Saturday Picnic @ Camp Bethel

We arrived late in the day Tuesday, worked Wed. and Thurs. Some of the team worked on Friday, while the bulk of the team went into Sao Paulo for a Pastor's Conference where they distributed some wheelchairs. On Saturday, 36 wheelchair vans and some cars arrived with over 300 people to enjoy a picnic and activities at Camp Bethel. The State provides the vans free of charge, but they can only go out to the camp on Saturday because of the 2-hr commute each way and must be completely full. Several people's existing wheelchairs were repaired and some were given new wheelchairs that were modified to fit them. Here are some of the pictures from an exhausting, but joy-filled day. There were several salvations and recommitments to The Lord.

Just a few of the 36 wheelchair accessible vans, all new looking Mercedes Benz

 This is Dennis, a young man who is very excited about his new chair.

Dennis Mom transfers him from his borrowed wheelchair to his new one

Making modifications to his new chair to fit his needs

Jenny Hanks, Elmer Hess, Linda Riley & Monte Hanks with Dennis and his Mom after he got a new chair, lap blanket & neck pillow

Dinalva & Gaynor learning about Raphael's chair issues

And this is Rafael, first in his old chair he had outgrown, then in his new chair.

Modifying Raphael's chair to fit him

Linda & Ken Riley, Jenny & Monte Hanks with Raphael and his Mom

Another happy camper mingling with the team men.

Talking with Monte

Hugging John

Barb admiring her beautiful nails

Dinalva & Gaynor (background) 2 of the full-time missionaries from northern Brazil.

Cathy, Mike & Gaynor helping Dinalva get ready to go on the new zip line.

Dinalva took many rides on the zip line

Jenny & Monte being thanked for repairing a wheelchair.

Lidia and me having a laugh although we don't speak each others languages

Paston Don Needham, Lidia Costa and Don Dale

Pastor Don and a young friend who received a new wheelchair

Pastor Don playing basketball with one of the attendees

Pastor Don and Ross Ream making fishing poles for attendees

Pastor Don with an attendee

Clowns with Ministerio da Alegria (ministry of comedy I think)

Lidia visits with some of the bus drivers

Pastor Nathan Fray with a young man who was given a lap quilt

Just a few of the attendees with our team members ministering under the red umbrellas of grace

Jenny and a wheelchair recipient with her new red umbrella

Pastor Nathan interpreting for Cordell Brown who gave his testimony

A new umbrella and new lap quilt make her happy

Rachel Blake, Don Dale and Mike Maloney

Some of the crowd the attended the picnic. They mostly brought their own food and spread out all over the property

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This is Raphael in his old blue & gray chair

The children enjoyed the trampoline