Your Life of Service is an Example of Christ

Q&A with Bart Wilson, former Wheels for the World Shop Supervisor at Metro-Davidson Detention Facility in Tennessee.

Bart jumped into the adventure of serving people with disabilities on a recent Wheels for the World trip to Guatemala, where he volunteered as a mechanic. At the wheelchair distribution, Bart was able to share the love of Jesus with those he served through his skills. When it was all over, lives were changed, including his own…

What were your expectations leading up to the Wheels outreach?

I expected that not only would the wheelchair recipients be blessed by the gift of mobility, but that I would be as well by the feeling that comes from serving others in need. I knew that this unique perspective would enable me to do an even better job of restoring wheelchairs when I got back home. 

What did God teach you?

I had never spent any time around many people with disabilities so I was a bit nervous, but God immediately took that anxiety and gave me the eyes to see beyond the disability and simply love them. Also, I learned just how much a wheelchair can change the lives of entire families.

What would you say to someone who is considering going on a Wheels trip? 

I thought I knew what went on with these Wheels for the World trips but I truly had no clue! This experience rose far above any expectations I had. God transformed my heart for the disability community. I cried, I laughed a lot, and I came home with the motivation and drive to serve–which I may never have received otherwise. I had to step out of my comfort zone at times, and I enjoyed serving God by helping people with disabilities.