Editor’s Note: Veteran Lay Missioner, Joe Loney, recently observed one of our newest missioners, Wilber Montoya, as they made their way around Entre Ríos, Bolivia visiting different people in need. 

We strive to accompany children, youths and adults who are yearning to know decency, justice and hope. In the musical context, accompaniment means to perform a vocal or instrumental part to support or complement a melody. Wilber Montoya, one of MKLM´s newest missioners from El Salvador who works in the municipality of Entre Ríos, Bolivia, gives us a vivid picture of what it means to perform his accompaniment part well.

Entre Ríos is large, rural municipality organized in five districts, spread out over nearly 40 kilometers along both sides of a highway with a population of over forty-five thousand. Although the land is fertile and grows many fruits such as papaya, oranges and bananas along with grains such as corn, rice and soy beans, over 95% of the residents work in the informal sector of the economy—working in small businesses for themselves or others.  Many are day laborers who toll in the fields of others.

Although Wilber has been working “in the fields of Entre Ríos” for just a few months, he already walks and works together with a group of 15 children and adults with severe, multiple disabilities.  During a recent travel to Entre Ríos, I witnessed his willingness to team up with the persons with disabilities and their families.

In the home of siblings Erik and Yeydy, for example, Wilber rolled up his sleeves and jointly performed physical therapy services for them–along with the professional physical therapist as their severe, physical disabilities necessitate maintaining good circulation of the legs that no longer provide them with mobility.

In the home of a very small and thin, five-year-old Dilan, Wilber helped to coordinate the delivery of a donated, new bed, mattress and nutritional foods up over a high, two-story railing of his father´s one room apartment as the narrow stairway made a conventional delivery impossible. Now Don Victor, the single parent of Dilan with cerebral parsley, can have a decent bed for his son and himself and can prepare nutritious meals.  Don Victor expressed his deep gratitude to Wilber– with smiles, handshakes and words– for his solidarity as he earns sporadically in a nearby carpentry shop whenever there is work.

In a poorly lighted, mud floor home, Wilber and I met Richard—a 17-year-old with the developmental aged of 3— and his mother Doña Celestina.  When I informed Doña Celestina that Wilber will be inviting her to join a self-help group of mothers with children with severe disabilities, she asked out loud, “Are there other mothers in Entre Ríos with children like my son?”  Wilber responded that there are over 15 children with severe, multiple disabilities in Entre Ríos.  Upon learning that she was not alone, Doña Celestina visibly gave a huge sigh of relief and expressed a ready willingness to attend the self help group.

Wilber strives to teach the parents like Doña Celestina that they are not alone–which is a critical knowledge for the parents to be able to organize, help one another and achieve a dignified life for their children with disabilities.  He builds solidarity with a group of 15 home-bound children with severe disabilities via monthly home visits.

Wilber is a team member in the Maryknoll Lay Missioner Project for persons with disabilities that provides educational, health, and economic sustenance services to over 500 persons with disabilities.

We ask you to practice solidarity by donating so that Maryknoll Lay Missioners can continue to help to organize the parents to help themselves so that their children with severe disabilities can truly know dignity, justice and hope.