Wheelsblog – Uganda, Yumbe 2023: Blog 1

We've got a fantastic Wheels for the World team in Yumbe, Uganda for the next ten days. Jill, one of the team members, is reporting back with regular blogs. Here's the first report, looking at the trip and the days of set up. Please continue to pray for and support the team, as they wait for the wheelchair container to arrive, and begin their preparations.

Yumbe Blog 1 (Days one to three) May 2–4th 2023

The long 3 day journey is finally over and our team is complete with Enos joining us from Zanzibar. Our hotel in Yumbe was a welcome destination after two days travelling from Entebbe in a minibus, initially over fast tarmac but latterly experiencing the bumps and potholes of unmade roads. As the scenery changed from city to smaller towns and eventually mud hut villages scattered amongst vast landscapes of open country, we were being immersed in the sounds and sights of Ugandan life. So many contrasts from life at home; women carrying huge bowls of fruit on their heads, young children pumping water into large plastic bottles, boys cycling with piles of sticks on the back of their bikes and men chatting in groups under trees. David, our pastor, has met people who told him “we love the whites that you come here to help us”, and another said that attitudes towards disability are shifting by the work that is being done. Praise God, but there is still much to do and we are a small link into a very long chain.

Today we were delayed at the ferry crossing for two hours so we soaked up the atmosphere of the local community and ‘got into the zone’! The riverside scenery was stunning, with great clumps of reeds and rushes being swept along the river showing that the current was quite strong, whilst cows, goats and the occasional baboon crossed our path. Ladies are frying fish over an open fire and cooking mandizi (deep fried scone) so we decided to have some for lunch. As the sun was hot we found shade under a tree where children were playing. Almost immediately a young girl of 8 came out from nowhere with some plastic chairs – a totally spontaneous ‘from the heart’ gesture – which we acknowledged by giving them some puppets. Soon fingers were placed in the arms and suddenly these knitted items came with life with smiles all round as Lucie and David encouraged play activities and story telling.

Soon we were back into the minibus with the most challenging road conditions ahead of us. Thankfully it did not rain, unlike yesterday when the storm was so severe the windscreen wipers were blown off, so the luggage on the roof was dry and the road was hard but very dusty. We are meeting our Hope Health Action Partners tomorrow to make alternative plans as our container has not arrived at the Bidibidi Refugee Camp yet. Please continue to pray that God will help us to enrich the lives of those clients awaiting a mobility aid.

Follow this link to the second blog post

News Release: Finding funding for an accessible church

4th May 2023

Disability charity Through the Roof has created a webpage to show churches and ministries where to find funding for building work to improve disabled access. It’s available now on their website and at this link: https://bit.ly/ObtainFunding

Katie Mobbs from Through the Roof shares: “I’m a Christian, and a wheelchair user. It can be challenging to access some church buildings in my wheelchair, as many have steps, heavy doors and fixed pews that limit access. Many churches want to open up their buildings more for disabled people but are not sure where to start. That’s why I’m excited about our webpage about funding for access improvements! I’d love all churches to know there are funding bodies that want to help – so please do visit the webpage and tell others about it.”

“My own church is really positive about disability inclusion and it is wonderful that they want to make sure everyone is able to have full accessibility and a chance to belong in church. We know that finances are tight for churches currently – so it is more important than ever to know how to get funds.”

Making your church more accessible is a journey – you don’t have to get everything right straight away. Just get started and remember that small things can make a big difference.

Here are some key tips from the webpage about finding funding:

There are many different funding organisations for churches such as the National Churches Trust or the Benefact Trust – many offer advice as well as sources of funding.
If your church building is used for community activities, ensure you flag that to funders – many more funds are available for community-used buildings than for church-use alone.
Building work to provide access for disabled people is zero-rated for VAT – make sure you get an appropriate certificate to give to your builder so you don’t pay VAT.

Through the Roof helps churches and Christian ministries become accessible, providing ...

a FREE 2 hour Zoom Disability Awareness workshop for churches who appoint a disability champion or ‘Roofbreaker’
access to our free downloadable ‘Church Toolkit’ and 'Removing Barriers' church accessibility audit, available to all Roofbreaker disability champions
ongoing support, monthly emails, events, Facebook and Roofbreaker Networks.

