Greetings and Happy New Year!

January 2, 2004

I'm sorry I missed sending you a story last week. My family and I were in Santiago, Chile distributing wheelchairs for Christmas. Santiago has 1100 of our wheelchairs now!

Before we arrived in Santiago, FEDES (the organization we partner with in Chile) asked various agencies for help them locate handicapped people. In Huechuraba, a suburb of Santiago, the police helped us find Sarah's home. Sarah is 70, and she became immobile years ago as an outcome of pneumonia. As we chatted with Sarah and her son Steven, we learned that Sarah's mother Maria (88 years old) lives in a room down the hall of Sarah's house. Maria is blind and also cannot walk. For years they talked to each other by shouting through the walls of their house, as it is difficult for Steven to drag them to the same room.

It just so happened that we had a truck load of wheelchairs out in the street! With great happiness we wheeled in one more. (The family was completely overwhelmed, as our visit was a surprise.)

The attached photo shows Sarah, Maria, Steven and our policeman guide. Now the two ladies can spend hours together in the same room, and Steven will gain some freedom in his life too!

If you know anyone who will appreciate these weekly stories, let me know their email address.

God bless,

Don Schoendorfer