BRAZIL — Joni and Friends aims to provide wheelchairs to respond to Jesus’s command in Luke 14 to “Go out quickly…and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame…so that my house will be full.”

Their Wheels for the World program is just one of the ways they seek to answer that call. The story of Larissa and her mother, Sheila in Brazil, reveals how God’s providence reaches the farthest corners of the globe when his servants are determined to be his hands and feet.

Katie Oliver – Wheels for the World:

Over 40 million people are currently facing poverty in Brazil, many living in favelas, which are the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Johnny and Friends recognizes this need. We are going in to provide a wheelchair to those who desperately need them most.

Sheila & Larissa – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:

My name is Shiela. I am Larissa’s Mom. Larissa has cerebral palsy and she is also mixed tetraplegic.

Katie:

Providing Larissa a wheelchair is so special. It’s life-giving for her that she can move around her house, move around her community, see the world potentially for the first time.

Tony Soria – Wheels for the World:

For Larissa, it’s so important for her to self-mobilize. The wheelchair gives her that opportunity.

Katie:

Larissa having this wheelchair is both a blessing to her, but it’s also a blessing to her mother she loved. And Larissa can see and experience the world from a seat of dignity.

Sheila:

Wow, it helped us a lot! Larissa really needed it. You have no idea what a blessing it has been. I really thank you from the bottom of my heart. May God bless you. 

About Joni and Friends

For 40 years, Joni and Friends has provided the hope of the Gospel and practical resources to people affected by disability around the globe. Ministry programs include Wheels for the World, Family Retreats, the Christian Institute on Disability, and church ministry training. Joni and Friends also delivers inspirational media such as the Joni and Friends radio program and podcasts. To find out more, please visit www.joniandfriends.org.

Read more news on Faith Based / Non Profit Organizations, Disability, Christian Ministry and Compassion Services on Missions Box.