Find out how your church can be blessed by the full involvement of disabled people at: https://throughtheroof.org/forchurches/

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About Through the Roof

Through the Roof is a Christian disability inclusion charity whose name is inspired by the Bible account in Luke 5. Our mission is to transform lives through Jesus with disabled people. We do this through three distinct but interlinked elements:

Enabling Faith: Equipping churches and Roofbreakers (local disability champions) to enable disabled people to participate and belong in Christian life.
Bringing Freedom: The ‘Wheels for the World’ project provides disabled people in developing countries with wheelchairs and Bibles.
Sharing Fellowship: Our Christian-focused accessible holidays, retreats and groups bring fun and friendships for all.

Visit www.throughtheroof.org or @TTRChangesLives on social media.

For more information please contact:
Janet Eardley (janet@throughtheroof.org) or
Annette Stuart (annette@throughtheroof.org)
Through the Roof
Alpha House, Alpha Place,
Garth Road,
Morden, Surrey, SM4 4TQ
Tel: 01372 749955 www.throughtheroof.org

Wheels in Kerala, India 2023 – Blog 6

Kerala Mission Daily Diary – Day 6 (21st March 2023 to end)
The Wheels for the World team are hard at work in Kerala, India until the 25th March, changing lives through the free gift of a wheelchair or other mobility aid. Here, Peter, a member of the team, tells us about the final few days of the trip...

As our mission in India came to an end we thanked God again for our incredible experiences, invaluable learnings and rich blessings that will stay with us always.

Our memories will indeed live on - of so many amazing, differently abled people whose stories were, simultaneously, both heartbreaking and uplifting. And each, without exception, was a life lesson in courage, resilience, boundless love and the devotion of families.

Over six unforgettable days there were so many highlights but we felt that perhaps our experience with the children of the ‘Little Servants of Divine Providence’ home for the disabled would remain one of the most memorable.

Among the more than one hundred children and a few adults being lovingly cared for by nuns and helpers were eight children in need of wheelchairs who our therapists carefully assessed to receive chairs of varying descriptions.

When we first arrived at the home these children, all with significant disabilities, were all lying down down on their beds most of the day, including at meal times. With such a lack of stimulation each appeared to have ‘shut down’ emotionally - sadly retreating into a tiny world of their own.

A mere few hours later, our therapists and technicians had finished preparing their chairs, and expertly ‘fitting’ the children into them. As each adjusted to the sense of being upright, of being truly aware of who and what was around them, the transformation in each child was as dramatic as it was so moving and gratifying.

These moments were the source of many tears of joy among the team because it was as if ‘light‘ had replaced ‘darkness’, their personalities slowly emerging and then shining brightly and their beaming smiles were infectious.

And we could not have hoped for a better way to complete our time at the children’s home, or indeed our broader mission, than to hear the wonderfully insightful, and completely unexpected, words spoken by one of the children to Sister Melini at that time. The child said “These days we have been sitting. Tomorrow onwards we are moving.”

And, finally, beyond all of the unforgettable experiences, we offered our ninety eight patients pastoral support, prayers and scriptures suited to their circumstances and needs.

We felt God’s hand in the constant stream of acceptances by so many - including lifelong Hindu followers - and we were delighted to gift to them a total of 35 traditional Bibles and 46 of the wonderful new Audio Bibles so generously donated to us and which proved so popular.

A mission to India truly blessed in every way.

Follow this link to the first post from the India 2023 Wheels trip

Restoration and Roofbreakers in Rwanda: The Spring 2023 Vital Link newsletter

Welcome to the Spring 2023 edition of the Vital Link newsletter.

Download your copy to:

Read all about our church inclusion trip to Rwanda
Find out about upcoming online events
Hear about 2023's Disability Awareness Sunday plans
Learn about upcoming international mission trips, holidays, volunteering opportunities, and much more.

Please contact us on 01372 749955 (or email info@throughtheroof.org) to get a copy in any other format.

Or read it onscreen here with the Joomag viewer...

Open publication - Free publishing

Wheels in Kerala, India 2023 – Blog 5

Kerala Mission Daily Diary – Day 5 (20th March 2023)
The Wheels for the World team are hard at work in Kerala, India until the 25th March, changing lives through the free gift of a wheelchair or other mobility aid. Here, Peter, a member of the team, tells us about the 5th day of the trip...

After our lovely day of worship and lunch with some delightful local people at Dr C V’s church it was time to return to the heart of our mission, serving the disabled of Kerala in God’s name.

