Sunday November 9, 2014 / update on Amman, Jordan trip

Hi everyone, I am so excited to be able to share with you this morning. I recently had the opportunity to travel to Amman Jordan on a mission trip to use my skills as a physical therapist to help fit people with wheelchairs. And from the moment I arrived, I felt that God was at work. The first day I was there, I was blessed with the opportunity to teach some Jordanians who work with people with disabilities. My heart broke as they shared with me about how disabilities are viewed in Jordan, and that children with disabilities are shunned and are very rarely even taken out of their homes. My team leader shared a little bit about how to start changing the cultural view of disabilities, encouraging these workers to band together to start addressing the problems. I feel like some great connections were made that day and hope that they felt the love of Jesus come through us as we sat and listened to their hearts. The next 5 days involved wheelchair distribution, when each day we were challenged again and again to provide the most appropriate chairs for those that came to receive one. Miraculously God provided just the right chair for each patient and our team delivered 346 chairs!

Although we could not explicitly share the gospel with each patient because of security concerns, I know God was working through our actions. Before we started each day we prayed over all the chairs that those receiving these chairs would also be somehow touch by the love of Jesus. A local Lebanese pastor who understood the culture was also there, and he was able to discern with certain patients when he could share more openly about Jesus. Every night at devotionals, he told us many stories of patients and families thanking us for helping them and let us know that many said we were a gift from God. I believe they saw the love of Jesus in our actions and God was glorified. Finally, I had the the opportunity to meet some Iraqi and Syrian refugees while in Jordan. Their stories of persecution and being forced to leave their homes, country and all their possessions behind as a result of their Christian faith are astonishing, and we need to be praying for them. Please join me today in remembering our persecuted brothers and sisters, praying that they continue to stay strong as they now are refugees of war.

I am so grateful God gave me the privilege and skills to help so many people in Jordan, and I want to personally thank you for joining me in prayer and support as I went on this journey. Please continue to pray for these patients, that they will truly receive the love of Jesus as they roll around in their new chairs. I would love to share more individual stories with you, so please come talk to me after the service if you want to hear more. Thank you again for your support and God bless you!