Harmonious Center

Update from Kelli’s Team (Kristen, Jimmy, Rachel & Conner) with the Holloway Family

Today was awesome! Our team traveled two hours to Peng Zhou where we spent the day at a residential rehabilitation community called Harmonious Center. We met with the director who told us the story of how he was called to provide a place for people with disabilities who might otherwise have nowhere to go. Each resident at Harmonious Center has either cognitive disabilities, physical disabilities, or both. We are blessed to have Rachel, a physical therapist, on our team who was able to assess some of the residents and give the caretakers some ways to begin mobilizing joints and introduce movement and gentle stretching into their daily activities. Trent brought his guitar and Conner found a drum and they played for hours. I began to notice that the residents were very aware of each other. If one was standing alone, another would go and hold her hand or include that person in some way. Others helped wheelchair-bound residents as needed. Most of them were gathered in the square for the music, which was a huge hit. Many danced and some even sang along with the worship songs, even though their English was very limited. We were given His eyes and heart for these people, and it was evident that they had a firm grasp on how we are called to love one another. One of my greatest blessings of the day (and there were many) was when I ran back to the women’s dorm to say goodbye. The blind man I had met earlier walked into the room with a large basin of water. I stood there quietly as he began to sing and wash the feet of one of the ladies who couldn’t walk. The Father showed me today that I am called to use the abilities He has given me to serve those in my path.

– Kristen Gwaltney