de Wheels For The World, para instalar y distribuir 200+ sillas de ruedas a jóvenes y adultos, que de otro modo no experimentarían movilidad.El invitado de esta semana es Leonardo Céspedes de Bayamo, Cuba, un predicador bautista y padre de dos hijos, incluyendo un hijo con discapacidades intelectuales y físicas. Leonardo y su esposa, Mairelis, han estado casados durante 26 años y son los orgullosos padres de dos hijos; su hija Reveca (23), que es profesora, y su hijo Marko (20), que tiene discapacidades intelectuales no diagnosticadas, sufre convulsiones y tiene problemas de audición. Marko fue uno de los destinatarios de una silla de ruedas.Durante su visita, David habló y grabó entrevistas con dos cubanos conectados con la comunidad de discapacitados en Cuba. Un agradecimiento especial a Dairy Hernández, la joven cubana que sirvió como una de las traductoras de David durante la semana y por su ayuda para traducir el episodio de hoy en inglés y español. Eso es todo en este episodio del podcast Dad to Dad de SFN. Mostrar Notas - WhatsApp - 53 58 01 426 627Correo electrónico - Correo electrónico - leobayamo@nauta.cuJoni y sus amigos - https://joniandfriends.org/ACLIFIM (Asociación Cubana de Personas con Discapacidad Física - Motora - https://www.aclifim.cu/Red de Padres Especiales - SFN es un programa de tutoría de padre a padre para padres que crían niños con necesidades especiales. Muchos de los 700+ Padres Mentores de SFN, que están criando niños con necesidades especiales, han dicho: "Ojalá hubiera algo así cuando recibimos por primera vez el diagnóstico de nuestro hijo. Me sentí tan aislada. No había nadie dentro de mi familia, en el trabajo, en la iglesia o dentro de mi grupo de amigos que entendiera o pudiera relacionarse con lo que estaba pasando".Los padres mentores de SFN comparten sus experiencias con los padres más jóvenes más cerca del comienzo de su viaje criando a un niño con las mismas o similares necesidades especiales. Los Padres Mentores de SFN NO ofrecen asesoramiento legal o médico, eso es lo que hacen los abogados y los médicos. Simplemente comparten sus experiencias y cómo han aprovechado al máximo las situaciones difíciles.Echa un vistazo al canal de YouTube de 21CD con docenas de videos sobre temas relevantes para los padres que crían niños con necesidades especiales: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videos Por favor, apoye a la SFN. Haga clic aquí para donar: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Red Especial de Padres: https://21stcenturydads.org/Grupo de Mentes Maestras de Papás de SFN - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/Obtenga más información sobre Horizon Therapeutics: la ciencia y la compasión trabajan juntas para transformar vidas. https://www.horizontherapeutics.com/
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God does not always heal in response to our prayers for healing, but he does work wonders out of suffering. Your suffering can be used to share the Gospel with people around the world who have never heard of Jesus!
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God calls his children to serve him until their last breath. How can you glorify the Lord and serve him this year? Find a way to volunteer in your church, community, or even with Joni and Friends!
Happy birthday to Ken Tada! You can help Joni Eareckson Tada celebrate her husband's birthday by giving to Joni and Friends in his honor! ---Looking for more encouragement? Follow Joni on Facebook and subscribe to her daily devotional. Listen to all of Joni's 4-minute and 1-minute programs at joniradio.org!Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Get involved at joniandfriends.org or on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Today is Giving Tuesday and Joni Eareckson Tada invites you to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves! Donate to make a difference where Christ's love is needed the most. Give the Perfect Gift! ---Looking for more encouragement? Follow Joni on Facebook and subscribe to her daily devotional. Listen to all of Joni's 4-minute and 1-minute programs at joniradio.org!Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Get involved at joniandfriends.org or on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
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Open the Word of God today and treasure a piece of Scripture. Keep it near and dear to your heart, for it is a precious gift!
Do something to share with those in need today!
