A few of us visited the Persatuan Insan Istimewa Cheras (Home for Special People) on September 16, 2024. It was heart-wrenching when I arrived there seeing with my own eyes many disabled children. The majority of them are adult age, but they are called children because of their mental disabilities.

There were many questions in my head. Why are they born disabled? What have they done wrong to deserve this? Why is this world so unfair? Did they even sin or did their parents sin so badly to produce disabled children? Can they be saved if they don’t even have the mental ability to accept Jesus? Why? How? What?....

I have no answers at that time. But deep in my heart, I felt so much empathy for them and wanted them to have Jesus in their lives to save them or bless them in whatever way. How can I communicate with them? It was my first time approaching mentally disabled children.

I asked Kelvin who works in the centre, if any children could understand something. He pointed me to a boy. Immediately, I went to talk to him and we chatted a little bit with some simple words. I told him, “Jesus is a very good God. Jesus loves you. He will protect you and give you good health and happiness. Would you like to have Jesus in your life?” To my surprise, he said Yes immediately! Wow! I never thought that evangelism was so easy with him! I asked him to follow me to pray the sinner’s prayer to accept Jesus in his life. Yes, he did it! Hallelujah!

Here we go, I was getting warmed up and more confident now. I asked Kelvin for another child. He pointed me to another boy. Bingo! Again, he said Yes immediately! After we prayed, I told the second boy, “Jesus will protect you and make you happy.” He was beaming with joy with the biggest smile in the whole centre as if he won a million-dollar lottery! What a pure-hearted child!

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14). All the children created by God belong to Him including the disabled children. Even if they don’t have the mental ability to accept Jesus just like a baby, of course, God has already accepted them. By the amazing grace of God and His abounding mercy, I believe that their salvations are covered by the death of Jesus on the cross. Although they live a very unfortunate life on earth from the “eyes of normal people”, heaven is guaranteed for them where they will be made whole and complete again, as promised by God.

Why were they born disabled? It is traced back to the original or first sin of mankind when the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Since then, death and sickness, evil and sins have come into this world. Many generations of people were born, sick, and died. But our merciful God has a salvation plan to save us, which is none other than sacrificing His Son Jesus Christ to be born as human. In fact, when the Son of God was born as a human, Jesus was voluntarily born “disabled” when He left the perfect heaven to live among the broken and “disabled” world. But, Jesus is willing to sacrifice himself to die for us on the cross to redeem us. Do you know how privileged you are? Do you get it?

I like to bless you with a Chinese worship song, 只因生命有祢 (Because I have you in my life). I’m sure everyone agrees that the journey of life is difficult, especially for disabled children. And, the journey of life could be even more difficult for those who are seriously giving their life to serve God, as they are battling between the temptation of the world and the calling of God. But if you have Jesus in your life, you will be revived by the fire of the Holy Spirit as written in the lyrics of this song! Amen!

** Persatuan Insan Istimewa Cheras is currently caring for 44 disabled children who are from either single-parent or poor families. If you wish to visit or donate, visit https://leshancheras.org/