Ashtead Charity Fair 2010

While the Wheels team were busily fitting wheelchairs in Nyeri, Kenya, the Ashtead fundraising team were raising money, this year totalling £643.09, at the Worldwide Charities Fair at St George’s Christian Centre. Michael from the TTR office manned the awareness stand while the team of faithful volunteers encouraged people to spend their money on the enticing chocolate, soft toy and bottle tombolas. “There is always a great atmosphere at the Fair”, says Karen Goodridge, Ashtead Churches Representative for Wheels for the World, “it’s a place to come together to support many great charities – support for ‘Wheels’ continues to grow stronger each year.

Nyeri, Kenya 2010 - Day 8

By Wheels team member, Phil Green...

The longest day !

Where do I start... Eeek. I have been heartbroken today several times for various reasons, but the day started at the now normal time of 8:30 and there were people already lined up waiting for chairs.

We were constantly busy through the morning but things got even busier in the afternoon as more and more people turned up. It seemed like the message had just got out that we had arrived and you can almost picture a car boot sale type environment. Through the week many of those that didn't register which is a real shame, but for those who didn't register there were at least 2 people that turned up anyway.

We eventually did run out of children's chairs and eventually had to turn some away. That was heartbreaking. It's also heartbreaking some of the children that we did give chairs too. I often hold back the tears and just get on with the job but it's after when I reflect on it that I am often overcome with sadness.

I feel helpless really, I know I am reminded that we are making a difference but for me and the person I am it's often hard for me to see that no matter how hard I work or how many chairs I fix or modify.

Maureen had a lad that was almost stretched out like a board we presume with cerebral palsy. In the UK Maureen said to me that it wouldn't ever get that bad as we had so many more medical options. Wilson was his name and he often would smile at us. We did what we could with fitting him in a chair it wasn't idea but it was the best we could do. His neck was almost 90 degrees to his body so he would spend many a day looking at the sky. Prayer again was the only other thing we can and could do.

It's not just the children and one chap who came in, well I should say crawled in, pulled a heart string. He was looking for a 3 wheeler chair which is chain driven. Imagine bike pedals on a bike's handle bar which drives the front wheel and steers. I have seen a few he and also also last year in Ghana. We don't have those however and he didn't want a normal chair. He asked if we could do anything to help his knees.

His knees were hard and calloused and he wondered if we could do anything to help. I couldn't imagine crawling round the UK on my knees let alone here where there are no pavements or in many cases roads but there are many rocks and stones.

We looked at various things but we struggled to find a way of fixing anything to his legs. I had so kneepads on and would have loved to give them to him but they didn't fit. In the end all we could suggest was he try and find some old car tyres and use them in combination with the straps and foam we gave him. He had asked if we had anything for his hands and so I was able to give away a pair of work gloves I had. I still felt again helpless. In my heart I was desperate to do more. In the end I did what I should do more and prayed for him. God's a much better wheelchair and people fixer than I'll ever be and I am grateful for that. Perhaps it's a lesson for me in faith. i.e. Must have more !

I went on to help another chap with some callipers. Those who don't know what they are they are essentially braces used on the legs like a skeletal metal frame. I'm not an expert of course. I did what I could to help fix them but as some of the metal was broken we had nothing to repair it as we don't have welding equipment. Again prayer was my only answer here. He did say he may be able to find a place who could weld so I explained what I think could be done to repair it.

As the day went on the queue seemed to get longer and longer and at about 4/5 pm there were still about 30 people in line from what I understand.

The sun went down and yet still we carried on. Finding wheel chairs in the dark isn't easy !
In the end as the last people left strapping wheelchairs to the tops of cars, Brian, Roy and myself were the last of the team there and we stood looking at the stars waiting for Jane to return to take us back to the guest house. It was 8:35 when we checked our watches on the way back.

We reflected in the day over dinner and our evening meeting. Lots if things came into my head .... Too many really and I was exhausted and overwhelmed. At the same time I have been heartbroken with something at home and I felt broken. But maybe that's what God wanted (I'm fairly sure of it now) I need to rely on him and not on myself.
I struggle to let go of things too so when I see such need my heart is always affected but I struggle with it and I guess feel guilty in some way. It's a fine balance to find for me being compassionate without feeling completely helpless or guilty.

Glenda and I were up till about 12 and as always she's great to me and really helped me with what I was feeling and struggling with. So the day was a long one.
I'll write a summary tomorrow of day 9 probably at the airport but please pray for our safe return to the UK.

Glenda and I will sort some chairs out in the morning and the rest of the team are off to Nairobi shopping where we will meet them later.

It's going to be another long day.