God has anointed you to preach the Good News of the Gospel to those who the world casts out.
Be bold today! God is with you.
Watch Arnoldo and Marcela's story here: https://youtu.be/wv9W9uSRzro
Every gift comes from God, free of charge!
God orchestrates everything that happens, and he causes things to happen at exactly the right time.
Healing doesn't always come in ways we expect – sometimes it even comes in the form of a wheelchair offering greater mobility! Through Joni and Friends, God is saving those who are crushed in spirit. We not only bring wheelchairs to those who need them, but we also bring the hope of the Gospel. Join the movement today at joniradio.org.
God's power shows up through weakness.
When you put your plans in God's hands, you will see beautiful results!
Look for opportunities to encourage the fainthearted and help the weak.
Consider volunteering on a Wheels for the World outreach.
So many people with disabilities around the world have no access to wheelchairs. You can give someone the gift of mobility and freedom with the donation of a wheelchair! Join Joni and Friends for Wheelchair Collection Month! Visit joniandfriends.org to find out how you can help.
March is Wheelchair Collection Month at Joni and Friends! When you donate a used wheelchair, an inmate in one of 15 prisons across the country will refurbish it to like-new condition. Then your chair will travel overseas to bless a child or adult with a disability. Visit our website to see how you can participate!
Believers in Christ are called to show grace, not favoritism.
Everyone has a gift to share on a Wheels for the World outreach.
Make the most of every opportunity to serve those in need.
Bring a smile to someone's face on a Wheels for the World outreach!
See Levi's video at joniradio.org.
Give thanks to the Lord for all his blessings!
Donate to the Perfect Gift campaign in honor of Ken Tada.
Be part of bringing the gift of mobility to a child in need.
Ask the Lord to open your eyes to new ways to reach out.
Visit joniandfriends.org to see how you can serve with us.
Doors open with the gift of a walker in Peru!
Amazing ministry is happening around the world!
Through our Wheels for the World outreach, Joni and Friends helps people with disabilities around the globe.
Need a spark of joy or a word of encouragement? Listen in for your daily dose of help and hope in Jesus.
Much of Jesus's ministry was spent reaching out to the unclean and the outcast with a heart of compassion. Sometimes all it takes to be like Jesus is a simple touch, hug or handshake for that person no one else is interested in touching. Take time today to offer the touch of Jesus to someone who needs his compassion.
Need a spark of joy or a word of encouragement? Listen in for your daily dose of help and hope in Jesus.
Need a spark of joy or a word of encouragement? Listen in for your daily dose of help and hope in Jesus.
If you need prayer, reach out to us today.Learn more about Wheels for the World.
Need a spark of joy or a word of encouragement? Listen in for your daily dose of help and hope in Jesus.
Request the Joni and Friends newsletter.
Make a donation to Joni and Friends.
Watch the video of Joy and Kekoa here: watch a brief video
View the Wheels for the World video here.
Joni and Friends is celebrating our volunteer Mary Jane. She has served on over 35 Wheels for the World outreaches, all in her 70s and 80s and with cerebral palsy! Mary Jane is proof that age and physical ability are never barriers to serving Jesus. God can use anyone to share the Gospel!
Listen to the podcast: Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast.
Find out how to donate a wheelchair to Joni and Friends!
As members of the body of Christ, we belong to each other. We can be encouraged knowing we have brothers and sisters around the world. Listen as Joni shares about an African brother who inspires her on difficult days.
Our Wheels for the World outreaches have not stopped! Teams are distributing wheelchairs and Bibles and sharing the Gospel around the world. Pray with us that many more disabled people would hear the good news of Jesus!
A group of sanitation workers in Chicago are changing lives one wheelchair at a time! As you listen to their story, consider how you might adorn the Gospel with good works and point to the beauty of the Savior.
In honor of Celebration of Life Day, Joni is sharing the amazing story of how one woman gave a little girl with disabilities a chance at life.
