Elder y Hermana Merrill in South America: Abandoned Children and Adults

I think at times, each of us has felt abandoned in one way or another. This week we had the opportunity to visit a home for those who more than feeling abandoned, truly had been abandoned. El Centro de Atención Residencial Renacer del INABIF, literally the residential home and center of attention for those who were "reborn," is a government supported facility caring for people with physical, physiological, or emotional disability who were abandoned by their families. Some are blind, some are lame, some are mentally ill, yet all are children of our Heavenly Father who loves them and we are honored to be partnering with dedicated individuals who are trying the best they can to help them live with dignity and grace.

The cost of caring for their medical and other needs was more than their families could sustain in many instances. Many of these vulnerable individuals were abandoned when their families simply moved to a new home, where they couldn't be traced or found, leaving them behind. One of the Church's wheelchair partners in Peru, CONADIS, was holding a ceremony for the delivery of the last of the wheelchairs donated to them by the Church. We were invited to participate as representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ.

We didn't know until we were invited at the beginning of the ceremony to the head table with the President of CONADIS and heard the program announced, that Rob would be saying a few words as part of the ceremony. Quickly seeking a little inspiration and heaven's help, he shared that it was our privilege to be here doing the Savior's work--helping to relieve suffering among the "least of these" our brothers and sisters--and partnering with others who are seeking to do as the Master taught us by word and deed.

It has been said that you can tell a lot about a society by how they treat their most vulnerable members. The efforts we saw evident in this facility to care for their physical, medical, emotional, and social needs speak highly of the society in which we are serving. They are continuing to seek to improve the inclusion of these vulnerable people, children and adults, into society in as full and meaningful a way as possible given their limitations.

At the ceremony, the residents entertained us with music and dancing at the wheelchair ceremony.

There was also a simulation by the country's elections officials of voting to give the disabled residents the opportunity to vote in the Presidential Election (to be held a few days later). An electronic polling place was established in the facility to permit those disabled people who are capable of voting to do so. They made accommodation for blind people, for those in wheelchairs, and other disabilities. This simulation was to give the residents a chance to practice what they would need to do to vote.
The hope is that this will make the actual voting process easier for them. The government has in recent years reached out to help disabled people vote. Previously they were marginalized and ignored.

We were given a tour of the residential facility including the shop where the residents learn painting and other handicrafts as part of their therapy. Their wares are sold to help provide some personal spending money for the artisans. We also were shown their physical therapy room which had a type of wheelchair we had heard about, but never seen up close. Some years ago, the government of an asian nation donated thousands of "wheelchairs" to Peru that were basically plastic lawn chairs with wheels and handles attached. They were not durable at all in the conditions they encountered in Peru and worse, were unable to provide the postural support that most wheelchair recipients need. Lack of postural support can cause long term detrimental health effects in disabled individuals, hurting rather than helping them.