Nyeri, Kenya 2010 - Day 7

An emotional blog today, from Wheels team member Phil Green:

It's been really hard today both physically and emotionally for myself as well as others.
There were a lot of children today and it's a lot to deal with. I often found myself close to tears during the day but managed to keep going.

We finished at almost 7pm today and by that time I couldn't keep back the tears.
The combination of being exhausted and seeing those children was just too much for me.  Some other things were also bothering me and it reminds us that even when you're out on a trip life doesn't stop at home and sometimes you have to deal with things from thousands of miles away.

I got even more upset when Glenda had explained about a little girl near the end of the day that Rachel was helping.  She was tiny for her age and was HIV positive.  From what I understand her mother had suggested she was going to leave the little girl as she couldn't cope. Thankfully she didn't but it blew my mind just thinking about the situation.
Rachel was obviously upset by this and it again reminds me of the needs of some of the people here in Kenya.
Sometimes it's really challenging for me as a Christian to deal with the things I see.  Yes deep down I know God's in control but it makes me wonder and question what's gone wrong. Yes I know it's not God's fault, it's the sin of man but I hope you understand what i mean. I am just praying for that child and I want to see miracles.

We went out for dinner with the board of directors for the hospice and got back quite late so I'll try and keep this a short update:

The team really did an incredible job today.   I believe there were about 71 people we saw today up on the average of around 50.  Roy was mastering the art of wood work again and for the first time we had to recharge the cordless drill in the middle of the day, which shows how much we used it today.

It's a privilege to work with such a team who gets on with things as best they can with what they have available. The choice of wheelchairs is now very restricted as we only have certain sizes of chairs left. I am praying we won't have many children tomorrow as we don't have many children's chairs left.

Glenda had one gentleman who really needed a reclining chair and of course God provided that one chair (the only recliner we had) so I have to keep faith in Hhim. I need to think more about God's plan and will and less about mine.

Right it's 11:45pm so that's my update for today.
Our last day of the distribution tomorrow then Friday will be packing up and flying back home.

Thanks for those praying for the team... They are really appreciated.

Nyeri, Kenya 2010 -- Day 6

Day 6 already. Still not sure what day or time it is half the time but the time seems to fly by even though we are starting at about 8:30 and finishing after 6. We are so busy through the day that you lose track of time.

We have had around 51 wheel chairs out the door today. We are finding that some of those registered have not been turning up but others who haven't registered are turning up. I was thinking that it's such a shame for those that have registered if they miss out on a chair. There has been heavy rain in the area and we know that some people have struggled to get to the hospice where we are based, so that could well be one of the reasons.

Glenda returned today and was telling us about her time away. She had a variety of meetings and engagements and for one she had to wait for hours for one dignitary. That's seems to be African timekeeping again.

She mentioned at one event where she was speaking there was another group there called the jolly blind group, and even though its sad we had to smile at the name and I was hoping they were jolly and blind and not just jolly blind.

In all seriousness though I have been touched by lots of things that I see and hear. Whilst I may not show it that openly I have shed more than one tear here. ( and another few just now writing this ) Writing this blog reminds me of why I am here as even though my life is in a bit of a muddle at the moment back at home, I just want to help people who are less fortunate that me. I'm divorced and don't have children but I love kids and that's what really touches me the most.

We have been talking about why we are here, no not here on earth, but why we are on the trip. I have thought about why I am here quite deeply although I am still not 100% sure. Is there some selfishness in it... Maybe.. I like helping people. Some may say that's selflessness but if it gives you a buzz then maybe it's not.
For me being real about it, I love to help people if I can in a practical way. I was blessed in being born in the UK and having a good up bringing, is that just luck I don't know but I know that I am grateful to God for it ( I should thank him more though!). I'm not a preacher and far from being a saint but at least I can do something practical to help. That's what the team are doing bringing practical skills and doing what we can to help.

We see stuff about Africa and other other countries in need on the news quite often but when you see things for real it's different, you really believe it. Well I do anyway.
I know Glenda was saddened by what she saw yesterday and it's another thing about Wheels trips, you need to prepare for the emotional element. For me at least it's tough. Perhaps that's another reason to come, to humble yourself.

All but Gunn were brilliant again. Gunn on the other hand was amazing ( there's an in house joke in that so if you know Gunn you can ask her when she gets back).
There were some challenging modifications for some chairs today but the wood that Roy procured the other day has really helped. The tools we have brought with us have really helped too.

At the end of the day one lady had an old wheel chair and we didn't have a chair that was ideal for her. However rather than being disheartened she simply said not to worry she would wait till next time. Even when we said that could be a year or two, she simply said she would be OK as she had faith. There was my lesson for today in faithfulness !

