New walkers bound for Haitian amputees
I’ve always loved reading Gospel stories about Jesus healing the lame.
There is something that moves me to the core when I read that Jesus told a paralytic to get up, pick up his mat and go home.
To imagine the joy that man must have felt and the blessings his four friends felt for getting him to Jesus…
Wow.
In less dramatic fashion, yet still life-changing in nature, I and several others are poised to experience the four friends’ blessing.
When a cargo shipment to Port-au-Prince arrives in a couple of weeks, 120 Haitian amputees will receive a life-changing blessing because of how God moved my heart and the hearts of several others for the purpose of helping the earthquake victims.
More than 105 of the amputees will receive folding aluminum walkers and 15 of the stronger victims will receive sets of aluminum crutches.
All of them will receive the blessing of mobility that is absolutely essential in an impoverished nation without sidewalks, without welfare, without Medicaid, public transportation and now with vastly fewer resources to help the infirm.
You can see pictures below of the purchase and preparations for shipment and visit our Facebook page about the effort.
The Lord has been stirring my heart toward this effort for weeks. I solicited help from a number of sources, but saw little response as many people inclined to help were already giving in other ways.
But then the Lord helped me last week to track down 100 still-boxed walkers in a town about two hours away.
The $65 walkers were way more expensive than I could ever hope to raise funds for and so I prayed before making my appeal that the store owner sell them at $10 each so that we could ship them to Haiti.
God is amazing. He moved the store owner’s heart to agree.
But the owner said the deal was only good for two days.
This was a test of faith for Lori and me.
We knew that we couldn’t get $1,000 in hand from donations in that short of a period.
We also knew that we couldn’t let this opportunity pass to buy $6,500 of walkers for $1,000.
Discouraged amputees wondering how they will get to the market or to church or to loved one’s homes or to wherever NEEDED these walkers and failure to act would mean that the price would go up and fewer walkers would be purchased.
So, trusting that God would resupply our checking account balance pushed dangerously low by this purchase, we bought the walkers.
This was not just an opportunity for us but it was also a test of our trust in God since I’ve not received a paycheck for months.
Graciously, God has stirred the hearts of some toward sharing the cost — and the blessing — with us. Making generous donations have been graphic artist Curt Oxford, radio talk show host Rhett Palmer (1370 AM Vero Beach, FL) and Tom Michaels, owner of Champion Home Health Care.
And thank you, five Indian River County Rotary clubs, for agreeing to ship the walkers and crutches at no cost.
I’m confident that God will move more people to help with this effort, not just to replenish our funds so we can pay our bills but also for purchasing more walkers and crutches to aid the earthquake-crippled people in Haiti.
Perhaps God will move your heart to step out in faith so that more people can step into their future with confidence rather than sit in despair.
As you help — our address is below — you’ll not only be blessed by the knowledge of putting your faith into practice as a sign of worship to God, but you’ll also know that multiple lives in Haiti are being tangibly impacted by your sharing of what God has given to you.
The blessing felt by the four friends awaits you, dear friend.
Give to help the lame and the blessing will be yours.
And take it from me, it’s a keeper.
As always, I love you
Martin
Martin Drummond — 13570 Mystic Drive B-101 — Sebastian, FL 32958
In my garage after purchase
