AL: Joni, this is a busy month at the ministry and I know you have several Wheels for the World teams heading out to – where is it –
JONI: To India and Guatemala, just to name countries …
AL: And of course they will have hundreds of wheelchairs along with the Bibles…
JONI: And the Joni book in Tamal and Hindi for disabled people in India…
AL: And I'm assuming Spanish Joni books for the disabled folks in Guatemala. But I'm amazed that you have enough wheelchairs for all these outreach trips…
JONI: Well, we collect them in the most unusual and sometimes very crazy ways. A man in LaVerne, California happened to be shopping at Costco and he came across bags of Mrs. May’s chocolate-covered nuts down one of the aisles. They looked good, he picked them up, read the nutritional information on the back, and that’s when he noticed our Wheels for the World logo.
AL: You have a Wheels for the World logo on chocolates?
JONI: Yes, aren’t we sweet! Actually, we are grateful that the folks at that chocolate company donate part of the proceeds to our ministry, but that’s not the point. Getting back to the story, this particular man at Costco was curious about us and this logo, so he looked us up on the Internet. Our website inspired him, so he gave us a call. It seems that this man owns a rehabilitation company that assembles and distributes wheelchairs for medical patients all throughout California. As he told us, he had a lot of brand-new leather to donate and seat cushions and positioning equipment that were all left over from his last production. He asked if we’d be interested and if we wanted his help. Well, did we want his help or what?!
AL: I know you’re always talking about making these wheelchairs fit all the specific needs of people with disabilities…
JONI: Exactly. And that’s why we really needed that leather and that positioning equipment—he shipped it all to us. You know, God's love isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither should a wheelchair be a one-size-fits-all wheelchair. This wonderful man who heads up this rehab company, well, he had no idea how we would end up using all that stuff, all that leather, all that metal and positioning equipment in Peru, Romania, Thailand, and all over the world. 2 Corinthians 9 says, “This service you perform is overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” I tell you what, the service that that rehab guy performed is still overflowing in expressions of thanks to God around here. Friend listening, there are countless ways you could – and you can – serve in the kingdom of God. Would you just keep your eyes open, be on the lookout for an opportunity, and think a little creatively? And who knows? The next time you go to Costco or Sam’s Club, you just may find that opportunity to serve in the name of Christ on aisle 5 in the snack and chocolate section of that store!
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