Hi Brent & Ty,
Tuesday afternoon, I got to observe 2 of our students from the Stand in an amazing, unexpected way.
Tuesday was John's Christmas program at Jardon Vocational School. Jardon is a school for special ed students ages 18 -26. Students range from mildly impaired like John to wheelchair users who use grunts and groans or assistive technology to speak as well as cognitively impaired (mentally retarded). John was in the choir. The program was something our Kids Kingdom would have performed easily. The focus was on the various December holidays: Christmas, Kwanza, a Muslim holiday that celebrates Abraham's attempted sacrifice of Isaac and Hanukah. John had a small speaking part about what Christmas means to Christians.
We've known about this program for 2 months as we've helped John practice his lines. Unknown to us, John invited Brad McCarthy and Michael Solt from HPBC and the Stand. I didn't know they were there until after the program when John walked them over to me. These guys are probably in the middle of their final exams this week or could have spent their time doing much more entertaining things. Yet, they took time out to support John and other students that John has brought to the Crash or Stand. Society has put those young disabled adults on the edge to borrow a term from last Sunday's message.
As we were walking out, Brad and Michael ran into Hannah, Gail, and Tony, all young adults that John has brought to either the Stand or Crash. Brad and Michael stopped and talked with each one of them encouraging them to come to the Stand this coming Sunday. Brad and Michael could have just brushed them off in a hurry to leave a place where they were clearly out of their element, BUT they didn't.
It turned out that I had parked next to Brad and Michael so we walked to our cars together. I shared with the guys that Jardon always reminds me that John could be a lot worse off physically and cognitively and that as his muscle disease progresses, we will be dealing with issues like they saw with the more severely impaired students. I told both the boys how much I appreciated their ministry to John by coming to the program as well as their continued watchful care for him at church and on outings. Brad said: Mrs. Yarina, "we've got John covered. We all watch out for him". I know they do.
In case you never noticed, John usually sits between the 2 guys during worship. As the service progresses, John leans to the left as his muscles are weaker on that side. Usually he ends up touching or leaning against the person on his left. I have never noticed either young man to scoot away when John is touching them.
Those two guys gave me a wonderful Christmas gift: watching them minister to young adults with disabilites who live on the edge.
Barb Yarina
Since that trip to Mexico I took with you guys few years ago, I still think of Brad as someone I hope my kids grow up to be like.
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