By Roxanne Weinheber, Member of an Operation Christmas Child Distribution Team
August, 2013—Over the course of my life, I have never seen faith in Jesus Christ like I’ve seen in Costa Rica during this Operation Christmas Child distribution trip.
One day, rather than distributing gift-filled shoe boxes, we were shown another side of Samaritan’s Purse-we helped with a wheelchair distribution!
With their partner in Costa Rica, Samaritan’s Purse International donates wheelchairs to people in need every year. We had the privilege and honor of helping assemble and give away five of them!
I was touched by the people that we were able to serve:
An 81-year-old lady without legs; a six-year-old boy with disabilities who had never had a wheelchair; a 12-year-old girl with cerebral palsy,and a 71-year-old man with disabilities.
We helped assemble and fit the chairs properly for each person in need. The love and appreciation on their faces are memories that will be forever etched in my mind.
The 12-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, for example, was so excited. Though she couldn’t speak, I could see that she was overjoyed by her movement and sounds. And the tears that her mother cried showed the full extent of their gratitude.
Six-year-old John was fitted into a new chair for the very first time. For his entire childhood, he had been using a stroller, which didn’t suit his needs and had become too small for the growing boy. I could sense the joy and love of God for John, while we watched the precious little boy receive the wheelchair that he so desperately needed.
I was totally overwhelmed.
I wish that everyone reading this blog could have taken the journey with me. What a humbling experience! I couldn’t help but ponder how much we have in our lives, and how much we take for granted every day. Every day of the trip, I experienced the truth of Scripture, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:25, NIV).
I hope you all find a place for Costa Rica in your hearts, and I hope that each of you will prayerfully consider joining the work of Samaritan’s Purse. Your gifts are desperately needed and make a difference in the lives of impoverished people around the world!
Your donation to Medical Care Projects helps Samaritan’s Purse Canada meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable people around the world providing funds for life-saving medical equipment and surgical assistance, disease prevention initiatives and community health programs and training opportunities. We also offer spiritual support and eternal hope by meeting these critical needs while sharing the love of Christ.