Joey and Jasmine Tell serving in Chaing Mai, Thailand, share some successes of their ministry, the RICD Wheelchair Project:

This month we received two containers of wheelchairs from our ministry partner, Joni and Friends, equaling 400 wheelchairs total. And in true Wheelchair Project form, nearly as soon as they arrived, a big portion of them were sent off for distribution! More than 100 wheelchairs were quickly prepped and packed for Laos where Joey and a small team headed for four days. They endured an excruciating drive, leaving Sunday morning and rolling into Luang Prabang after 10 pm on Monday night. The next day they did 14 patients, which was disappointing as over 50 had been scheduled. The other 50 chairs were slotted to be given to different clinics and hospitals around the province as general-use wheelchairs. The team did leave with the promise from the locals that they would follow up with patients later on. Pray that they follow through on this promise and that these chairs make it to the people that they were intended for. The next day after returning from Laos we got to welcome a team from Wheelchairs of Hope Japan, a faithful ministry partner that has been supplying equipment for many years. They brought with them several wheelchairs and also got to go on two home visits to fit patients in some of the more rural areas. What a delight to have them see the incredible transformation in person.

Our team was able to be part of an exciting wheelchair technician training this month as well. Professionals from all over Thailand interested in wheelchair provision attended a three-day introductory course put on by the Wheelchair Project. Some of these individuals came as far as the southern border near Malaysia! We are so excited because this is exactly what we hope to start doing year round after our team is certified by the International Society of Wheelchair Professionals. They will go next week for the first training session and hope to be certified by mid-year to begin training on a regular basis with the ability to provide credentials to the nationals. God is truly at work and we praise Him!