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Our 1^st ETN Outpost activity of the year hosted by Shady Grove was a blessing to many with 70 total folks attending including participants and volunteers.

The snack jars were particularly popular as was the food but everyone enjoyed the crafts and games, too. A neat addition this year was a performance by their children’s choir which really helped engage folks in many new ways.

Below is a picture of the participants watch the choir so you can see a few of the faces.

I wanted to share what great banquet we had last April 21st! The food was great, the decorations were beautiful, the performances were fun, the auction items were awesome and the testimonies were encouraging. There were lots of new church and volunteer connections, too. What I liked most was the fact that so many people with disabilities were given an opportunity to be included and shine at the event. It was definitely a God blessed success! 

On the financial end of things we were down quite a bit from last year but we know God will be faithful to provide all that is needed. Overall the gifts were down by about $3,000 and the auction purchases were down by about $1,000. Our matching gift was up by about $2,000 though so overall we were  just $2,000 down from last year.

All in all, please know that Leanne and I so appreciate each of you and all you did to make things happen. We know God is faithful and will provide all we need!

We had our 3^rd annual Big Wheel Deal wheelchair basketball fundraiser in CFL this past Saturday and for the 1^st time it was a not just a game but a tournament. In fact, we we had nearly 50 players in all including those who normally use wheelchairs and those who don’t mixed on each of the 4 teams!

We were also blessed with nearly 40 volunteers who served popcorn, pizza, cotton candy and snow cones, took pictures, sold AL apparel and manned our ministry INFO and pledge table as well as helped things run smoothly on the administration side of things. There was even an appearance by the AL mascot “I Kan” garoo keeping the fans, MC and referees on their toes.

The championship game featured the presentation of the colors by the Edgwater High School ROTC following our opening prayer and then our national anthem was sung by Detective Duane Hunt from the Ocoee Police. Homemade trophies and prize baskets were awarded afterwards including special items for those who participated in the halftime free throw contest for folks living with disabilities.

A photo collage is below so you can see the smiles and some of the action. :)

During one of our team conference calls before we went to Belize, one of the women with Hearts of Christ in East Tennessee told us about Eli, a man who had been in a wheelchair for several years due to an accident, and had become a Christian this past December. He was mentioned as someone to pray for as we prepared for the trip and to let us know that he would be one of the people we’d be building a ramp for while we were in Belize.

On Tuesday morning of our trip, we headed out to the village of Ontario to meet Eli and to distribute packets of rice and beans to the people in the village. When we drove up, Eli was on the porch working on someone’s bicycle tire (he repairs bikes for a living). After they finished, Korie made the introductions and the builders got to work removing the old ramp (the porch remained, but was reinforced). We saw some frogs that lived under the ramp and uncovered the hiding place of a tarantula, which caused some excitement, especially when the tarantula appeared again later in the process!

While the ramp was being built, Eli and Doug, who has also been living with a disability for many years, were able to spend time talking and getting to know each other, sharing their stories. Eli told Doug, “I’ve lived for 13 years since my accident and have never met another person in a wheelchair.” Eli was able to see how God has worked in Doug’s life despite his disability, and that he can be used by God to encourage others as well.

Later, some of the Hearts of Christ team told us about when they met Eli and shared Christ with him. Eli didn’t think that he could become a Christian because he didn’t know anything about God. They told him that he only had to repent and believe and that he could learn more as he spent time with the Lord. Eli said, “I finally decided it was better to live for God than live for nothing.”

Our team was also able to bring Eli a new manual wheelchair to use while he works and also repaired a motorized wheelchair that Eli had already owned, but needed updating. Eli was appreciative of the new “wheels” as well as the ramp and porch and the other practical items that the team brought him. There was also some places in the flooring in his house that needed to be repaired and the team was able to take care of that to make it easier for Eli to maneuver around inside.

Eli was another person we met who told us that he had prayed for God to send help and that we were an answer to his prayer. Thankfully, we have a Good Father who sees our need, and hears and answers our cries for help!