Bulgaria

Bulgaria 2008

June 2008

KYRUSTENDIL—On June 27, 2008, Dawn Clark, Director of Disability Ministries at College Church in Wheaton, directed a World Impact trip to Bulgaria to help Julie Clemens, a missionary, start a disabilities ministry at a local Bulgarian church. When the team visited a residential care facility they took a His Wheels trike as a gift. Just as they opened boxes with trike parts, Ivanu, with curiosity, wheeled in to the team and then left. Clark, Clemens, and others were disappointed to see him leave. But he did return, with his tools to put together his would-be new trike. Ivanu was born without legs and this new gift was perfect for him.

God, did You call? “I really don’t know why I called you on June 13, 2008, but I guess God did!” Dawn Clark wrote. Before the conversation was over I found myself asking if she’d like to take a trike to Bulgaria.

Dawn Clark, Director of Disability Ministries along with a World Impact team of high school students from College Church Wheaton, Illinois, are going to Bulgaria on June 27, 2008. There they will come alongside and assist Missionary Julie Clemens along s she works with the Bulgarian church in developing a disability ministry.

“I am completely blown away by the hand operated trike. Bringing it would be great. I’m sure so many will thoroughly enjoy the trike,” emailed Julie.

Upon the teams return Dawn Clark wrote the following up about the trike and the trip.

“We have many praises to God for the way things worked out when we brought the His Wheels trike to Bulgaria. At the airport, our check in personnel were from Bulgaria and they were delighted to hear what we were doing quickly accepted the trike in two boxes and only charged $127 for the extra baggage. We were delighted when the two boxes arrived in Bulgaria.

We decided that on the first day that we went to the residential care facility in Kyustendiel, we would put the trike together as our first order of business.This proved to be a great strategy. As we opened the boxes, Ivanu wheeled up to see what was going on. Ivanu was born without legs and we thought he would be the perfect person for this trike. We were a little disappointed when he wheeled away, but before long he was back with all his tools. It turns out that he helps the facility mechanic repair the wheelchairs.

He quickly took charge of the project by examining the blueprints that Alice had sent along and telling everyone else what to do. One of the boxes was slightly damaged in transit and several bolts were missing. However, we didn’t have to worry. Ivanu quickly found replacements. We brought along a small pump for the tires, but when it was taking too long, Ivanu sent someone to the workshop for a very nice pump and before long the trike was together and Ivanu set out for a ride. He was all smiles, but did comment that there was no canopy and the sun could get pretty hot.

Following this, we met with the staff and the administrator to present the different activities that we had planned for a Special Olympics type program. I felt that the trike had helped to validate our group. We had gained entrance because of the long established relationship a local pastor had with this home, but the trike showed that we were bringing good gifts. From that point on, they were receptive to everything that we brought.

S., the administrator, looked at the trike and commented that her brother had a factory and she felt he could make trikes like this. Everyone was so enthusiastic that they joked and said that they would make so many trikes that they would cause a traffic jam in Kyustendiel.

The following day, Ivanu rode out on the trike and there was a canopy on it! He had used PVC piping and a woman’s slip! This proved once again the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Bulgarian people. My impressions were that with a little instruction and assistance, trikes could be made in this country.

On the fourth day, S. told us that she had invited the local TV station to come and see what was happening. That evening there was a 3 minute blurb at 6:00 and 10:00 news about our visit, which included several clips of Ivanu riding the His Wheels Trike.

We are deeply grateful to Alice and everyone at His Wheels for being so generous in allowing us to give this trike to this home in Bulgaria. Since this is one of the premier homes in Bulgaria, what they do here is noticed in the rest of the country. We look forward to seeing what doors God will open in the future for further disability ministry.”

Dawn Clark
Director of Disability Ministries
College Church
332 E. Seminary,
Wheaton, IL 60187
“those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” I Cor. 12:22

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