Together, We Can Make A Difference
The weather forecast for the April 30th, 2016 was rain when I checked a week before the date. We had been praying for good weather. Good enough for us to be able to walk in the woods. We visited the site, and I knew we needed some sunshine to dry up the path. I lifted my eyes to the heavens; “Lord, You gave us a good weather last year, You can do it again.”
Friday, April 29th, the sun blazed the horizon. I smiled.
“Have you checked the weather for tomorrow?”
“We have good weather,” I replied.
“What’s the temperature?”
“I am not checking.”
“So how do you know the weather will be good for the walk?”
“I asked God to give us a good weather, good enough to walk in the woods.”
It was indeed a good day. Outfitted in multiple shades of yellow T-Shirts, and yellow and green bracelets, the Friends of Feet of Grace were set to Hit the Street so that six amputees may walk again.
More than one hundred and twenty (120) Friends of the Feet of Grace gathered together in eight locations across four countries (UK, Nigeria, USA, and Switzerland) to participate in the flagship event that marks the commencement of the Foundation’s fundraising efforts for the year. The target for 2016 is 25,000.00 Swiss francs. The funds raised will be used to procure prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs for six amputees.
By the time, we started in Geneva two friends of the Feet of Grace had already completed the walk in Kent. They set out at 5.00am. The walk was underway in Zurich, Leeds, Surrey and Abuja. The three UK teams defied the cold weather to complete the 5km Charity Walk.
After a brief welcome message, I shared the stories of the amputees to be supported in 2016 by the Feet of Grace Foundation. These are the people waiting in hope. I believed that as we carried them in our hearts as we walk, they will give us the impetus to keep putting one foot in front of the other when fatigue begins to set in. At least that was what it did for me.
When I started my walk at 10:38 am, I was already fatigued from the stress of organizing the event and not sleeping enough. The first 500 meters was an ordeal. My body cried out in protest. All I wanted was to sit down and take off my “Feet of Grace” but I realized that we had forgotten the stool I planned to use during the walk. There were no clean tree stumps or fallen branches in sight to sit on. I thought if I could just make it to the first junction, which was about 800 meters from the starting point, I would turn back and give up on the Walk for this year. But I had committed to walking 5km. I wanted to do more than the 3km I did the year before.
“Lord, please help me. Give me the grace to go on.” I prayed silently in my heart. I kept going, one foot in front of the other. The irritation in my stumps stopped. I kept going. Strength flowed into my tired muscles. And I kept going. 3 km completed. I kept going. Still no clean tree stump in sight to sit on until we went just over 5 km and we realized that we were off the track. I sat down on the tree stump for a while. Elated that against the odd I completed 5 km. But quite unsure how much longer I could walk. The horsemen on the trail told me we were 30 minutes from the starting point. The cyclist confirmed it. Thirty minutes more of walking seemed like forever. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” had been reechoing in my heart since I started the walk. I began to speak it loud again; “I can do this. Six amputees must walk this year.”
The two young ladies who walked with me chatted nonstop throughout the Walk. I was amazed at their enthusiasm. They passed me water to drink and tissue paper for my dripping nose. They provided me with entertainment for the journey.
One hour and fifty-two minutes after I started the walk, I arrived back at the starting point having completed 6.93km. It could only have been God.
Mission accomplished, we got into the car at 1:30 pm to head back home. The sun disappeared. Heavy raindrops splattered the car. Our walk was done. The rain began its scheduled work for the day. God is surely faithful. He held the rain back for us to do what He appointed us to do for that day. As the rain came down, our praises went up.
We have completed the 2016 Charity Walk. it was successful in all the locations. We are so grateful to all the Team Leaders in each location. You did an excellent job. We appreciate all the Friends of Feet of Grace who came out to walk with us. We ask God bless and reward you.
The work of fundraising has begun. It is not once and for all. We will continue to appeal to and encourage the Friends of Feet of Grace to be conduits of God’s blessings to the six amputees waiting in hope to receive support in 2016. We are persuaded that together, we can make a difference to lives and make dreams come true for these amputees.
This is our prayer for you who have donated and will continue donate;
May the Lord make you all inexhaustible dispensers of good. May He cause all grace to abound to you so that you having all sufficiency in all things, at all times and in every situation, may abound to every good work. We present to you the Feet of Grace Foundation as a fertile ground to sow your seeds. We are fully confident that God will give you bounteous harvests as you do so.
Please donate online at www.gofundme.com/funds4timi or contact us at info@feetofgracefoundation.org for details of how you can donate by bank transfer.
Together, we are enriching lives and making a difference in the lives of amputees, one amputee at a time.