It was, inevitably, another day of emotions running high as we worked to assess and help resolve to the best of our ability the needs of our patients who on this day ranged in age from two and a half years to an amazing lady of 98 years old !! And we also saw three others well into their 80’s.

Our therapists and technicians, as always, had to strive to design the best mobility aid for each patients circumstances. For example we saw Anamma, who had chronic kidney disease, Chandran who was partially paralysed, Ivan who had congenital heart disease, several amputees like Prasad, and so many others seeking our help to live their best lives.

Our audio Bibles again proved extremely popular and our pastoral care person, Susan, spent many hours sharing scriptures, praying and speaking Jesus into the hearts of many. And what a treat awaited us all as evening came around.

Dr C V had invited Archbishop Thomas to join us at this home for dinner and a more engaging, personable and down to earth person one could never wish to meet. The food, cooked by the doctor’s wife, Mary, was again delicious and around the table we discussed a wide range of topics – some that could be considered challenging in their nature….what potential there was, for example, for a woman to become an Archbishop.

It was such a tribute to his character that, without fail, he responded very openly, patiently and indeed comprehensively. He was indeed made in God’s image.

Again, what a day and what memories for each of us to treasure, always.

Wheels in Kerala, India 2023 – Blog 4

Kerala Mission Daily Blog – 19th March 2023

The Wheels for the World team are hard at work in Kerala, India until the 25th March, changing lives through the free gift of a wheelchair or other mobility aid. Here, Peter, a member of the team, tells us about the 4th day of the trip...

It was Sunday and we were feeling gratified about our achievements the previous day and refreshed at breakfast time as we recounted some of our highlights.
It was time then for us to attend Dr C V’s church – and what a wonderfully reflective and joyful time it turned out to be!

We were so warmly welcomed by all the pastors and congregation alike as we gathered outside and before long we were honoured with front row seats and both Through the Roof and each of us individually were introduced, welcomed again and thanked enthusiastically for our mission and all that it represented.

Naturally the majority of the service was in Hindi but the passion, the fervour, the love of God that was evident throughout was not lost on us. And the singing! It was from the heart, it filled the hall…it was a delightful surprise. Those of Welsh heritage (like this writer) who are renowned for their voices and love of singing would have loved it! We joined in as best we could and it more than made up for the language differences.

We all participated in the breaking of the bread and later our pastoral care person, Susan, gave an excellent devotion which was very skillfully translated by Dr C V. Our team leader, Martyn, who delivered an interesting and indeed inspiring talk, again translated by DR C V, drawing on stories from the Bible and his own life experiences, both before and after his acceptance of Jesus as his saviour.

And what a lunch the church had prepared for us – another time when we felt so honoured and appreciated. Once again we had many requests for photos to be taken with members of the congregation and the children who were clearly fascinated by our appearance being so different to what they were accustomed to locally.

After the service and lunch we were able to enjoy some personal time in the afternoon before meeting up in the evening for a delightful dinner infused with those unmistakeable and aromatic Indian spices.

Praise the Lord for another wonderfully memorable day.

Wheels in Kerala, India 2023 – Blog 2 & 3

Day 2 – 17th March 2023

It was with a touch of enthusiasm and pride that, after breakfast, we took the later arrivers from the day before to see the carefully sorted and positioned wheelchairs, the other mobility aids, tools etc. and the patient treatment areas.

Then it was time for a tour around the rest of the hospital which, everyone agreed, was far bigger that any of us had imagined, and meet more of the delightful and clearly very hard working staff. We of course attracted a lot of curious attention along the way – it is probably not often that a group of westerners like us are seen in a rural region like Kerala.

From there DR C V and his staff took us to the central office of his Sathyam Ministries, an imposing and impressive building with a huge collection of Christian books and other items that they sell to raise funds for their work.

We were so warmly welcomed by the staff and thoroughly enjoyed their fellowship, songs, devotions and prayers for the success of our mission. Before long though we were on our way to one of the ministries many activities – The Satayam Disability Centre, also named Justins House after Dr C V’s disabled son who accompanied us almost everywhere we went throughout the trip.

It was an extremely moving and emotional experience for us all, greeting the mostly young residents, having them play music, sing and dance for us and they joined in enthusiastically when Martyn taught them and then led us all in a sign language song.

