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On 2002, was founded Espíritus Creativos — Service of Christian Voluntary Work, on the base from Christian Volunteers of diverse Christian Churches like the Baptist, Presbyterian, and Pentecostal, with the desire to reach in love, people that suffer disabilities, to take them toward a restoration in Christ, offering friendship, pastoral advise, personal contact, constant visitation, practical necessities, and to win souls in a personal way, welcoming and appraising these forgotten Brothers who possess gifts and talents to offer to the Christian Churches. God allowed that the first Christian Volunteers who participated in an active way in our Christian Ministry suffered of some disability or they had under their responsibility the care of some relative with disability.
In 2003, our Volunteers promoted the creation of "Hope for Persons with Disabilities" as a Christian Ministriy orientated towards evangelizing and supplying the needs of Persons with Disabilities of Cusco. This led to the development of annual events to support People with Disabilities, with the help during the first years of the Christian Ministry Joni and Friends (JAF) and their President and Founder Joni Eareckson Tada, that has been of great blessing for our Brothers with Disability with the granting of Wheelchairs, Canadian Crutches, Auxiliary Crutches, Four-wheeled Walkers, Bibles and Christian books.
During these years we travelled through several Rural Villages of the Department of Cusco attending to the calls of diverse Groups of People with Disabilities, provided them with necessities and the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, evaluating their needs and realities. We travelled through the Southern Valley of the Cusco Region, to the cities of Sicuani in the Province of Canchis, Velille in the Province of Chumbivilcas and Izcuchaca in the Province of Anta.
Espíritus Creativos — Christian Ministries shares the vision of which called for ministered to Persons with Disability it is called to a compassionate Christian Church. The Biblical mandate of "rather, serve one another in love" (Galatians 5:13) it includes all people. To think that the People with Disability are defective or that they are a part of a divine mistake, it is a negative attitude for a Christian Church that wants to share the message of pity and restoration of Christ. Ministered to the Persons with Disability is an opportunity to show the Power of God to recover or to use the weak thing to show His force.
Espíritus Creativos — Christian Ministries holds that the Great Commission of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ includes to all the nations, peoples, villages, races or groups: “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Mathew 28:18-20). The Great Commission does not exclude the People with Disability, the Christian Church this shaped by all the redeemed ones not for an elite. Espíritus Creativos — Christian Ministries this in agreement that the correct Biblical-Theological position with regard to the topic disability it is necessary to find it in the Sovereignty of God, and in His free, absolute and inappealable with which Him determines all the things. The disability is not a mistake. The disability is not a divine punishment: the disability is a plan of God and the Person with Disability were created with Disability, in order that the works of God demonstrate in him, this is, for His glory, though we do not understand it. “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned", said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:1-3). God created them with a plan, and He has a plan for them, in which probably the physical health is not contemplated.
Espíritus Creativos — Christian Ministries affirms that the Bible teaches us that in the Kingdom of God, the Persons with Disability will be received by accept and recognize Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour and that He itself show us how treating the Persons with Disabilities: ”Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous" (Luke 14:12-14). Espíritus Creativos — Christian Ministries declares that the Persons with Disability are essential for the integrity of the Christian Community. In the current culture that adores the physical perfection, devalue the human life, and it boast about the exclusion, the Christian Church has to protect the defenseless ones, the vulnerable ones and to deprived of their rights what it includes to protect the People with Disabilities. We must remember that they are human beings created to the image and similarity of God, which have dignity, value and intention. God assumes His responsibility on having declared: “The Lord said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” (Exodus 4:11). Espíritus Creativos — Christian Ministries admits that God does not have mistakes but have deliberate intention: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalms 139:13-16). When every Person with Disability was formed in the womb of her mother, there was God seeing everything. It is more, in His book, in His decrees, in His absolute sovereign and willpower, there were written all the details of this life ... including their disability. Amen, Amen and Amen.