Right.. It's time for bed now as it's 10:15 here and we have the same early-ish start.
If you're praying for us, please pray for Maureen as she's a little under the weather and came home early to get some rest. I'm praying that she will be recovered for the morning.

Our Integr8 teams have been busy...

Two trips this year saw 'young disabled role models'  take part in short term mission trips, alongside other team members, to help inspire a spirit of inclusion within schools and churches in Uganda and Guatemala.

Sixteen year old James has put together a great presentation of his experiences in Uganda which, along with 'Guatemala in words and pictures', gives a real flavour of what our Integr8 mission trips involve.

Both presentations may be found on our youth site.

Nyeri, Kenya 2010 - Day 5

Wheels team member Phil Green continues to blog despite lack of sleep!

Day 5 (well an addendum to day 4 also.)

Day 5 didn't start so well for me as a plumbing issue meant I was up till about 1am trying to fix a leaking toilet.  With no one around and Roy asleep I did what I could with the only tools I had available. Duct tape and my hands!

I temporally sorted the issue then tried to sleep only to be woken by Roy who had woken up on day 5 and tried to fix the issue.  In the end I managed to find the stopcock outside the building and stemmed the flow of water and the management of the guest house have managed to get it sorted I can report. I'll tell you something though -  Chris and Pam have a nicer shower than Roy and I... They were kind enough to let me use it whilst ours was out of action.

Day 5 was a busy day though. It's hard work trying to remember what you have worked on but there were lots of children today.  Lots of modifications to chairs and buggies.  Roy worked his magic with some foam and also some chipboard we got to help some children who had cerebral palsy. ( I think that's how it's spelt - I'm ok with a screwdriver but spelling was never my strong point )

I remember cutting down a crutch for a gent who spent his life on his knees.  I remember shortening some crutches in a similar way in Ghana last year so the experience paid off.

Brian did a great job fitting a makeshift headrest to a children's pushchair.  He broke a few drill bits I believe and got a little frustrated with it but his persistence paid off.  One of the things about wheels trips that I learned very quickly is that persistence usually pays off and if one way doesn't work then trying something else will usually get the job done in the end.

The OTs as always did a fantastic job and were often doing fittings for two people at once as we helped modify some of the chairs.

I didn't see much of Pam today but I am sure as always she was being a great blessing by ministering to those who got their chairs.

A late finish today at around 6:15 or so we headed back in the pouring rain. ( when it rains here it rains hard !)

I missed Glenda though - having her around is somewhat reassuring for me... Not sure why ( hope she doesn't read that bit!) but it will be nice to have her back tomorrow hopefully.

I had to hold back the tears today several times.. ( for those who know me I may look tough on the outside and I can be a little sarcastic with my dry sense of humour ) but seeing some of the children really just made me want to cry. I feel so fortunate yet I sort of feel helpless. Ok I can help fix their chairs but i feel like i want to do more.  I'm glad God's in control since I'm certainly not...  I must pray for them - something that I'll admit I am not great at.

For those reading this who haven't been on a trip if your heart isn't softened by some of the things you see you must be a rock.   I remember last year my best friend suggested I go away again as it seemed to make me more humble.

Please pray for the team as I don't think I am alone with these feelings and it does take a lot out of you emotionally.

Anyway.  Time for dinner now.
Then for me I'll try and get an early night as I need to catch up on some sleep.

Nyeri, Kenya 2010 - Day 4

Phil Green, Wheels team 'techie' writes:

Rest day...  With a more leisurely start this morning we headed to Nanyuki for a church service at the Vineyard church there.  The service was done in English but translated into Swahili. I met a new friend, about 3 years old I guess who sat on my lap for half the service and enjoyed pulling the hairs on my arms, since most Africans don't have long hair, so he thought it was fascinating.

After a great time of worship we embarked on a spot of Safari in the Sweetwaters conservancy. Being my first safari it was an amazing experience. We saw a multitude of animals including wild boar, buffalo, hyenas, water buck, all types of antelope and gazelles, a giraffe and elephants. Brian was keeping us all up to speed on the multitude of birds there also.

We were lucky enough to see a female lion catching some prey and before we left I even managed to feed and stroke a black rhino so a pretty good rest day I'd say.

Tomorrow it's back to work though and still plenty more wheel chairs to be fitted.

Nyeri, Kenya 2010 - Day 3

Wheels team member and 'blogger' Phil Green writes:

An earlier start to the day in order that those working at the hospice could finish early since it is supposed to be their day off.  For me to be honest I didn't even know it was Saturday I lost track of time but that's ok.

The morning started with a slightly unhappy wheelchair owner. We had helped fit a chair for him the day before but after some time in the chair he wanted a different chair. It's really hard as from what we could understand he had seen a different chair somewhere else and that had put him off the chair we had fitted for him.  In the end though we managed to find another chair which fitted the bill.

