Special Needs Ministries Congress - the day after. The congress ended a week ago, but the memories still live.
It was a challenge to organize this congress, because it required special attention just because the participants were special, most of them with different disabilities. The congress took place October 19-22, in Bucharest, Romania, home of Rise and Walk, one of the associations organized by the Seventh-day Adventists that deals exclusively with welcoming the blind, the deaf, those with disabilities in motor skills and mental disabilities. Everyone was well represented at the congress, including many caregivers.
"There were about 180 of us in Bucharest, coming from different countries in Europe," says Corrado Cozzi, project manager and head of Special Needs Ministries (SNM) at the Inter-European Region of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (EUD), "it was thrilling from the very first day. We welcomed so many people in wheelchairs and other people with disabilities, they were smiling and happy to attend a congress organized exclusively for them".
And yes, many times we do not realize the difficulties that our disabled friends have in attending meetings where there is a lack of adequate provisions, but that was meticulously done in Bucharest. The Rin Grand Hotel hosted the meetings and was extremely welcoming.
The congress program included moments of reflection and motivation, moments of dialogue and active participation, a recreational evening, targeted workshops, a sports competition, a visit to one of the most important monuments of Bucharest: the Palazzo del Popolo, and a lot of social interaction.
The motto: Faith Beyond Limits, inspired everyone, because we overcame the limits that normally block simple interpersonal relationships, especially in areas of different disabilities.
"As for me, it was a great experience," affirmed Roswitha Wagner, Congress co-organizer. "I felt an atmosphere of love, respect and happiness. It didn't matter how handicapped people were, they looked so happy. For example, a young man on a wheelchair with a Superman shirt, came to me on Monday, opened his arms to give me a good-bye hug with a huge smile. The Holy Spirit was definitely present! My mind felt exhausted, but my heart was overflowing."
“I was very happy for the opportunity to meet new people and get to know some of their stories” said Patrick Johnson, Special Needs Ministries coordinator of the Trans-European Region of the Seventh-day Adventists and the main guest of the congress. “I think Rise and Walkare doing an amazing job of bringing people together and creating a sense of identity and worth within the group.”
“This event showed what can happen when we value each other and create opportunities for working together” said Sophia Nicholls, ASNA (Adventist Special Needs Association) co-founder and director, “the experience and outcome was enriching for everyone. The well thought-through programme, the activities, presentations and workshops were all excellent.”
“I appreciated the active participation of people with special needs” echoed Josef Slowick, University Professor in Faculty of Education in the Czech Republic, “I knew this would always decrease the level of their social handicap stigma - and also help to remove prejudice.”
From his professional point of view, Slowick confirmed that this congress was a wonderful opportunity to start networking for Special Needs Ministries throughout Europe giving further contribution from the church to this special ministry that affects more than 1 billion people on Earth.
“Many of the Deaf who were present at the conference told me that they are willing to help and collaborate with other disabilities,” shared Taida Rivero, Deaf Ministry Director in Spain. “This event has been good for deaf participants, even though a specific congress for the deaf is definitely planned.”
George Uba, creator of Rise and Walk association adds:
“By uniting hope and faith, the blind discovered that they can see, the deaf discovered they could hear and the people in wheelchairs learned they could walk. All participants got up and walked following the One that promised total recovery and eternal reward. It was a spectacle of unlimited joy, a variety of disabilities that was transformed to a variety of abilities, talents and creativity that offered an immense source of inspiration for a fully lived life.”
The Sunday evening ceremony concluded this first Congress with a parade of nations represented at the event. Flags representing delegations at the congress, waved happily, matching all their happy faces.
"I cannot forget those happy faces," says Cozzi, "while I was organizing the event, I hoped that everyone could actively be part of the whole program, which was mostly coordinated by people with special needs. To a large extent we have succeeded, and the request to continue organizing such events is confirmation that hope has not been in vain".
