Lord of our Schedule
Several years ago, Steve was beginning to wrap up his time in Bolivia. He was waiting on his last patient. It’s a great feeling when you are near the end of a trip, and you have been able to help everyone you set out to help. Nothing left undone. He knew he had just enough time to finish Domitilla before flying out and was anxious to get started.
Well, Domitilla arrived at the clinic door, but she wasn’t alone. On her way to the clinic, she saw a young woman in a wheelchair, missing not just one, but both legs, with a baby in her arms, and husband by her side. Apparently, they were on the side of the road waiting for a bus when Domitilla saw them and felt compelled to stop and bring them along to the clinic.
When Steve saw Domitilla and Martha both at the door, he knew immediately he had to find time in his schedule to get Martha walking as well. As he pushed Martha’s wheelchair into the clinic she was beaming with excitement at the thought of possibly being able to walk again. You see, it had been 9 years since she lost both legs and the tips of several fingers to a flesh-eating bacteria; and she had been confined to her wheelchair ever since.
Why our Ministry Exists
Martha shared her story and what life was like for her in a wheelchair. Mostly she was confined to her home. This is how it can be for the poor and disabled in Bolivia, overlooked by everyone, with no chance for help. Martha shared how she would wait for two to three hours for a bus to stop. No driver wanted to take the time to help a woman in a wheelchair board the bus. It would mean that either they would have to carry her, or she would have to get out of her wheelchair on her hands and knees to crawl on the bus. She had to depend on her husband and mother for help with most things. As Steve’s anger at the injustice of it was getting the most of him, the Lord gently reminded him that’s exactly why this ministry exists: to be advocates for some of the most invisible people, the poor and disabled, by helping them regain their mobility and showing them the love of Christ.
Being Part of God’s Grace
Martha is one of those rare people who always find joy in their circumstances. Even though her life had taken a drastic turn, she met and married her husband and had a baby, a daughter. Steve was so impressed by her optimistic spirit that he knew right away Martha would do well with prostheses, regardless of the challenges. He set right to work taking a casting and fabricating two new legs. This meant long days as time was short, but it was a labor of love.
After having been in a wheelchair for nine years, the day finally came for her fitting. Martha put on her new legs, and immediately tried to walk. She made great advances during that first fitting. What a joy it was seeing her walk out of the clinic the day of her final appointment. She never thought she would walk again, and now here she was, pushing her wheelchair out the door instead of riding in it herself!
While she used a walker for a while to gain stability, Martha has walked without assistance ever since. She has been back to the clinic several times for adjustments and some new parts, but she keeps on walking. She is overjoyed to be free from her wheelchair. In 2019, we were able to visit Martha at her home, it was amazing to see how well she was doing. Our oldest daughter, Jordyn, came along and actually made a short video that tells a bit about the clinic and features Martha and one other patient.
This past May Martha invited our family out to her home for a homemade Bolivian lunch. What a special treat the food was, homemade silpancho. This is a traditional Bolivian dish with rice, potatoes, meat and egg. It was delicious! Our youngest daughter, Remi, had so much fun playing with Martha’s daughter, Karlita. Although they had some language differences, laughter translates the same. As we traveled about 45 minutes outside the city, down a long, dusty and very uneven road, to get to her home, it struck me again the courage that this woman has. For nine years she was confined to a wheelchair, but she never gave up hope. She found joy in the midst of her circumstances and continues that today. She is an inspiration to me to keep moving forward.
Bolivian dish with rice, potatoes, meat and egg.
You may be wondering about Martha’s new feet. She is wearing two feet especially designed to offer more stability to bi-lateral patients, donated by College Park Industries. After getting used to walking, Steve made her legs with “normal” feet that she could wear with shoes. Needless to say, Martha was thrilled to be able to wear shoes again!