On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable...1 Corinthians 12:22

As we toured the campus on our first Monday morning at KSPH, I noticed a pile of discarded, rusty wheelchairs near the oven in an out-building. One chair, in particular, caught my eye because it had some special components to the seat: a solid seat and back, and side supports. My experience with Wheels for the World has taught me that God can provide what is needed in surprising ways, and I sensed this chair might still be of use to someone.

That afternoon, Amon and I began to see some of the students he works with. One of the students was a young man named Isak. He sat in an adult-sized wheelchair with a sling seat/back, hips bent and swept to one side, and trunk leaned over the armrest. Isak is not able to stand. Amon asked if I had any suggestions for positioning so Isak could sit upright in school. I considered how difficult it must be to learn and to write while leaning over that far. We placed some foam padding on either side of Isak’s hips to fill the gap and took some measurements.


The next morning, Gabbi and I headed to the pile of discarded wheelchairs. We worked for several hours, enlisting Nathaniel’s strong arms, to remove the seat from the base of the wheelchair.

I had the privilege of visiting Isak at his home on Wednesday with Amon, Sam, Kelly, and Rachael. Isak’s family is descended from the local tribal king, his home and the surrounding land had been passed down from generation to generation. The grounds were without paved walkways and not level. There were 12 steps to enter the house from the front, 6 steps on the side, and 3 steps in the back- all without a ramp. The house was spacious with beautiful furnishings that appeared to also have been inherited from family ancestors. When we arrived, Isak was seated outside near the side of the house. We were greeted by his father and his 20 year-old brother who provided Isak’s primary care. We were also introduced to Isak’s grandmother, who was seated near the side steps. As we spoke with Isak and his family, their love for him was evident. Yet, they had difficulty articulating their hopes for him. Amon did a wonderful job of explaining the benefits of proper seat positioning. We demonstrated this for them, and encouraged them to incorporate better positioning into his everyday activities.


With Isak back in school on Thursday, Amon, Gabbi, and I adjusted and bolted the discarded seat into his wheelchair as an insert. With additional modifications and seat straps, Isak was able to sit with his head and trunk in a more upright position.


As I have thought about Isak, I have considered how people with disabilities are often thought of like that discarded wheelchair. In cultures where physical and/or intellectual ability defines value, the disabled are often considered worthless and dispensable. But God does not look at the outward appearance of man, nor does God define a person’s value by their abilities. God looks upon the heart (2 Samuel 16:7). The Church is called to be the body of Christ, with the parts that seem to be weaker as indispensable (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). The provision of this seat insert was a tangible reminder of God’s love for Isak, and that people with disabilities are of great worth, indeed an indispensable part of the body of Christ.