October-November Missions Project October 12, 2009
Posted by rshort in : 3-Missions Projects , trackbackIf you’ve got a girl in your family, there’s a good chance you’ve had the pleasure of being subjected to an episode or two of Hannah Montana. I don’t have daughters but I do have two nieces who have shared this phenomenon with me and there are times I find myself unconsciously singing, “I’ve got the best of both worlds…” Ahhh!
Like Hannah, I’ve got a secret life. Ok, it’s not really a secret, but it is a part of my life that most people know little about if at all. What can my big secret be? That I’m the mother of a child with special needs. My son’s disabilities are mostly physical and mild in comparison to other children with special needs. So I find myself living in two worlds, one foot in the world of a typically developing child and another in the crazy world of IEP’s, specialists, MRI’s, therapy appointments, and adaptive technology.
I was on staff at MBC when Access Ministry first began under Kid’s Quest, but I realize now that there was a lot I never truly understood till I personally became a part of this world myself. It began the moment I held up my son’s first MRI up to the light and could clearly see the empty space on his head scan where part of his brain should have been. This was one of the most terrifying moments in my life and from there I got a quick education in what it was really like to be a parent of a special needs child.
I never knew how utterly alone I would feel. I never knew how much I would have to fight and fight hard to get my child the help he needs to thrive and grow. I never knew the mental anguish I would experience from having to be alert and vigilant 24 hours a day and never getting a break from that nagging fear in the back of my mind that something could go terribly wrong today.
I know my experience is not unique and not even a worst case scenario. Did you know that there are 40,000 children with special needs in the Washington D.C. area? That means there are a lot of parents out there feeling lost, alone, and exhausted. And those parents have an 80% chance of their marriage ending in divorce. That’s a sad and distressing statistic. If I didn’t have Christ and the loving support of others in my life, I am certain I’d be one of them. And it’s only through Christ and the help of others I can embrace and be thankful for both worlds I find myself in. That’s why I’m really excited to share with you that Kid’s Quest has selected Jill’s House as our missions project for October and November.
If you’ve driven into or past MBC Tysons recently, you can see the construction for Jill’s House well underway now. It plans to open in the fall of 2010. Jill’s House will serve children age 6-17 through short-term overnight care, social activities, and a range of therapy activities. This will enable parents to get the break they need to concentrate on their marriage or to spend with their other children.
This month our elementary children are learning about individuality and discovering who they are meant to be. As part of our Large Group programming, we’ll be sharing specific stories about individual children who will be served by Jill’s House, a place where children with special needs can discover and celebrate who they are meant to be in an environment that is welcoming, safe, engaging, and fun. Please share with your children how their offering gifts will be used to impact the lives of other children in the DC area and join with us in praying for all the lives that will be touched through this ministry.
To learn more about Jill’s House and how you can be a supporter, visit their website at www.jillshouse.org. Also, if you’re on Facebook, become a fan of their page at www.facebook.com/jillshouse.
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