The gift of a wheelchair not only provides mobility, it opens the door to share the good news of salvation in Christ. Little ones, like Valentina, and their families are experiencing the love of Christ thanks to your gifts and prayers! Join Joni and Friends this Christmas in bringing hope to families living with disability.
Amy introduces The Believe 19, a new segment with an interview with Rue Mapp, founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro. Outdoor Afro is a national organization celebrating and inspiring Black connections and leadership in nature. We’ll hear what their work is all about! Also, Patrick and Natalie share their excitement to participate in Save One Life’s annual fundraiser, Wheels for The World. Listen in to celebrate giving back and learn more about different ways to contribute to the good work being done in our communities! Presenting Sponsor: Takeda Learn More about Outdoor Afro: Outdoor Afro Website Sign up for Wheels for the World: Save One Life Listen to the It’s in the Gene’s Podcast!: Gene Therapy Podcast SUBSCRIBE to BloodStream on Apple Podcasts! LIKE BloodStream on Facebook! WATCH BloodStream on YouTube!
Joni highlights some special volunteers with the Wheels for the World Chair Corps team. May they inspire you to get involved in your own community!
It is against our nature to be kind and loving to others. Yet, we have received abundant grace and love from Jesus. We must learn to love others as Christ has loved us. Look for an opportunity today to show mercy and compassion to that person who may be hard to love.
Ken Tada is celebrating his birthday on the radio with Joni! Join the Tadas as they talk about their love for ministry.
Hear about Josleen’s arrival at a recent outreach in Haiti and the joy of moving her from a wheelbarrow to a wheelchair.
Fitting a child with a wheelchair provides a means of showcasing God’s love to the lost and the least. Joni’s in-studio guest shares about her recent Wheels for the World outreach experience in Thailand.
Joni’s friend Shauna Amick joins the show to share her experience giving a wheelchair to a special girl in Poland. Be blessed by how God is working around the world!
When Maria set eyes on little Leslie, she fell in love. Listen to this powerful story of how one woman’s love for God and His children changed the life of a disabled child.
The Wheels for the World team in Uganda brings not only wheelchairs, but the hope of Jesus Christ. Listen to the miraculous story of Semu!
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada to tell you about my friend, Don. I met him years ago when I was speaking at his church in Colorado Springs. I was talking about our “Wheels for the World” outreach; you know where we take wheelchairs and Bibles to needy disabled people overseas. At that time, some of our wheelchairs were being restored at a prison facility in Colorado. Well, Don is sitting there in the congregation listening to all this, and he decides to get involved. He gets his adult Sunday school group to help raise funds to provide more tools and workbenches for the prisoners who are restoring our wheelchairs. He even digs in and helps bring the ’Wheels for the World”restoration shop up to speed. From there, he helped us collect wheelchairs in his region, and then he decided that he could use his mechanical skills by serving on a “Wheels for the World” team to a developing nation. Well, he wrote me the other day, they said, “Joni, (this is what he said,) having been on 7 trips for “Wheels for the World,” I’ve seen countless times how the gift of a pediatric wheelchair or an adult -sized one really touches family. It’s the gift that helps open their hearts to receive the gospel. They see first-hand how generous the God of the Bible really is. And I tell my friends that there are '5' wins in the Wheels' Ministry: (1) a chair is salvaged; (2) a prisoner has got purpose, (3) someone gets the gift of mobility that changes their life, (4) many people are opened to receiving Christ, and (5) the team that goes to a third world country has a totally new perspective on life and an appreciation for their blessings. No other mission effort that I know of does so many things with 'one' item, a wheelchair!” Well you know, Don was just sitting there one Sunday morning in the church, and God spoke to his heart. Don’s the kind of guy who, when he sees the need, can’t wait to meet it. That’s just like him. He saw that he could do something to help those prisoners do a better job of refurbishing our wheelchairs. Next thing you know, he’s got his Sunday school involved. He is making a difference. Neither Don nor his Sunday school friends had much connection with prison ministry