Truett grad with cerebral palsy needs missionary companion in India

Just like the Apostle Paul needed Luke the physician as his traveling companion on missionary journeys, a wheelchair-bound young woman who feels called to India needs someone to serve alongside her.

Heather Herschap worked in Bangalore on two month-long mission trips— during the summers of 2005 and 2006—with the help of classmates at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary and WorldconneX, a missions network the Baptist General Convention of Texas launched.

Herschap, who has cerebral palsy, served with proVision Asia, counseling and ministering to physically challenged people.

Heather Herschap worked in Bangalore, India, on two month-long mission trips when she was a student at Truett Theological Seminary. She feels called to return for a one-year missions commitment, but she needs a caregiver to serve with her. (PHOTO/Ken Camp)

Since her graduation from seminary, she has dreamed of returning to India for an extended one-year missions experience.

But finding a classmate who could receive field-experience credit for a one-month missions trip proved easier than enlisting a long-term traveling companion. After more than 18 months, she has been unable to find a caregiver to accompany her.

“There have been possibilities along the way, but they all fizzled out for a number of reasons,” she said.

While she has found it “very difficult to wait,” Herschap noted her physical limitations make it essential that someone to travel with her.

“Cerebral palsy is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain at birth. That means my body is spastic—tense and contracted—affecting my extremities with complete feeling in my entire body. There is a loss of hand-eye coordination and fine motor control,” Herschap explained.

As a result, she needs help with bathing, grooming, basic hygiene and transportation.

“I need to be pushed in a manual wheel chair, but I can drive an electric one on my own,” she added.

If she can find a caregiver, both she and her traveling companion would serve with proVision Asia under the auspices of the Mission to Unreached Peoples missions-sending organization.

“I need someone not only to take care of my basic needs, but also to be my missions partner, going and serving as a missionary, as well,” Herschap explained.

Responsibilities include providing respite care for parents of children with physical disabilities, as well as helping disabled people with vocational training, physical therapy, job placement and English-language skills.

The caregiver would not have to be a seminary graduate, but she would need to complete training provided by Mission to Unreached Peoples. Herschap remains confident she has enough financial support to cover her caregiver’s expenses and provide some compensation, as well.

Anyone interested in more information about serving as Herschap’s caregiver in India can e-mail her at herschapah@gmail.com.

Waiting and searching unsuccessfully for a missions companion has proven frustrating, Herschap admits. But she remains confident God has a plan and purpose.

“I’m completely out of ideas. It’s all in God’s hands,” she said. “I’ve given it back to him.”