Lausanne World Pulse – WORLD EVANGELISM & MISSIONS REPORTS – Friends of the Disabled in Latin America Impacting Thousands for Christ

By Judy Nuñez

Caring for the disabled in Latin America is the concern of FRIDLA.

Friends of the Disabled Latin America, Inc. (FRIDLA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to glorifying God by seeking out and assisting those affected by disability, presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ and building them up in the faith. This ministry model began in Chile in 1996.

My husband and I were part of a church planting team in Santiago, Chile, and decided that our hearts’ desire was to help those affected by disabilities. I had been a victim of polio as a child. We had become involved with Refugio Esperanza, a camp in Chile for children with disabilities. In July 1996, with the help of the Joni and Friends program “Wheels for the World,” we held our first evangelistic outreach and distribution of wheelchairs and other mobility equipment to the economically disadvantaged in Santiago, Chile.

We discovered that as soon as the distribution was over, no one was interested in ministering to people with disabilities. It was apparent that everyone who volunteered wanted to help with a “good work”; however, that was as far as it went.

We began to seek out and train volunteers in disability awareness as a requirement for serving as a volunteer with the ministry. In 1997 we formed a non-profit corporation in Chile made up of nationals so that disability ministry would be ongoing. This would also give us the ability to import the wheelchairs without paying import taxes.

Meeting the Needs of the Disabled
The primary focus of the non-denominational, non-profit corporation is ministering to and evangelizing those affected by disability. Helping the physical needs of this people group, empowering the local churches and mobilizing the nationals for follow-up and discipleship accomplish this objective. After each wheelchair, walker or other mobility implement is custom fitted for the recipient, the entire family is presented the gospel in a private setting.

While on furlough in September 1995, my husband was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The doctors gave him six months to live. He felt compelled to return to Chile. His dream was to help me begin the ministry. I was in a lumbar brace and in constant pain. Considering our health problems, everyone thought we were crazy for returning to Chile! As it turned out, God’s plan was for my husband to live for two years. In 1997 the ministry spread to southern Chile and there were plans to take the ministry to northern Chile in 1998. My husband died in Santiago in September 1997, but not before God allowed him to see his dream fulfilled.