before, and they weren’t particularly involved with disabled people in their church, but they saw they could do something. They can raise funds. They can donate tools, hammers, wrenches. Make work tables, benches and so much more. Of course, when you see a need or start meeting it, God opens your eyes and you begin to see other needs: the need to collect wheelchairs, the need to minister to prisoners, and ultimately, the need to even serve on a “Wheels for the World” trip. Acts chapter 20, verse 35 says, "in all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" That perfectly describes people like Don who see a need and don’t wait around for others to do it. Huh-uh, no, they do it. And they get the blessing. We’ve got a “Wheels for the World” team in China this week fitting wheelchairs to some of the poorest disabled people in the world. Kids with disabilities who are forgotten, neglected. Actually this month, there are three different Wheels teams going to three different big regions in China. I know Don’s gonna be cheering on our “Wheels for the World “team with his prayers, and I sure hope you will, too. And if you’d like to serve on a “Wheels” team or help collect wheelchairs, then help us. Just visit our Wheels for the World page at joniandfriends.org for all the details. Find need, and then roll up your sleeves and meet it. God bless you today, and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends. © Joni and Friends
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and you’re listening to "Joni and Friends". And hey, I'm pretty excited that our Wheels for the World team right now is down in El Salvador delivering hundreds of wheelchairs, Bibles, giving the Gospel, copies of the Joni book in Spanish. Yikes! And of all the disabled people our team is meeting this week in El Salvador, there will be lots and lots of kids with disabilities, most of them needing pediatric wheelchairs. Yep, it’s those child-sized wheelchairs that are in such great demand. And each pediatric wheelchair has a story; each one is so special. Take the time we collected a unique little wheelchair during one of our collection drives down in Texas. During the drive, our Chair Corps volunteer (that’s what we call the wonderful folks who collect the used wheelchairs for us to restore), well anyway, this Chair Corps rep drove out to pick up a very special wheelchair. Because a 6-year-old disabled child named Courtney had recently passed away. And as her mom and dad had been cleaning out her things, they decided that they wanted to give Courtney’s little wheelchair to Wheels for the World. Our Chair Corps rep met the parents and learned about Courtney’s story. But as he started to take the chair and began loading it in the truck to take it back to the collection site, Courtney’s twin brother, 6-year-old Tyler, came rushing to the front door, crying, “Please don’t take that wheelchair,” he called. “That’s where Courtney sat.” To little Tyler, that wheelchair was his last connection with his twin sister. And he could not bear to part with it that is until after his mom and dad comforted him and told him where the chair was going. Well, when I heard about Tyler and pictured him not wanting to let go of his sister’s wheelchair, it just about broke my heart. I had to write this little boy. And the next day I did, and this is what I put in my letter. I said: “Dear Tyler, you don’t know me, but my friend picked up Courtney’s wheelchair for our Wheels for the World outreach. And oh, how you must miss your sister, and my heart got very sad when I heard that you did not want to give up Courtney’s chair. But you know what, Tyler? I bet Courtney (because she’s in Heaven) is very happy to know that her wheelchair is going to find a new home. The wheelchair that Courtney sat in for so long will now be able to help some other little girl or a boy in a faraway country, a child who has a disability just like your sister’s. When that child in a poor country far away receives Courtney’s little wheelchair, wow! – they are going to know that Jesus is really looking out for them (just like He’s looking out for Courtney in heaven and He’s looking out for you, too). So Tyler, please tell your mommy and daddy how glad I am that your whole family is helping us give God’s love to kids with disabilities all over the world. We love you, Tyler! Your friend, Joni.” You know stories like Tyler’s and Courtney’s, they happen all the time when we collect wheelchairs. And as I said, we need more wheelchairs like Courtney’s. More than ever before because Wheels for the World is growing, we’re expanding. So would you please consider volunteering with us to serve as a Chair Corps volunteer? You’d be helping so many kids with disabilities around the world as you collect used wheelchairs like Courtney’s. If you’d like to serve with us, just go to joniradio.org and watch a really great video that I posted all about collecting wheelchairs, and what it looks like. There’s also a place where you can sign up or simply get more information. So, get all your questions answered. Come and volunteer with us by collecting used but serviceable wheelchairs for children just like Courtney overseas in developing nations! Visit us at joniradio.org. Thanks for listening today on Joni and Friends. