It is December, so the center of Bethlehem—Manger Square—is echoing with Christmas carols and crowded with tourists and local families. It is a time of celebration, even if the winter rains have started.
Bethlehem, the City of David, is filled with Bible history. Rachel was buried here, Ruth and Boaz lived among the wheat and barley fields, David was anointed king, Jesus was born, and the shepherds first heard the message of a Savior lying in a manger nearby.
It is a privilege for me to go to the wheelchair shop in Bethlehem each day to work with the Hope-for- the- Handicapped program. The shop is stocked with many sizes of wheelchairs, crutches, canes, walkers, and other medical equipment.
Our team hears about stroke patients, broken legs from falls or violence, and children who need wheelchairs to attend school. We visit these homes, where we are served coffee or tea, and listen to their stories. Within a month, we return with the needed equipment.
Wheelchairs, canes, or other items are the tools we use to share the love of Jesus. We often have opportunities to show empathy for families and their situations. From Bethlehem, we spread the joy of Jesus, the Babe born in a manger.
—By a staff member in the Middle East
To help support the Hope-for-the-Handicapped program, please click the button below to give a gift.
