Carried each day by their parents’ love, Paul and Lui face life with courage and hope. Discover how your 13th Sabbath Offering is helping families in Vanuatu care for children with disabilities—sharing practical help and the love of Jesus.
Fred and Elsie are blessed with six boys and one daughter. Fred worked as a teacher in Vanuatu. Two of their sons, Lui and Paul were born healthy. As toddlers, they ran, laughed, and played just like the other children in their village. But everything changed when they were struck by illness at a young age.
“But then all of a sudden he [Lui] got fever, and then he was affected. Then all of a sudden, Paul, too, got the same sickness. I took them to the hospital for therapy. They tried to help them.”
The illness left Lui and Paul with disabilities, changing their lives forever. Desperate for better care, Fred and Elsie moved to the city, to be closer to better hospitals and therapy facilities. Yet daily life remains a struggle. Their sons can no longer walk or speak normally. With the help of their other children, Fred and Elsie provide the love and care that Lui and Paul need.
“We live in a tiny house. We have a big responsibility looking after the two boys with special needs. Every morning when we wake up, we have to carry them out, put them on their wheelchairs, or put them lying on the mat. Then, their mother has to serve the food, and we have to feed them, because they have difficulty feeding themselves.”
Paul and Lui love the game of Cricket. Despite their challenges, their dreams are simple yet profound, reflecting the hope and faith that sustain them.
“When I grow up, I want to become a policeman.”
“When Jesus comes, I want Jesus and me to go to heaven.”
It’s not easy for the boys to maintain their health. The challenges are overwhelming. Rough roads make medical care difficult to access. During the rainy season, Fred and Elsie must carry Lui and Paul for several kilometers before reaching transportation to the hospital. Even basic needs, such as nutritious food, a proper toilet, and a safe place for bathing, are hard to secure.
“The biggest challenge I am facing now in caring for Lui and Paul is that they have grown into young adults and are becoming very heavy. This makes it difficult to move them around and provide the care they need. I would love it if there was a clinic, some sort of first aid clinic, close by, so that they can more easily access medicine.”
In Vanuatu, children with disabilities face many hardships, including malnutrition, limited access to healthcare, and few opportunities for education. Families like Lui and Paul’s often struggle just to meet their basic needs. But there is hope. This quarter, your 13th Sabbath Offering will support families like theirs by providing help to grow nutritious food.
“There will also be distribution of wheelchairs and other assistive devices to help children with special needs. So it's not only a humanitarian project–it’s also an avenue by which we can share the life of Jesus.”
Your prayers and support are needed. Together, we can give hope to families who long for a brighter future.
“Thank you for your support through the 13th Sabbath offering for Vanuatu.”
