Day 10 - Friday (Wheels in Elburgon 2016)
‘Food, glorious food’, might sum up the day, which started as usual with a walk to the Centre taking in more local sights and sounds along the way. Pastor Davis had indicated that there were to be no more clients, but when you arrive and find clients waiting, who had travelled several hours hoping to receive a mobility aid, what can you say? We therefore unexpectedly set to work again...
There were 10 wheelchairs left over from the previous day, so we were able to give out 2 more chairs. Sometimes you have to appear cruel to be kind, and one lady did not need a wheelchair as it would impede her independence. Jill gave her a rollator, complete with a seat which would enable her to stop and sit down if she needed a rest, and a pair of elbow crutches to use indoors. Initially she was disappointed but after discussing the issues she realised it was a better option for her than being reliant on someone to push her in an attendant propelled wheelchair.
Meanwhile Gunn was seeing a paraplegic lady who had spent many years confined to her house and then a young lady with polio crawled through the gate having been on her hands and knees for years. She needed a self propelling wheelchair and the one selected was almost made to measure so only needed padding on one foot rest. She left with a huge smile and grateful thanks, pushing herself along the pot-holed road. Roy, meantime was mending a young lad’s wheelchair which needed the brakes, wheels and footplates repaired. Although the boy had come hoping for a new wheelchair there were no small chairs left so the toolbox, which had been checked and packed away last night, was opened and modifications made to the rickety frame.
Pastor Davis was keen for the local hospital to receive some equipment, so 3 wheelchairs, 2 rollators and 10 pairs of elbow crutches were loaded into hospital transport and we followed in cars. The team were greeted by the Medical Director and the Heads of all the departments crammed into a small room. More tables and chairs kept coming through the door and before long it was evident that we were going to have more than a cup of coffee which Pastor Davis had requested! What do you do when you are given 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 samozas and a cold sausage on a plate in front of you when you were expecting a drink; eat it gratefully, of course, whilst listening to each member of staff introduce their department. We then handed over the equipment before touring the hospital, including the new operating theatre which they hope to open later this month. In the pharmacy we wondered if they had many pills to distribute as the shelves were so empty. Why do we complain about the NHS and the facilities we use as, compared with that hospital, it is fabulous?
We returned to the Centre to find that the ladies had prepared a delicious lunch so we filled our plates again and shared a meal together before a debrief evaluation meeting with our partners under Pastor Davis’ leadership. Everyone contributed one thing they had learnt or received from working together and the overall message was that our faith had been strengthened as God had done ‘exceedingly more than we could ask or think’ – to Him be the glory. A huge thank you to everyone who has joined us through prayer – we were very conscious that the Lord was protecting, strengthening and enabling the Team to fulfil the task. Praise the Lord!
We returned to the hotel to prepare for a Farewell Supper at Pastor Davis’ house – a magnificent spread with 6 different national dishes, fresh fruit, followed by a delicacy of spiced chicken and rounded off by a sweet biscuit. Wow – truly a gastronomic day! It was great to spend time relaxing together with his family and their hospitality was generous in the extreme.