Vital Link no. 69 - Summer 2017 | Page 2

Dear Roof Breaking Friends... By Joni Eareckson Tada When I broke my neck in a diving accident 50 years ago, I hated the idea of remaining paralyzed for the rest of my life without use of my hands or legs. I did not want to sit in a wheelchair. In my depression, I lost a great deal of weight, developed pressure sores, and had to stay in bed for almost a year. After nearly 12 months of lying flat, I realized, a wheelchair doesn’t sound so bad! Contact Details PO Box 353, EPSOM, KT18 5WS Phone: 01372 749955 Email: [email protected] Web: www.throughtheroof.org That week in physical therapy, I sat up for the first time in a year – and it felt great! It was wonderful to be able to look at life face-on from a wheelchair. A simple wheelchair made all the difference. I like to think that the disabled people Through the Roof is helping feel the same way. No longer must they look at life from the dirt or from their bed… this year in Kenya, Through the Roof hand-fit 136 disabled people with new wheelchairs, plus they were given Bibles in their own language! And I know the wheelchairs and Bibles are making all the difference in the lives of these needy people. As you pray and give to the outreach of Through the Roof, you are ministering to thousands of people with disabilities and their families, in the UK and overseas. So be blessed as you give Christ’s love to the ‘least of the brethren’. Be encouraged! Together, we are showing the world what true Christian service is all about. #TTRis20 If you’ve been loitering around the TTR Facebook or Twitter pages, you may have spotted our new 20th anniversary logo. It’s been designed for us by 3 Strands Media, and we’ll be using it to mark all of our celebrations and special publications this year. Keep an eye out for it at TTR events and gatherings all through our anniversary! A Renewed Welcome Anyone involved with welcoming or stewarding teams in their church will find out new and updatesd Stewards’ Cards helpful. They contain a set of best practice guidelines for welcoming disabled people to your church, and lots of handy hints for making and keeping your services inclusive and accessible. We’ve redesigned and the content to enlarge the text and improve readability, but they’re still wallet or pocket sized for easy reference. Contact the office or visit our website to order one or a set. Our Vision Getting Rolling on 2018 ‘…