Last week we finished up our #Mission2Missionaries, which you can read more about here.
It is strange to be on the other side of a mission trip!
It was an incredible and exhausting week. It took us a couple days of processing to even figure out what had actually happened after it ended! Bethany was incredible in our home and empowered us to take on every part of Keller’s life as therapy for him. He is actually loving it and really enjoys the growth and challenges. We watch him to see when it gets too much but we know we need to push him daily. He is doing awesome. We had two incredible community workshops about autism and special needs that were very well attended and are still getting ‘rave reviews.’ People were given knowledge and steps in how to engage people in need wherever they are at. It was brilliant. Bethany met with the principal at the special needs school here in Ocean View and even met with one mother who had a recent autism diagnosis of her son. Amazing.
But for us as a family her time here goes beyond what words can express.
It touched us deeply.
Through our hours of conversation, learning, and engaging in EVERY part of our life, we somehow now find ourselves in a different world with autism. I feel like before autism was hovering over me like a dark cloud, making everything dreary and impossibly sad. NOW I feel like I am bigger and stronger than autism and looking down on it like a challenge but one I know we will overcome. I think Casey would say he learned a lot and understands it all more. Can you tell who is the feeler of the two of us?
Truly, something shifted in both of us over the week, and I can only give the glory and honor to God for that. God moved within us and helped us to see everything from a different perspective. We can do this and we will do this. Keller is excelling but it goes beyond the physical and palpable signs of growth. God is in our midst and He will do amazing things. We are ready to see miracles and looking for every single little miracle He gives us.
In Bethany and her husband Eric we have made new life-long friends. We are now family. In our community of Ocean View (and beyond) we are now known as a special needs family who is passionately and loudly advocating for those who were previously overlooked. We are in it together and we are dragging a BUNCH of people along with us on this crazy ride. Casey and I are good, we are strong, we are one, and we are THANKFUL.
All the glory and honor and praise to our MIGHTY GOD!
Oh, and it seems that being on the receiving end of a mission trip can be good. Really, REALLY good. Amen.