Joni Eareckson Tada, a woman who has inspired several generations through her testimony of faithfulness of God to her in the midst of overwhelming personal struggle. Not only has she been an example in her own life, but God has used her mightily to teach and instruct both men in women as the Body of Christ seeks to minister to those with physical limitations. “My Christian faith before my accident was tucked in the back pocket of my Levi jeans. My Christian faith was convenient on Sunday morning but not very convenient on a Friday night, on a date with my boyfriend. It was a different story then, and my life was...pretty duplicitous”, says Joni. “When I had my accident, all those things were ripped away from me, the tennis, the athleticism, the hiking, the swimming and my boyfriend. What is the meaning to life? Where am I going? What is purpose of God for me? Were not questions that I asked myself on Sunday morning, after the benediction. But now suddenly these questions became urgent, and desperate. And I just do not know that I would've ever asked them, had it not been for my accident”.
Become Person with Disability at the age of 17 in a diving accident in 1967 that left she a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, unable to use her hands, Joni Eareckson Tada found the strength and courage to live as a quadriplegic by relying on the unfailing love of Jesus Christ. During two years rehabilitation, she learned to paint using a brush held between her teeth. “I prayed every prayer to be healed, but God obviously had other plans", says Joni. "Once I delved deeper into scripture, I began to see plan of God unfold for my life. He was using my disability to push me into the arms of Jesus. I can honestly say that I would rather be in this chair knowing Him, than to be on my feet without Him".
Joni Eareckson Tada during two years of rehabilitation, spent long months learning how to paint with a brush between her teeth. Her high detail fine art paintings and prints are sought after and collected. Today Joni Eareckson Tada is an internationally known mouth-artist, author, speaker and radio host. By 1979, she founded the Christian Ministry “Joni and Friends (JAF)” to offer hope to hurting people by sharing her own experiences. Above all, she is an enthusiastic and highly effective advocate for those with disabilities. Since then, Joni and Friends has distributed over 38,000 wheelchairs worldwide through Wheels for the World, a Joni and Friends program that collects and refurbishes chairs and, whenever possible, supplies a physical therapist to custom-fit each chair to a needy Child or Adult wiht Disability. ”God has blessed me so much", says Joni. ”I am just grateful I have the chance to pass on the blessing to People with Disabilities and their families around the world. It is wonderful to be able to provide Christian encouragement and practical help”.
Joni Eareckson Tada wrote of her experiences in her international best-selling biography, “Joni”. Her first name is recognized in many countries of the world due to her best-selling books. World Wide Pictures full-length feature film “Joni”, in which Joni Eareckson Tada recreated her own life, has been translated into numerous languages and shown in scores of countries around the world. ”I am not glorifying suffering, but I am glorifying the God who can be found through suffering", says Joni. "He is ecstasy beyond description, and it is worth anything to be his friend”.
The great work of Joni Eareckson Tada has mainly focused on influencing the Christian Church on disability related issues. However, her impact is felt beyond the Christian community. Role of Joni Eareckson Tada as a disability advocate led to a Presidential Appointment to the National Council on Disability for three and a half years, during which time the “Americans with Disabilities Act” became law. In 2005, Joni Eareckson Tada was appointed to the Disability Advisory Committee of the U.S. State Department to advise Dr. Condoleezza Rice on policy and programs which affect People with Disabilities in the State Department and around the world.
Through her work with Joni and Friends and with over a million listeners a week, Joni Eareckson Tada records a daily five minute radio program, "Joni and Friends", is heard over 1000 broadcast outlets. In 2002, it received the “Radio Program of the Year” award from National Religious Broadcasters. Joni is a sought-after conference speaker both in the United States and internationally. She is also a columnist for Moody Monthly Magazine. She has written numerous articles which have been published in Christianity Today, Today’s Christian Woman, The War Cry (Salvation Army), and newspapers around the world. Joni has appeared twice on Larry King Live, sharing not only her Christian testimony, but a biblical perspective on right-to-life issues which affect our Population with Disabilities.
Joni Eareckson Tada serves on several boards included the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, as a senior associate for evangelism among Persons with Disabilities. She also serves in an advisory capacity to the American Leprosy Mission, the National Institute on Learning Disabilities, Love and Action, Christian Blind Mission International and as a Trustee of the Riverside Foundation. "I get to live out grace of God in this world by encouraging others with the same grace, the same free gift, the same unmerited favour He is given me", says Joni. “He gives me a desire for Him, and a power to obey Him, which results in a life of meaning, joy, purpose, peace, a sense of mission. A love for heaven, an interest in other people, a desire to help them in their needs”.