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and isn’t it amazing how God will lead us? Like the way He’s led Bernie Punte all these years. Now Bernie was a Christian, but he really wasn’t involved in outreach or ministry. One day, though, he was listening to Christian radio (just like you are) and he happened to come across "Joni and Friends", and when Bernie heard about our outreach to people with disabilities around the world, he gave a donation (bless his heart). And for that, he received a note of thanks and a copy of my book, Joni (which he read). The Joni book really inspired him and got him to thinking and he wondered, "Well, wow! What have I done in my life to serve others?" So, right there, he sensed God was leading him, but to what? Where was he to serve? Well, when he got connected to our ministry, he also learned about ‘Wheels for the World’ and that really got him energized. He decided to travel with us overseas as a wheelchair mechanic on a Wheels team. For Bernie, serving on the Wheels team was wonderful. It was a chance to make a real impact on the lives of needy, disabled people; giving them not only wheelchairs but Bibles and the message of salvation. When we sensed his enthusiasm, we decided to ask if he would also like to collect wheelchairs for us, but he politely declined as he had a full-time job and could not imagine having the hours to do that as well. Little did he know that God had different plans. Because for the next two days, all Bernie could think about was collecting wheelchairs! He felt strongly that God was leading him to give it a try. And so, he called Joni and Friends back up and he signed up to be a Chair Corps volunteer. And when he did that, he felt such peace. God had led him from one thing to the next, and now, he knew that his service in the kingdom would be to collect wheelchairs to be restored so that disabled people, who have nothing, could now have freedom to move about. And now? For fourteen years, this man has been gladly collecting wheelchairs in the Baltimore area and beyond. Bernie’s a really friendly guy and he’s made great friends with all sorts of leaders and community organizations and businesses. He’s building relationships; he’s sharing seeds of the Gospel. God has given him such favor, that he’s forged friendships with wheelchair donors who sometimes give as many as 60 wheelchairs at a time. As his success grew, it became necessary for Bernie to acquire a permanent storage space for all these wheelchairs. And through the help of some friends, he was able to buy a trailer that can store up to about 120 wheelchairs at a time. I mean, this guy’s collected thousands of wheelchairs, and he also continues to travel every year as a mechanic with Wheels for the World. Serving on outreaches and fitting refurbished wheelchairs to people moves Bernie's heart. And it energizes him to keep collecting wheelchairs because every year he sees new people whose lives are being changed by the gift of mobility and hope in Jesus. God has led him all this way… so that he could be used of the Lord to bring people to Christ in a most unusual way. Look, friend, God might be asking you to serve and maybe serve as a Chair Corps volunteer like Bernie. If so, he’d say: "Give it a try.” And I would say the same. I’ve posted a video today on what it looks like to actually collect wheelchairs—so for more info on how you can have a ministry, a ministry that changes people’s lives, a ministry like Bernie’s, contact joniradio.org today. And as Hebrews 13 says, God will equip you with all you need for doing His will. That’s a promise from the Word of God to you. Visit my radio page today at joniandfriends.org and while you are there be sure to share a prayer request. When you have a chance today, drop by joniandfriends.org. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends
Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and I sure wish you could meet Don Bania. I mean this guy is so heavenly-minded sitting in his wheelchair. Don broke his neck over 45 years ago and he sits tall and straight in his chair with his arms resting on a lap board. He's pretty handsome with his gray beard, clear blue eyes and very winning smile. I'm looking at a photo of him right now sitting in front of racks of used wheelchairs. Don collects wheelchairs for us and in the photo he's got this, this T-shirt on that says, "Got Wheelchairs?"...you know, like the old TV commercial: "Got Milk?" Don knows he just can't get up and go be a missionary in some foreign country. As it is in his wheelchair, it's hard enough for him to get around his home town. But Don Bania still has a heart for disabled people like him overseas in poorer countries, people who are not able to sit up in a wheelchair like he can, people who spend most of their days in bed, or they crawl around in the dirt because they cannot afford a wheelchair, and so Don, with his quadriplegia, is doing something about it. Through his network of friends, he is linked up with the kids at Teen Challenge who help him collect used wheelchairs, then there's a local trucking company that picks up those chairs free of charge, then his friends at a local auto and body shop provide free storage for those wheelchairs, and finally, Don's local Wal*Mart transports those wheelchairs to the prisons nationwide where inmates restore them and make them like new. The thing is, Don Bania has assembled this entire team of ministries: people, friends, locals, churches, local businesses, and he's doing it all from his wheelchair. He's kind of like the 'traffic control center,' organizing everything from his home base on his home phone. When I asked him about this incredible ministry, Don explained to me that he believes that he and his team have "a little part in eternal salvation of those who receive our wheelchairs. Plus, we're also helping them restore their dignity and liberty, he says. It's amazing, he tells me, that a wheelchair which is often seen as an object of hopelessness and sorrow, has become a symbol of mobility and hope as well as spreading the Gospel worldwide." You know I read that comment of Don's and I just can't wait for heaven on that wonderful day when he will finally rise up out of his wheelchair to receive his eternal prize. And by his side will be many hundreds like him from every tongue, tribe and nation, people who, like Don Bania, will have shed their disabilities and they will rise up on grateful, glorified legs to praise the Father for His gracious gift of salvation. Hallelujah, I can't wait, because you know what, I'm one of them! Well, maybe you're not able to go on the mission field like Don Bania, maybe you too have significant limitations which keep you close to home. Well, believe me you can have a part in eternal salvation of needy people in other parts of the world. Like my friend Don, you, I believe you; can collect wheelchairs for Wheels for the World. We need people like you. I’ve posted a video on joniradio.org today that shows you exactly what it’s like to collect used but serviceable wheelchairs in your community. And if you have more questions, I’ve included a link where you can get more info. ‘Cause we need more Chair Corps volunteers, as we call helpers like Don Bania. So, please consider serving with us, would you, by collecting chairs for needy, disabled people. Come on, get involved. Find out how you can get engaged at joniradio.org. Again, that’s joniradio.org to become a Chair Corps rep and collect wheelchairs for people all over the world. Thanks for listening to Joni and Friends. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends
More than 70 million people around the world are in need of a wheelchair, but only 10% have access to one.* During March, Joni and Friends is celebrating Wheelchair Collection Month to bring awareness to this need and help solve the global mobility crisis. Today, Crystal Keating talks with Elizabeth Kelly who oversees wheelchair collection for the Joni and Friends Wheels for the World program. Elizabeth shares how God redeems thousands of broken and discarded wheelchairs every year, turning them into a beautiful gift for people in desperate need around the world. And you can get involved – hear how you can help recycle and redeem wheelchairs right in your community. Whether you help by spreading the word, donating a wheelchair, or collecting used wheelchairs in your community, you can make a global impact! *Statistic from the World Health Organization www.who.int/phi/implementation/assistive_technology/wheelchair-publications/en/ Joni and Friends was founded in 1979 by Joni Eareckson Tada who in a diving accident was left a quadriplegic at 17 years old. Ministry began as Tada, joined by friends around her kitchen table, responded to letters she received from people with disabilities in search of support. Over the past 40 years, the ministry has grown to serve thousands of people impacted by disability worldwide: Joni and Friends has delivered 150,000 wheelchairs and Bibles through Wheels for the World and provided Christian care to 63,000 special needs family members through Family Retreats. The organization also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses through the Christian Institute on Disability. www.joniandfriends.org