For some of the morning Glenda and I started sorting out all the wheelchairs into types and sizes...  For those who don't know there are SPs (self propelled) and APs (attendant propelled), the SPs having large wheels.  Then they are sized by width although chairs do vary in seat death also. I'm getting better at remembering the colour coding of the chairs but it does take time.  Brian also helped for a while and eventually we managed to get everything organised so the OTs could get the chairs they needed much faster.

I felt the afternoon went really fast but I was working on lots of different chairs, fixing lap belts, making various adjustments and even shortening some old crutches.  The team just works as they say.  In a way it looks like a production line I guess and the OTs manage the process, finding out the needs and requirements of each recipient then measuring and selecting the chairs etc.  As a techie I feel like I have the easy bit just delivering what the OTs want although it's quite often a team effort to make things work.

We finished early and some of us decided to walk the 2km home or there about.  It's fascinating to experience a different country. We do tend to stand out and attract a little bit of attention but sometimes that's allowed me to use the handful of  Swahili words I have been trying to pick up.

So Day 3 comes to an end.  
Tomorrow we have church in the morning and then off to Sweetwater in the afternoon for a bit of Safari.  Well it is our day off.  I think we are all a little excited about seeing some Kenyan wildlife.

Glenda will be heading off for some meetings and coming back on Tuesday morning so we will miss her but I'm praying the meetings and her travel arrangements all go well.

Nyeri, Kenya 2010 - Day 2

By Nyeri Wheels Team member Phil Green:

The day started about 8 this morning for breakfast... Well for most - I took my time and sneaked in for breakfast at 8:30.

We were at the hospice for about 9 o'clock ready for our first recipients who were already queued up.  For the techies in the team it initially feels like you're stood around doing not much but that only lasts a short time till the OT's (occupational therapists) bring their first challenges.

Some may be simple requests, fitting a lap belt or adjusting the foot rests but usually things don't stay simple.  I did notice Brian and Roy working on quite a lot of push chairs or children's wheel chairs. They both did a great job and some of the tools Brian brought came in really handy.

I helped with a few interesting jobs, my most memorable was repairing a prosthetic leg.  It was a little surreal walking into our work area with a leg in the middle of it without its owner.  The rivets we had came in handy fixing this one and it was reunited with its grateful owner.

Glenda and I also worked on modifying a chair to fit a young man whose knees were bent up into a position actually behind his back. I am always amazed/shocked and saddened by some of the deformities I see.
Its even harder when you have time to reflect on what you have seen and really quite humbling when you realise how lucky you are not to be in the same position. I felt really privileged and grateful to God to be in a position to do something to help.  We managed to modify the chair by making a padded backboard to offer the right support.

At about 6 o'clock as dusk fell we finished off and headed back to the guest house.  
Another good meal and then time together as a team to reflect on the day and share experiences.  We are all really thankful for your prayers and support - we are also praying for our friends and family whilst we are here.

As I write this before I go to sleep I'm reminded again about how good God is to us and thankful for the things he provides.  Pam also shared that the faces of those who she ministered to today would light up with joy at the sound of Gods name.... Certainly gave me food for thought.

So time for bed now..
Earlier start tomorrow means breakfast at 7:30... Or maybe 8 for me.

Nyeri, Kenya 2010 - Day 1

By Phil Green
Day 1

An uneventful but generally good overnight flight kicked off the proceedings. A few of the team managed to get a few hours sleep but some including myself got none.
On arrival in Nairobi we set off in convoy to Nyeri. Traffic not as bad as we expected but the quality of the roads in some places were interesting to say the least, lots of pot holes and some equally interesting driving techniques, but this is Africa and we got to the hospice safe and sound.

After a brief pit stop at our guest house and a quick power nap for some we headed back to the hospice to set up and organise for the next day.
The rain came down joined with some thunder and lightening and I thought it was going to be like Ghana from last year (hot and dry) but this is supposed to be rainy season. Thankfully we packed waterproofs.

Jane and I headed into town to get some foam with some local help (thanks Christine) highlighted the local retail customs, offering one price then when returning with money increasing the prices. Thankfully the was more than one supplier of foam here so we ended up with a slightly better price.

Returning to the hospice to finish off then head back to the guest house.
The adventure continued as the power is out at the moment. We ate by candle light and have been sat around an open fire as there is a slight chill in the air.

Just this second when it's just about time for bed the power has returned. I think the ladies are relieved as they all seem to want showers for some reason.

So we are praying for some rest and that tomorrow will all go really smoothly... So thats day one. Thanks to God for keeping the team all safe and providing everything we need.