After spending time with them, including in their classroom, we said our goodbyes and were treated to a most wonderful meal at Dr C V’s home cooked by his devoted wife, Mary. His home is impressive in many ways, not the least of which was the HUGE collection of old Bibles and other Christian books that were on several shelves high, floor to ceiling, along the entire width at the front of the large house. There would definitely be older ones we think but one we found was dated January 1869.

Yet there was still more to come because it had been arranged for us to visit a nearby local charity, Bodhana which, after a presentation by it’s leader, was a remarkable small organisation that, through several initiatives, were supporting over 10,000 poor people every year. Their activities included providing housing, funding children’s education and partnering with around 1,000 bee-keepers to produce their own honey to help raise funds – a truly wonderful micro business.

As we journeyed back to our hotel for our evening meal and reflected on our experiences, the feeling and consensus among the group can be summarised as simply “What a Day!”

Day 3 – 18th March 2023

Our first day of distribution at Pushpagiri Hospital was, understandably, somewhat daunting but, for the team, also brim full of anticipation and hope for the help we were well equipped to provide local disabled people.

Indeed it turned out to be a day high in emotions – as every day we spent here was destined to be – with some patients circumstances heartbreaking, others so uplifting because we knew in our hearts that these peoples' lives, and that of their families, were being changed for the better.

We served people who were deformed from birth, others whose lives had been affected by strokes, several children and their loving families living severely compromised lives due to cerebral palsy. There were also others with varying degrees of paraplegia caused by tragic accidents and a woman who had been stabbed in a random attack and whose spinal cord had been damaged….and more. High in emotion indeed.

What was equally emotional though was the extent of the gratitude and appreciation expressed by both the individuals we served and their families. As our therapists worked to provide the best possible equipment for each patients need and circumstances they engaged both the patient and their families in constant conversation. Without exception, we could see spirits rise at the prospect of often significant improvement in mobility and independence for both patient and family members wherever that was achievable.

The warmth and gratitude we experienced was the perfect antidote for our weariness as the day turned into evening and it must be said that our many successes would not have been possible without the outstanding support of the excellent hospital doctors, medical staff and trainees / interns who were by our side all day as interpreters as well as sharing thoughts and ideas to help achieve the best solution each time.

Importantly we were also given all the sustenance one needs in the hot and humid conditions of India with an abundance of refreshments, regular snacks and a delicious lunch.

Another most memorable day and, after a hearty dinner and the teams debrief of the day we all happily retreated to our rooms and the sleep we all needed ready to do it all again the next day.

Wheels in Kerala, India 2023 – Blog 1

Daily Blog: Day 1 – 16th March 2023

With our hearts and minds brimming with anticipation as well as, it must be said, a degree of apprehension, the first of two groups of team members arrived and joined up at Cochin Airport in Kerala, India to undertake our mission to provide wheelchairs and a range of other mobility aids to disabled children and adults. The group of members were to arrive later that day.

It was the first time being in India for most of us and we were greeted in true Indian style by a somewhat unfamiliar level of heat and humidity and we were happy to be seated soon after in the vehicle that would take us to our destination.

It was a three hour journey to that part of Kerala and, with significant traffic for quite some time, it seemed much longer as we drifted in and out of awareness after our long flights. Some of the rural countryside and small villages were interesting but we were probably not in the frame of mind at that moment to appreciate them.

We were very grateful to be warmly greeted at our hotel by Dr C V, who headed up our partner for the mission, Sathyam Ministries and we were soon seated for a great lunch accompanied by some of his colleagues.

Dr C V had arranged for us to visit nearby Pushpagiri Hospital which was to serve as our distribution centre for the mission and where our wheelchairs etc. had all been stored in readiness.

Despite our fatigue we all remarked that, seeing all our chairs and other aids laid out like that was so uplifting and immediately helped bring our mission to life. So we eagerly set about re-arranging and sorting everything by type and size for great for greater efficiency once our task began.

We also set up all our tools and accessories that our technicians need and were delighted to find that the hospital staff had already set up the patient areas with beds, partitions, etc.

A little later our team was complete when the other group arrived at our hotel and we all enjoyed a great evening meal with Dr C V and several key people from the hospital who we had already realised were going to be critical to our success.

Yes, we were weary and ready to sleep by this time but even this quite limited time together held such promise of what was to come.

Follow this link to the next post from the India 2023 Wheels trip

News Release: Ramping Up Church Disability Inclusion

6 February 2023

With a generous grant from Benefact Trust, disability inclusion charity Through the Roof is ramping up its ‘Roofbreaker’ project to triple the support for disabled people in UK churches.

