Dr Kelly Fleming

Joni Eareakson Tada, who had a diving accident in 1967 at the age of 17 which left her a complete quadriplegic, has spoken about her experience in outreach missionary work. Joni and Friends is an outreach ministry that provides wheelchairs to those in need in developing countries. Amongst other specialized ministries, this organization reaches into areas of ministry to find disabled people. They provide Bibles to disabled people and their families in developing countries and offer many inclusive oriented ministries within the United States and abroad to help educate the Church on how to effectively create inclusive congregations and ministries.
In 1989, Joni visited Manila, Philippines as part of a gathering of missionary outreach programs. She was appalled to find people who were paraplegics, blind or amputees wearing flip-flops on their hands and dragging themselves through dirty streets. At the same time, the people she met were amazed to see a quadriplegic with no voluntary use of her arms or legs, as an independent woman who used a power wheelchair.
In seeing many disabled people in this same or similar situation during her travels, who have been marginalized by society, she has often reflected on 2 Corinthians chapter 4 which is a message that every Christian must take to heart to truly appreciate their disabled neighbours. (Deuel & John, 2019)

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