Let me introduce you to two more: Glenn Hebert and Marilyn Cooper.
Glenn and Marilyn, married for 25 years or so, retired to Austin and joined our church.
After a couple of trips to Ecuador, they decided to move their temporarily as long-term volunteers with FEDICE, working in cooperation with the Global Ministries of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Marilyn's main work is teaching English in the indigenous villages of the Imbabura province. Glenn, with a healthy sense of humour, terms himself a "missionary assistant."
What's remarkable about Glenn and Marilyn is that Glenn is confined to a wheelchair. He has severe mobility issues and needs help moving, eating, almost everything. Marilyn lifts, totes and loves.
Ecuador is not a handicap-accessible place. Living there must take tremendous effort. And they are doing remarkable work. Glenn, with his keen mind and wit, is their Spanish-English dictionary. Marilyn, with animation and smiles, is teaching and making friends.
Global Ministries' written mission statement is "to a shared life in Christ and to an ecumenical sharing of resources." That's what Glenn and Marilyn are doing: sharing life with others and sharing resources -- money, for sure, but also the resources of time and laughter and love.
That's what superheroes do: share love.
Yes, yes, ditto! I would also put the guys who lifted Glenn on and off the bus: you, Mark, TJ, Darrell, bus drivers, and anyone else I missed, up there with the superheroes. I sure would have hated not having Glenn along, and these guys kept that from happening!
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