Week of April 28th, 2014. 

Meeting many wheelchair recipients, potential NGO's to partner with. Beautiful central Jawa.

 Pikat, the leader of an NGO called InterAski that works with disabled people in the Solo and the surrounding area in helping them learn skills towards becoming independent, and also helping those who are unable to get needed transportation for medical care.

 President Budi, next to Sister Lucherini, is the stake president in the Solo stake who has been extremely supportive with all we do. Choki, next to Elder Lucherini, is our driver and translator for this trip. Below is a picture of Pikat and her two sons.

 Below,visiting a center called YPAC that has focused on helping people with disabilities for many years. We met with them because many of the children and adults there have received their wheelchairs through LDS Charities , but also because of the wonderful work they do to help those who are diabled with education, health care and learning skills to becoming independent.

                          



Ricky and Ricco, in the maroon flowered shirts, 16 year old twin brothers with cerebral palsy.

 

Nina, 16 years old. She loves the computer.
Left picture is Nina, 16 years old and so excited to tell us about her family. She spoke to us in English and as she was telling us about her brothers and sisters, she wanted us to know that she had a sister that had passed away a few years ago. Her mother interjected with, "she had a sister but she died." It was like Nina was determined to let us know that she was still in her memory and not forgotten. It seemed to make her happy to talk about her sister.
Sri, our guide for this trip,  introduces us to the music teacher, Sugi ,who received a wheelchair from LDS Charities. Sri is just the sweetest person, we love them all!

 Sri and a special young man we met by the name of Salwa. 13yrs old. Born without arms, his hands are on his shoulders.

                                     But he finds a way to do what he needs or wants  to do without them, He is bringing a stool over to the keyboard.

 Here playing the keyboard with his feet and his music teacher Sugi, who is also paralyzed from the waist down, was a former student at YPA, and is now the music teacher

                                               Salwa writing a note to Sister Lucherini. He wrote his name, age and where he lived. He actually lives at the school, he is from a country village too far away. He goes home on long holidays.

 Salwa, and his keyboard partner, Tegar playing for us. Sugi, their teacher said that Salwa use to play just sad music, but he encouraged him to learn to play happy music and to be more positive. Now he is, in fact he says that he hopes to one day be a music teacher like Sugi. What a wonderful thing to see the good that is being done here and the opportunity for these children to have experiences that can help them rise up .

                                                           The band members

 Darma Wan is 10years old with muscular dystrophy. His condition will gradually deteriorate. For now he is excited to have a wheelchair and the opportunity to attend school just like the other children. He dreams of joining the army. We completely disrupted the school when we showed up. But they welcomed us like we were rock stars. I don't think they had ever had two boleh's (white people) at their school before. And of course everyone wanted their picture with us.

His classroom. There were only 2 boys among all the class! Usually the girls are in the back of the room and the boys in the front, but there were just the two boys. We shook hands with the girls and they got really giggly when we spoke to them in Bahasa Indonesia.

Above, his mom is on the left. she comes to school every day with him to assist him. He has one older sister who rides her bike to the main road and then catches a public bus that transports her to school in Solo. Quite a distance!

                                     Saying goodbye, Darma, his mother and all his school mates.

 Sugiyato had a stroke four years ago at 44 and can no longer walk. Fortuately he has two sons Alif (15), and Fahrizel (12), who can lift their father in to the wheelchair and help him when needed. His wife Haryanti operates a small restaurant in their home, but all the support they can get is what they can do for themselves. They were so appreciative for the wheelchair and asked us to tell everyone who contributed towards it . "Thank you!"

While visiting the wheelchair recipients, the neighbors often gather to greet us, here is a proud dad showing us his cute little girl. We agreed, she is one cutie!

A young girl with hydrocephalitis. One of the great benefits of this specially designed wheelchair is that not only will it give her the gift of mobility, but provides support for her head, and is designed to help her learn to sit up better.

Agus Haryono. 20 years old with CP, and a member of the Solo 2nd ward. He and his parents live in a one room home. While we visited him he spoke to us while laying on the floor on his mattress. A small fan trying to keep him cool in a very hot area. He spends most of his time home alone while his parents work, watching TV and listening to the radio. He was all smiles as we visited with him. He said the young missionaries visit him weekly and he especially like the opportunity to attend church and take the sacrament. We are grateful for these wonderful young missionaries who take the time to brighten Argus's week with a visit. It is humbling to see the positive attitudes displayed by so many despite difficult circumstances. Maybe their trials are also an opportunity for others to love and learn how to serve?  They do not know how many lives are touched and changed for the better because of them?

Sri, getting ready to drive her motorcycle home after spending the past two days with us. We spoke about her in last weeks blog. A wonderful person!!!!

 

Another neighbor wanting to say hello and proud of her cucu (grandchild) 

Sugiyanti is a 50 year old women born with polio. Only 3 years ago she received her first wheelchair. Until then she crawled everywhere and was only able to work making rice crackers from her home. Now she pushes her wheelchair 2 kilometers each way to a local shop in the village where she works. She is happy because her daughter and son in law are expecting their first child in 4 months.

 

Tunas Bangsa. A small community operated center out in the Sukoharjo village outside of Solo. The  facility consists of just a few rooms, but within it they have a medical clinic one day/month, called a Posyandu. Fours days a week it is a small pre-school for pre-kindergarten children called a PAUD. And one day a week it becomes a facility for 47 children with disabilities called a Sanggar.  In very primitive ways they try and provide help with physical and speech therapy.  They would like help with some of the most basic items...balls, mattresses, chairs, even a table. We hope that we will be able to work with them in the future?  These next few pictures capture some of the faces of the children, their mothers and volunteers.

 This visit was one of the most difficult we have experienced since coming to Indonesia. The family lives in the small village of Kabangan. All 3 children have muscular dystrophy. Their oldest daughter Asri (22) can still walk ever so slowly with a walker. She has such a captivating smile and twinkle in her eyes. A beautiful young woman.

 Their youngest son, Arif (15) on the left in the wheelchair. The middle son, Edi (20), can no longer do anything but lie in bed. Their mother Diyem said their daughter was fine until 8 and then started to gradually decline.  For the boys it started earlier, at 5. All continue to get worse.
It was difficult to see such trials for an entire family with very little assistance from the government. Almost all support comes from family, friends and the community. We are grateful to belong to a church committed to helping relieve the hands and feet that hang down, particularly the most vulnerable. And to be able to hold their hands and look into their eyes , and let them know that God loves them and is mindful of them.

 We are grateful for our testimonies that one day they will have normal minds and bodies. There will be brighter days!!

 

 

 This 14 year old boy ws born with only one abnormal arm and a couple of small fingers on it. His parents say that as he has grown older he has gradually become more and more ashamed of himself and takes his anger out by biting his very small fingers. Hence the reason they are covered. His wheelchair has provided much relief, but there are still many challenges.

 His mom is holding his head up because he decided he was done with pictures, but his parents want him to learn not to feel ashamed. They hope to help him feel happy with himself. They are trying very hard, very caring parents.

 Yuccum Craft, a rehabilitation center we visited outside of Jogja. Another impressive organization that has been around for many years with a focus on helping teach children with disabilities the skills that can help them work towards independence

                                            Mothers and children gathering during lunch

 

 As we were passing through the spectacular countryside we came across these beautiful Buddhist ruins. As we took the pictures we can't help but wonder what it must of looked like and been like, back in that day, thousands of years ago?

Another awesome week!