Some years ago, two people in wheelchairs who were unknown to each other met at a shop. Baiba (then a volunteer and now full-time staff at W4W) and Matiss weren’t in a comfortable place to get to know each other, especially since both of them had assistants with them, but Baiba felt an urgent push from God to invite Matiss to the Challenge camp. She did. We, as W4W, weren’t sure if he could be a participant, because he was just 17 years old and we had never had a lying participant before. We thought that finding an assistant for him will be a great challenge. Matiss came to Challenge 7 in 2014. Not only did God find for him the best possible assistant, but a picture of them dancing ballet together became W4W’s signature photo. During the same camp Matiss gave his life to God and started his Christian life. He is a frequent visitor in his church.
God did not look onto Matiss’ physical condition nor the fact that he lives in an orphanage, but He gave him the calling to become a missionary in Africa in a war zone. He cannot trust his physical strength to make it happen, but God alone.
At the same time we got an invitation from EDN (European Disability Network) to send our young people to Mission-Net conference (Dec 28-Jan 2 in the Netherlands). We thought of Matiss. He was very happy to respond. Air companies weren’t as happy to receive a new client (except one who asked 3000€ for a one-way ticket). W4W is known to be crazy and not to give up so easily, so it will be a road-trip instead. Wings for Wheels van will bring to Netherlands two people in wheelchairs (Baiba will go, too to help EDN there), one dog-assistant, one human assistant, two drivers and two girls who will also attend the conference. The trip will take two days there and two days back and will not cost 3000€. Still, it costs enough that we ask you to be part of it and make the first step in Matiss’ calling possible. He believes that if God has called him, He will make it possible.
Do you want to be part of Matiss’ calling? W4W team has been praying for a long time that we would not only work among people with disabilities, but that one day we would be able to send out missionaries with burning hearts who just happen to have a mobility disability, too.
Bank information
Jaunatne ar Misiju Rīga
SEB banka: LV83UNLA0050023418649
SWIFT: UNLALV2X
reģ.nr. 99500003828
Antonijas iela 4-1, Rīga, LV-1010
Description: Mission-Net
Past
• June 30 – July 8 Challenge 10 camp
• June 17 Wings for Wheels 10th anniversary
• May 28 – June 3 Evelyn took part of Branding and Marketing seminary in Sweden
• May 25 Ropes course for people with disabilities
• May 22-25 EDN steering group meeting in Riga
• May 15 Excursion to bakery
• May 13 Seminar “Let’s Give a Hand!” in Valmiera
• April 22 Presentation of the biography book by Ailita Kuka
Present
• Rasmus is in form 2
• Rasmus has no time to be at home, because he attends (voluntarily) different trainings and interest groups: ceramics, art, bicycle, swimming, hip-hop
• Kaspar leads W4W and YWAM Riga
• Kaspar is a part of YWAM Latvia national team
• Discipleship and physiotherapy
• Evelyn updates YWAM Riga and YWAM Latvia websites and helps with marketing
• YWAM Riga and W4W administration and book-keeping
• Evelyn photography
• W4W identity and preparation for the year without us
Future
• Oct 15 – charity concert for making Vilande Baptist church accessible for people in wheelchairs
• Nov 3 – starting a small group in Valmiera
• Nov 25 – Evelyn with family will be wedding photographer in Portugal
• Dec 4 – celebrating International Disability Day with banquet in the restaurant of the national library
• Dec 26 – Jan 4 Mission-Net 2017-2018 (with the road-trip)
• Adopting our daughter (still waiting in line)
• April 27-30 – EDN conference in Latvia
• Summer camp
• Starting Sept 1, 2018 Sabbatical (school) year at Hiiumaa, Estonia