Emmanuel is seen above with Christina Cavener (l) and Brittany Burrows in April 2009, after the operation that let him get his first artificial legs. In the photo at left, Ms. Cavener and Ms. Burrows are spending time with children of the UMC-supported Jamaa Letu orphanage during a return visit last July. (All photos courtesy Ms. Cavener.)


pose, just spending time with the children, turned into much more: pieces of Jubilee were coming to fruition. One of the orphans at Jamaa Letu is named Emmanuel. He


was born without legs, from an unintended pregnancy. His par- ents sent him into the streets to beg for money, leaving Em- manuel to survive on his own. Emmanuel thought he would die of starvation, but the orphanage saved him. He understands that God led him to a place of refuge and hope that embraces him fully, and where he has formed a new family in Christ. Emmanuel not only survives, but thrives at the orphanage.


He loves God with all of his heart, he always has a smile on his face, he constantly makes jokes, and the other boys consistently look to him for guidance. Emmanuel is an exceptional child with incredible resilience. During one of our bible studies, we asked the kids to share


their prayers with us. Emmanuel’s only prayer as a twelve year old was that he would be able to walk one day. Again we con- tacted churches and he was able to receive his preparation sur-


gery to attach prosthetic legs in April 2009. During this time, Brittany and I were searching for partnerships that would en- able us to do more. Brittany searched online and finally found the International Foundation for the Physically Disabled. We discussed our hopes and dreams with IFPD. In 2009, Brittany and I returned to the U.S., where we contin-


ued to communicate with the orphanage about how to attach prosthetic legs. Within the next year, Emmanuel’s first prosthetic legs were attached at a local hospital, Wote Pamoja, with no charge. In Swahili, “Wote Pamoja” means “all together,” and this is truly how the organization functions. With the help of the community and hospital staff, only three patients out of ten ac- tually pay for their prostheses. Often the doctors work for weeks without compensation. These saints at Wote Pamoja saw how special Emmanuel was and decided to construct legs for him. Though they increased Emmanuel’s mobility greatly, the legs were somewhat painful and difficult to maneuver. Upon receiv- ing this knowledge, we asked IFPD for assistance. Wote Pamoja


has limited resources and we saw the potential in a partnership between this Jubilee-enacting hospital and IFPD. In July 2011, our work with IFPD enabled us to visit Em-


manuel and teach two of the doctors at Wote Pamoja how to at- tach new high-quality prosthetic legs with a design initiated by Cobus Venter, co-founder of the IFPD. These legs would increase his mobility, enable him to walk without a cane, completely dis- solve pain, and last for a lifetime. The doctors at Wote Pamoja became very excited at the prospect of partnering with IFPD and assembling these prostheses. Building prosthetic legs usu- ally takes eight to ten days in a developed country, yet it took the Wote Pamoja doctors four days to finish. Those doctors were dedicated to little Emmanuel! Emmanuel’s face lit up as he took his first steps with his new


legs. His first words were, “Asante sana! Asante sana! Mungu bariki!” which translates as, “Thank you very much! Thank you very much! God bless you!” This message is meant for all of us. When we allow the Spirit to work within us, all things are possi- ble.


Since the construction of these legs was so successful, IFPD


will be able to partner with Wote Pamoja to enhance its facilities and train all of the doctors in how to assemble the prostheses. This means that in the summer of 2012, Brittany will be taking supplies to the facility to enable higher quality care and I will be leading a team of doctors to train all of the staff at Wote Pamoja on how to construct the legs with their new equipment and sup- plies. In the near future, the hospital can increase its efficiency and


serve more patients who have been injured due to war, violence, or birth complications. These same high-quality legs first used by Emmanuel will be distributed to other children around the world. God not only answered Emmanuel’s prayer, but prayers for children everywhere. What was intended to be a small project opened the door for


world-wide change. This is the hope of Isaiah 61. When the Spirit of God is upon us, it can lead us down unexpected and miraculous paths toward healing.


This summer, Emmanuel received a new set of prosthetic legs that allow much greater mobility and durability than his first set.


Christina Cavener graduated from SMU’s Perkins School of Theology in May 2011 with a master of theological studies degree. For two years, she has been youth and children’s director at Grace UMC in Dallas, and continues her work there. Brittany Burrows is to graduate from Perkins next May with a master of church ministries degree. She’s an intern at the Denton Wesley Foundation.


UNITED MET HODI S T REPORTER | NOVEMBER 4, 2011 | 5B


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