Joni Eareckson Tada was Churchwoman of the Year in 1993 by the Religious Heritage Foundation. She was the first woman to be honored by the National Association of Evangelicals as their Layperson of the Year. She has received the American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award, the Courage Award of the Courage Rehabilitation Center, the Award of Excellence from the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center, the Victory Award from the National Rehabilitation Hospital and the Golden Word Award from the International Bible Society. Joni Eareckson Tada holds an honorary Bachelor of Letters from Western Maryland College, an honorary Doctor of Humanities from Gordon College and in March of 1998, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Columbia University, the first honorary doctorate bestowed in their 75-year-old history.
Joni Eareckson Tada is the author of 27 books; her best-selling and award-winning works cover topics ranging from disability outreach to reaching out to God. They include All God's Children, Friendship Unlimited: How to Help Your Friend with Disability, Glorious Intruder, Secret Strength, A Quiet Place in a Crazy World, Diamonds in the Dust, More Precious Than Silver, and A Christmas Longing, which includes reproductions of her best-loved Christmas paintings. The Life and Death Dilemma addresses the tough issues of euthanasia and assisted suicide. She explores the nature of Heaven in Heaven, Your Real Home. When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty, is co-authored by long-time friend and mentor, Steve Estes. Joni Eareckson Tada has also written several well-received children's books, including two that have received awards. Tell Me The Promises received the EP Gold Medallion and a Silver Medal in the C.S. Lewis Medal Awards in 1997, and Tell Me The Truth received the EP Gold Medallion in 1998. Her most recent books include Holiness in Hidden Places, You've Got a Friend and Prayers From a Child's Heart, O Worship the King, a book and CD set done in collaboration with Dr. John MacArthur and Robert and Bobbie Wogemuth.
Joni Eareckson Tada and her husband Ken Tada have been married since 1982. Ken is a high school teacher and a member of the Board of Directors of Joni and Friends. “One of the things when he asked me to marry him, my one thought was ‘Oh, is this guy going to be able to handle this disability?’ Well I saw him untie a knotted fishing line on a camping trip once. Hours he took, meticulously untethering this fishing line and I thought ‘Bingo’ if he can show patience doing that, then he can show patience with my disability", says Joni. ”And 25 years of marriage have shown Ken and I that this wheelchair is not the thing that divides us. It is the thing that forces us up against one another, creating unity, pushing us to communicate, and forcing honesty. We cannot sweep our selfishness under the carpet. We got to hit it head on, and, my husband is my best cheerleader and I trust that I am his best cheerleader as well”.
Finally, the greatest thing in all this is what it tells us, not about Joni Eareckson Tada, but about her God. What kind of God is this who can inspire such freedom and joy in one whom; from a human point of view, would appear to have every reason to hate him? What kind of God is this who can evoke such confidence and trust in a person who is so horribly disabled? What kind of God is this who has the qualities, characteristics, attributes, beauty and glory that he can be founding worthy of the praise and gratitude of a woman who is spending the last 40 years in a wheelchair? Wow! Now that is some kind of God! Joni says, "You were made for one purpose, and that is to make God real to those around you". The reality of power of God, His love, and His character are made very, very real to a watching world when we trust Him in our pain.
My name is Nick Vujicic and I give God the Glory for how He has used my testimony to touch thousands of hearts around the world! I was born without limbs and doctors have no medical explanation for this birth "defect". As you can imagine, I was faced with many challenges and obstacles. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1:6). As my parents were Christians, and my Dad even a Pastor of our Christian Church, they knew that verse very well. However, on the morning of the 4th of December 1982 in Melbourne (Australia), the last two words on the minds of my parents was "Praise God!” Their firstborn son had been born without limbs! There were no warnings or time to prepare themselves for it. The doctors were shocked and had no answers at all! There is still no medical reason why this had happened and Nick now has a Brother and Sister who were born just like any other baby.
