Partnerships: Simple math doesn’t add up
This is how a beautiful partnership was formed… While I was visiting a new Habitat for Humanity build site in Ethiopia, I was introduced to a group of families that were described as the poorest in the community. I pointed out that each of these “poorest” families had at least one member with a disability. It was one of...
Read moreBe part of a village to raise a child
Disability in a child often causes a child to feel alone. Sometimes it’s because the child or the family feels ashamed. Sometimes it’s because children in the community tease the child. Sometimes it’s because the child can’t keep up with the others during playtime. Sometimes it’s because the child doesn’t have the resources necessary to attend school. Whatever the...
Read moreAncestral beads are no match for Easter
Last year, when I was in Swaziland, one particular woman caused me to do a double take. It was something that she very quietly, but deliberately did. At the time, I was witnessing the eye patches being removed from cataract patients after surgery at The Luke Commission (TLC). Throughout the years, I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to...
Read moreSurvival Shows are Fake
I like watching TV shows about the wilderness and people testing their survival skills. Often one of the key and vital challenges is to obtain access to water… clean water. If the participants can’t find clean water, they call for help. If they still don’t get the help they need, they fail to “survive”. In reality, this just...
Read moreJoy to the World
Christmas is about music and joy. One of my favourite Christmas hymns is “Joy to the World” and when I thought about this song this year, two joy-packed stories popped into my mind. The first story is from 1987, when my wife (Norilynn) and I lived in Jordan. At that time, Norilynn managed a rehab center in a Palestinian...
Read morePrayer Bridges Oceans and Cultures
Amazing things happen when you pray with someone. And it really doesn’t matter where you are or even what faith group you belong to. Because prayer bridges miles and a multitude of differences. At our partner hospital, CoRSU in Uganda, we often meet with the caregivers before or after surgery. In some ways, we’re intrusive… foreigners. And we’re meeting...
Read moreWhat keeps you up at night?
Ed Epp, Executive Director Hope and Healing “What keeps you up at night?” That’s what I asked Erwin Telemans, CEO, when I visited his disability hospital (CCBRT) in Tanzania. He said it was the enormous challenge of funding ongoing services for the crowds of children, moms and dads who line up at his hospital each and every day. It’s...
Read moreAn A-Typical Thanksgiving
Guest Blogger – Brian Hatchell, Hope and Healing This past weekend was Thanksgiving here in Canada. I must admit I don’t typically give a lot of thought to ‘giving thanks’ over this holiday. Consider me odd, or just self-absorbed, honestly, neither would be wrong. My focus over most holidays is always on being in the presence of my family,...
Read moreNot just another day…
Recently, at a family gathering, my cousin — a year younger than I — told me he had undergone cataract surgery. “What a difference this simple surgery made,” he told me. He was having difficulty driving in the evening, reading and working. His poor vision was gradually creeping into most of his life. It reminded me of the upcoming...
Read moreShe’s a back to school “Miracle”
As I drove to work this morning, I saw a school bus full of kids heading back to school. It reminded me of a little girl I had visited in Malawi, whose name was changed from ‘Lonely’ to ‘Miracle’. It was a miracle she was alive, let alone able to go to school. Let me explain. One morning, ‘Lonely’s’...
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