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to Joni and Friends. Where we sure do love “Wheels for the World”. It’s our program where we take refurbished wheelchairs and Bibles to very needy disabled children around the world who crawl in the dirt and cannot go to school for lack of a wheelchair. Our trained physical therapy volunteers do such a great job. They hand-fit each wheelchair to whatever disabled child or adult. These disabled people hear the good news, they receive a Bible in their own language, and their family is connected with a caring church who provides follow-up. It’s a great outreach and my husband Ken and I love participating on “Wheels” trips. I remember when Ken and I landed in Havana, Cuba on one of our “Wheels for the World” trips. My power wheelchair really threw the airport officials into a tizzy, and I they escorted me to an airport doctor's office. Uh, they looked at my chair and I think they thought I was "sick" and I needed supervision before boarding our connecting flight to Santiago de Cuba. This really irked me because I knew it was going to delay our team as well as our chartered flight. I shook my head, thinking, God, why now? Why this? Well, I was taken to a small office where I met two female doctors and a disabled woman who was also waiting (no one spoke English in this little room). And looking around, I realized, Lord, I think I see what you’re doing here; this is a unique opportunity, a chance to evangelistic-ly think outside the box. I got a feeling you want me to do an "outreach" right here with my high school Spanish. So, I began to sing out loud in Spanish (Joni singing in Spanish). It was the only Christian song I knew. And oh my goodness, did that get people's attention. I then asked in halting Spanish, (Joni speaking in Spanish). The two doctors stared at one another. One asked in Spanish, "We see you are an American. Why, why are you in our country?" And again I explained in my high school Spanish that we were bringing (Joni speaking in Spanish) wheelchairs and Bibles as gifts to the disabled people of Cuba. I went on to describe the mandate of our Savior to go into all the world and share the good news. "What is this good news?" she asked in a softer voice. And at that, her fellow doctor brightened, ran up back to her cubicle, and returned holding a battered, bent-paged Bible she had gotten from a Josh McDowell outreach like decades earlier. And before I knew it, this doctor began explaining the gospel in sixty-mile-an-hour Spanish to her coworker. It was clear that this Christian doctor had just been waiting, and she’d been praying for an opportunity to open up and share Christ with her friend, and suddenly it all happened with me and my song. This Christian doctor then found the courage to share her faith in Jesus! And I sat there and watched in amazement as the Christian doctor pointed to various passages in Romans and then back at the Gospels. Her fellow doctor, the unbeliever, was fascinated and she looked up and kept smiling at me… actually, both of them smiled at me. And I could tell there had been a real breakthrough. Who knows what you might get started once you take that first step of faith and share a word about your Savior! The challenge is to think outside the box, right? and go beyond the program, and reach the people God places in your path right then. So, would you please pray right now for our “Wheels for the World” team today as they head to the Dominican Republic with wheelchairs and Bibles, all to the end of leading Spanish-speaking people to Christ. Just like those two doctors in Cuba. Hey friend, at Joni and Friends we’d like to pray for you so share with us your thoughts and your prayer needs at joniandfriends.org. