Hi, everyone,

This is low-tech Sue, your friendly neighborhood underdeveloped blogger taking a turn for the team tonight!!  Today was our first day of distribution and boy, I wish you could all have been flies on the wall!  Actually, let me re-word that!  You could have just come as yourself and entered right into the work with us!  You would have loved it!!  There's nothing quite like being right smack dab in the middle of what our awesome God is doing!!!

The first day is always a bit hectic and everyone learns to work together but overall it was an excellent day and we give praise and honor to our God, whose name was lifted on high again and again and again!  From the moment the families came through the door, God's love was being demonstrated in a variety of ways, and this continued throughout the entire process.  It was amazing to be involved in such an unmistakable movement of God, as therapists, mechanics, support people, and translators all converged with the goal of meeting a temporary need in order to offer an opportunity to have an eternal need met!

Thirty-nine chairs were fitted to clients today--an awesome number for a first day with its bumps and trials.  Way to go, team!!  At times, clients were literally worked with for HOURS as the chosen chair was customized and adjusted.  By the time each family had been loved on throughout this process, they were ready to hear a clear presentation of the gospel, and guess what!  Fifteen people accepted the message of God's love expressed in our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!!  Praise His name!!  You do know that He DIED so that this could happen, right?!!!!  We are thrilled to join God in His amazing work of drawing hearts to Himself!

Gotta close soon but let me tell you a couple of favorite moments shared by the therapists tonight.  One client who received a chair today looked at her mother with great joy and said, "Mom!  We can go for a walk!"  Isn't that precious?

Another story is of a 16-yr-old young man who was injured in an accident four years ago and is a quadriplegic now.  He arrived very depressed and disengaged with anything around him.  As the therapist and her team worked with him, they told him Joni's story and about how young she was when she became a quadriplegic.  They helped him physically and emotionally in every way they could, letting God's love flow through them.  Then when he and his family went to the evangelism station after the chair was finished, this young man accepted Christ!  Let's pray that he will truly sense that God has a purpose for his life--a wonderful purpose!!

I thought you would like knowing a couple of personal stories from the day.  We are so thankful for your interest in what God is doing and we are glad that He has allowed us to come and be a part of His wonderful work!

Time to sleep.  Keep praying for us, please!

For the team,

Susan Cross (translator)