Friday, Oct. 17th I stood in the room surrounded by such special people. They are special because some have never been able speak, some have never been able to walk, some can’t remember talking to you after ten minutes, and some are so normal and yet are trapped in their crippled body unable to speak. This particular day I had the opportunity of ministering to the consumers at Horizons, an adult day care center in Harlan, KY.
While I had been doing it all week, this day seemed to be special. I had heard from some of the staff the stories of a few of the consumers and one in particular really hit me. There is this young adult guy there, James. He is in his mid-twenties and is diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. If you don’t know what it is it’s a genetic neurological disorder. His body is becoming crippled each day and he is unable to speak. He still can get around a little bit but it is no easy task. As I observed him that day, I saw him teasing the staff by holding the door closed from the inside. He definitely has a grasp on what’s going on.
Anyway, while there today I sat beside him and started talking to him. I knew that he couldn’t really answer back. He could, you just couldn’t understand him. Either way, I decided to tell him a couple stories from my summer. A downs syndrome man came over about the same age named Jonny and said that he can’t talk back. My immediate response was “but he can listen.” At that he made no further remarks, he just sat down like a child, Indian style on the floor and listened as I told a couple stories. The three of us laughed. I knew that that was what God wanted me to do at that moment. Be able to treat James as a normal person, because he is, he’s so smart and from what saw it seemed he didn’t get that much attention because it took so much to understand what he needed.
I also came to learn that he lives in a trailer all by himself and that he keep his place in really good shape. It blows my mind away to think that this guy who struggles to walk and get around can take care of a whole place. Shows us other American who don’t clean how horrible we really are.
Anyway, this particular day I not only had the opportunity of speaking to James and Jonny but the Lord used me to lend a listening ear to another customer and pray for her too. I’m sure you may have heard of people taking advantage of mentally challenged people but have you really thought about it. It happens, and while I was talking to this one particular women she shared with me a story about what had happened to her. I prayed with her and encouraged her to talk to someone from her family or staff. She seemed appreciative for the prayers and asked that I continue to pray.
There were two ladies that I saw before heading out the door. One was Dorothy, she was what you would call high functioning and loved to talk. Anyway, I was leaving and I was saying my goodbyes when one of the team members asked Dorothy if she knew who I was and she replied, “well, she, she is full of spit and vindegar!” At first, I had no idea what she said and I wasn’t sute it was good either. Finally I figured it out and boy did I laugh. Actually everyone on the team did. I guess that’s my personality for you, so full of spit and vinegar, you never know what to expect. The second lady I saw was more of a lady my age with autism. She didn’t speak when we were there but she would go around and look at people’s hands. As I was leaving out the door, I was the last one out she was standing close by and I heard her say “Goodbye” the first words the whole time I saw her. What an honor it was to be able to hear her speak and to know that she was thankful for our presence there.
I wanted to thank you for all your prayers on the trip. I have more stories to tell but I don’t have the time tonight and I want to be sure to save some for the newsletter that you should be seeing real soon. Things have been really starting to get busy here so sorry for the delay in posting blogs. Keep praying for me and my ministry and let me know if there’s anyway I can be praying for you.
James, me and Jonny at Horizons.