The whole Christian Church mourned over my birth and my parents were absolutely devastated. Everyone asked, "If God is a God of Love, then why would God let something this bad happen to not just anyone, but dedicated Christians?" My Dad thought I would not survive for very long, but tests proved that I was a healthy baby boy just with a few limbs missing.
Understandably, my parents had strong concern and evident fears of what kind of life I'd be able to lead. God provided them strength, wisdom and courage through those early years and soon after that I was old enough to go to school. The law in Australia did not allow me to be integrated into a main-stream school because of my physical disability. God did miracles and gave my Mom the strength to fight for the law to be changed. I was one of the first Students with Disabilities to be integrated into a main-stream school.
I liked going to school, and just try to live life like everyone else, but it was in my early years of school where I encountered uncomfortable times of feeling rejected, weird and bullied because of my physical difference. It was very hard for me to get used to, but with the support of my parents, I started to develop attitudes and values which helped me overcome these challenging times. I knew that I was different but on the inside I was just like everyone else. There were many times when I felt so low that I would not go to school just so I did not have to face all the negative attention. I was encouraged by my parents to ignore them and to try start making friends by just talking with some kids. Soon the students realized that I was just like them, and starting there God kept on blessing me with new friends.
There were times when I felt depressed and angry because I could not change the way I was, or blame anyone for that matter. I went to Sunday School and learnt that God loves us all and that He cares for you. I understood that love to a point as a child, but I did not understand that if God loved me why did He make me like this? Is it because I did something wrong? I thought I must have because out of all the kids at school, I am the only weird one. I felt like I was a burden to those around me and the sooner I go, the better it'd be for everyone. I wanted to end my pain and end my life at a young age, but I am thankful once again, for my parents and family who were always there to comfort me and give me strength. Due to my emotional struggles I had experienced with bullying, self esteem and loneliness, God has implanted a passion of sharing my story and experiences to help others cope with whatever challenge they have in their life and let God turn it into a blessing. To encourage and inspire others to live to their fullest potential and not let anything gets in the way of accomplishing their hopes and dreams.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). That verse spoke to my heart, and convicted me to the point where that I know that there is no such thing as luck, chance or coincidence that these "bad" things happen in our life. I had complete peace knowing that God won't let anything happen to us in our life unless He has a good purpose for it all. I completely gave my life to Christ at the age of fifteen after reading John 9. Jesus said that the reason the man was born blind was "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" (John 9:3). I truly believed that God would heal me so I could be a great testimony of His Awesome Power. Later on I was given the wisdom to understand that if we pray for something, if it is will of God, it will happen in His time. If it is not will of God for it to happen, then I know that He has something better. I now see that Glory revealed as He is using me just the way I am and in ways others cannot be used.
I am now twenty-one years old and have completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Financial Planning and Accounting. I am also a motivational speaker and love to go out and share my story and testimony wherever opportunities become available. I have developed talks to relate to and encourage students through topics that challenge today's teenagers. I am also a speaker in the corporate sector.
I have a passion for reaching out to youth and keep myself available for whatever God wants me to do, and wherever He leads, I follow. I have many dreams and goals that I have set to achieve in my life. I want to become the best witness of God's Love and Hope; to will become an international inspirational speaker, and be used as a vessel in both Christian and non-Christian venues. I want to become financially independent by the age of 25, through real estate investments, to modify a car for me to drive and to be interviewed and share my story on the "Oprah Winfrey Show"! Writing several Best-Selling books has been one of my dreams and I hope to finish writing my first by the end of the year. It will be called "No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!”
I believe that if you have the desire and passion to do something, and if it is will of God, you will achieve it in good time. As humans, we continually put limits on ourselves for no reason at all! What is worse is putting limits on God who can do all things. We put God in a "box". The awesome thing about the Power of God is that, if we want to do something for God, instead of focusing on our capability, concentrate on our availability for we know that it is God through us and we cannot do anything without Him. Once we make ourselves available for work of God, guess whose capabilities we rely on? Amen, Amen and Amen.
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