Only 5–10% of disabled people ever hear the gospel in their lifetime (Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization). Our Roofbreakers are local volunteer disability champions who enable disabled people to encounter God’s love. Benefact Trust’s funding will help Through the Roof to recruit more Roofbreaker champions to increase the number of disabled people supported from 9,000 to 30,000 within three years.

One Roofbreaker used technology to include a Deafblind lady who is partially sighted and uses British Sign Language. It made a huge difference and the lady responded by saying:
“I looked at myself as a nobody in the past. I didn’t think much of myself because people didn’t have much patience with me. But now … I’ve started finding identity which I never had before… it’s helped me totally accept myself for the first time. You have given me a voice that a lot of people can understand.” 

Benefact Trust funding will recruit three Regional Co-ordinators to build up local Roofbreaker networks across the four nations of the UK. Funds will also be used to provide specialist resources and support, equip disabled Christians to lead training, and organise events so churches catch the vision for disability inclusion.

Katie Mobbs, Through the Roof’s Outreach Co-ordinator who is a wheelchair user, is passionate about the difference Roofbreakers are making in churches:
“I think the most important thing is giving people a place to belong within church life. We want to see disabled people welcomed and enabled as part of the church family. My passion is for disabled people themselves to be empowered; to see that the disability that they face can be turned into a mission opportunity. Thanks to Benefact Trust’s support we can multiply the difference we are making.”

Chloe Ewen, Grants Officer for Benefact Trust, said: “We feel privileged to support Through the Roof, as they work to make churches and faith more inclusive for disabled people. Everybody should feel empowered and have equal opportunities to thrive. To be able to support Through the Roof to triple their support for disabled people is amazing.”

Benefact Trust is one of the UK's largest grant-making charities and awarded more than £23 million to churches, charities and communities in 2020. Its funds come from its ownership of the Benefact Group.

Through the Roof trains and equips churches and other organisations to be inclusive of people across the whole spectrum of disability. Their 25th anniversary video on YouTube (@TTRChangesLives) features Roofbreakers speaking powerfully of the benefits disabled people bring to church life.

Find out how your church can be blessed by the full involvement of disabled people at: https://www.throughtheroof.org/roofbreakers/ or @TTRChangesLives on social media.

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NOTES FOR EDITORS

About Through the Roof:

Enabling Faith: Equipping churches and Roofbreakers (local disability champions) to enable disabled people to participate and belong in Christian life.
Bringing Freedom: The ‘Wheels for the World’ project provides disabled people in developing countries with wheelchairs and Bibles.
Sharing Fellowship: Our Christian-focused accessible holidays, retreats and groups bring fun and friendships for all.
For more information, visit www.throughtheroof.org or @TTRChangesLives on social media.

About Benefact Trust:

Benefact Trust is one of the UK’s largest grant-making charities. The Trust’s grants further its charitable objectives of promoting the Christian faith and other charitable causes. Its funds are largely derived from ownership of the Benefact Group - a specialist financial services organisation. Since its foundation in 1972, The Trust has awarded over £235m in grants – £100m in the last 5 years. Applications are welcomed from all parts of the UK and Ireland, particularly from areas of social and economic deprivation.

Benefact Trust funds projects that tackle issues such as homelessness, poverty and social exclusion. The repair, restoration and wider community use of churches and cathedrals of all denominations is also supported.

Follow Benefact Trust on Facebook and Twitter @BenefactTrust, or visit their website: https://www.benefacttrust.co.uk for more information.

Churches Inclusion in Rwanda -- blog seven

Thursday 26^th January

As Pastor Trevor’s flight was not until the evening we were able to buy 150 printed bibles for the children, youth and adults financed by Through the Roof. Pastor Dominique was really pleased and we also had time to visit the Bishop of Rwanda who had recently been given responsibility not only for Rwanda, but for South Sudan, Burundi, and Uganda. It was lovely to meet him and his team, he certainly is a wonderful man.

We also got the chance to visit the deaf-blind centre in Kayonza where it was lovely to see the children being taught so well. Most of the children still have some limited sight left, but we are not sure for how long.

All in all it has been a tremendous trip where we have all been blessed and been a blessing to others.

Our thanks go to Pastor Dominique and all the team for all they have done to make the trip such a tremendous success and blessing. All the glory to God. Amen.