Bernie's Story

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and isn’t it amazing how God will lead us?

Like the way He’s led Bernie Punte all these years. Now Bernie was a Christian, but he really wasn’t involved in outreach or ministry. One day, though, he was listening to Christian radio (just like you are) and he happened to come across "Joni and Friends", and when Bernie heard about our outreach to people with disabilities around the world, he gave a donation (bless his heart). And for that, he received a note of thanks and a copy of my book, Joni (which he read). The Joni book really inspired him and got him to thinking and he wondered, "Well, wow! What have I done in my life to serve others?" So, right there, he sensed God was leading him, but to what? Where was he to serve? Well, when he got connected to our ministry, he also learned about ‘Wheels for the World’ and that really got him energized. He decided to travel with us overseas as a wheelchair mechanic on a Wheels team.

For Bernie, serving on the Wheels team was wonderful. It was a chance to make a real impact on the lives of needy, disabled people; giving them not only wheelchairs but Bibles and the message of salvation. When we sensed his enthusiasm, we decided to ask if he would also like to collect wheelchairs for us, but he politely declined as he had a full-time job and could not imagine having the hours to do that as well. Little did he know that God had different plans. Because for the next two days, all Bernie could think about was collecting wheelchairs! He felt strongly that God was leading him to give it a try. And so, he called Joni and Friends back up and he signed up to be a Chair Corps volunteer. And when he did that, he felt such peace. God had led him from one thing to the next, and now, he knew that his service in the kingdom would be to collect wheelchairs to be restored so that disabled people, who have nothing, could now have freedom to move about.

And now? For fourteen years, this man has been gladly collecting wheelchairs in the Baltimore area and beyond. Bernie’s a really friendly guy and he’s made great friends with all sorts of leaders and community organizations and businesses. He’s building relationships; he’s sharing seeds of the Gospel. God has given him such favor, that he’s forged friendships with wheelchair donors who sometimes give as many as 60 wheelchairs at a time. As his success grew, it became necessary for Bernie to acquire a permanent storage space for all these wheelchairs. And through the help of some friends, he was able to buy a trailer that can store up to about 120 wheelchairs at a time. I mean, this guy’s collected thousands of wheelchairs, and he also continues to travel every year as a mechanic with Wheels for the World. Serving on outreaches and fitting refurbished wheelchairs to people moves Bernie's heart. And it energizes him to keep collecting wheelchairs because every year he sees new people whose lives are being changed by the gift of mobility and hope in Jesus. God has led him all this way… so that he could be used of the Lord to bring people to Christ in a most unusual way. Look, friend, God might be asking you to serve and maybe serve as a Chair Corps volunteer like Bernie. If so, he’d say: "Give it a try.” And I would say the same. I’ve posted a video today on what it looks like to actually collect wheelchairs—so for more info on how you can have a ministry, a ministry that changes people’s lives, a ministry like Bernie’s, contact joniradio.org today. And as Hebrews 13 says, God will equip you with all you need for doing His will. That’s a promise from the Word of God to you. Visit my radio page today at joniandfriends.org and while you are there be sure to share a prayer request. When you have a chance today, drop by joniandfriends.org.

By: Joni Eareckson Tada

© Joni and Friends

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