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to "Joni and Friends." I’d like to tell you about a friend of mine named Muni; he has the brightest, most contagious smile I’ve ever seen. Muni lives in India and his joy is a stark contrast to his circumstances. You see, Muni contracted polio at three years of age and has been crawling through the dirt ever since. Muni is the Client Services Director for ProVision Asia, a Joni and Friends partner in Bangalore, India. He met Jesus years ago and now he dedicates his life to securing housing, food and medication – even adapted 3-wheeled motorcycles—for his disabled clients. Now let me tell you how Muni finds his clients. He crawls up onto his three-wheeled motorcycle three times a week and goes out into the smog-infested streets of Bangalore, looking for the poor and destitute, the discarded and disabled. These are the people no one else is reaching; the people no one wants to reach. And recently, Muni came across a disabled beggar on the verge of death. His name was Mahesh, and he lived inside a dark, wet tunnel that links two highways. Mahesh's filthy bed of rags and towels, a bed he has not left in months, perhaps years, is his only comfort. Nobody stops to wish him well; no one cares. He is a low-life, a non-issue, on the bottom of the cast, and to others, he is a non-person, invisible and abandoned. But as Muni was driving through that tunnel, he spotted Mahesh; he stopped his motorcycle, crawled off of it and proceeded to make his way across the dirty, oil-stained asphalt pavement to reach this beggar. Mahesh was surprised to see someone care, and he greeted Muni as this caring individual approached him. Muni, on the other hand, was a little stunned when he heard Mahesh’s greeting—Mahesh spoke in beautiful English with a British accent. It revealed that this beggar had an educated background. It seemed incomprehensible that such a well-spoken man could live in such filth and starvation, among thousands who pass him every day. Mahesh told us that five years ago, he fell from the balcony of his home, breaking both his legs. Then he added, “My disability has disgraced my family and they have put me out. I have lost respect, they fear the same. It is the tradition of India.” But as Muni told this dear beggar, it’s not the tradition of our Lord Jesus. And it wasn’t the tradition of Christ’s representative, Muni. Grabbing Mahesh’s hand, completely blind to his filthy condition or the smell coming from his unwashed body, Muni began to share the beautiful Gospel of Jesus Christ. As he shared, tears fell down Mahesh’s face as the words of truth washed over the broken soul of his. Outcast no longer, Mahesh joined Muni in prayer. At that point, Mahesh beckoned Muni closer and said, “Your Jesus is Light and the Light is now within me, just as it is within you.” The next day, our Wheels for the World team member went with Muni to give Mahesh a new wheelchair. We worked hard to custom-fit the chair for Mahesh right there on the sidewalk; then he was taken back to the clinic for health care and to begin the process of restoring him to life, to society, to wholeness in Jesus’ name. It’s what happens all the time on a Wheels for the World trip. The least and the last are found. They are given dignity as they are lifted from the dirt and seated alongside others. It’s what happens when you touch the untouchable in Jesus’ name! By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends
This month on The BloodStream Podcast, Shari Luckey shares her “Living in the Shadows with Mild Hemophilia” story, Natalie presents an article on the things you need to know before purchasing CBD oil, we bring to you updates on the legal dispute between Roche/Genentech, and we hear from participants and organizers of the Wheels For The World Barry Haarde Memorial Bike Ride. All that and more on Episode 27 of The BloodStream Podcast! Exclusive Sponsor: Shire Latest Ask The Expert Podcast: Ep. 17: Mental Health - w/ Debbie de la Riva - July 23, 2018 Latest Powering Through Podcast: Ep. 19 - Idaho w/ Preston Bowling, Skyler Openshaw, & Allie Cashel TeenImpactAwards.com BreakingThroughHemophilia.com STBhemo.com (Stop The Bleeding!) Leave us a review on iTunes! Help others from BloodStream! Community News In 60 Seconds Like Segment: Before You Buy CBD Oil Online, Ask These Questions Share Segment: Shari Luckey - “Living in the shadows with Mild Hemophilia” Comment Segment: Update on Shire Injunction Filing on Roche/Genentech Court Rules on Shire/Roche Preliminary Injunction Interview Segment: Laurie Kelley BloodFeed: https://www.bloodfeed.com Connect with BloodStream: Email mailbag@bloodstreammedia.com Find all of our bleeding disorders podcasts on BloodStreamMedia.com BloodStream Facebook Page BloodStream Twitter Account Subscribe to BloodStream: iTunes: http://bit.ly/bloodstreamitunes Stitcher: http://bit.ly/bloodstreamstitcher LibSyn: http://bit.ly/bloodstreamlibsyn SoundCloud: http://bit.ly/bloodstreamSC TuneIn: http://bit.ly/bloodstreamtunein Google Play: http://bit.ly/bloodstreamPlay Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2nNPhui
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