Serving Adults With Disabilities

By |Published On: July 10, 2020|Categories: 4-Minute Radio Program|
Close up of two older men with glasses who appear to have developmental disabilities smiling at the camera.

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I love the way God works!

And I’m thinking about that today because recently I was at a medical appointment – things are opening up with COVID-19. And while my husband and I were enjoying dinner, this attractive young woman sat down, you know, at a socially-distanced place near us with her laptop and notes. I figured she was a college student, but halfway through our meal, she got up, and came over and introduced herself. Her name was Teresa and she recognized me. A few months earlier she had visited our Joni and Friends International Disability Center in Agoura and she’d taken our tour.

Well, Teresa went on to explain that she is actually a special-needs mother of Holly, a young adult who has severe autism, is pretty much non-verbal, but whose computer skills are way off the charts. She said, “My daughter is so bright, so exceptional, but so few people understand that.” I also learned at that point that Teresa is a single, special-needs mom. And she was at the deli waiting for an appointment with another special-needs mother from over in Santa Monica who recently developed an educational program for young people like Holly. Teresa went on to say that, “There’s absolutely nothing for kids once they reach 21 years old. All school programs, all those things are gone once our children become young adults. There’s nothing out there for Holly.” And I knew what she meant. I also know other parents like Teresa who are frightened for their children, dreading the day they are no longer eligible for school and community special-needs programs.

But Teresa was doing something about it, and so is her friend from Santa Monica. Together they’ve started a program that offers life skill training, recreational activities, vocational help, job support to young adults with disabilities. It even includes how to buy and prepare food and how to do laundry. They also help young people get jobs. “But,” Teresa said, “we have no place to meet during the weekdays.” Immediately I thought of a nearby church that has lots of facility space. And so I asked Teresa if I could introduce her to the special-needs director at that church; perhaps the church could provide a classroom during the week. Well, Teresa brightened up. And to make a long story short, yep, she met with this church and, yep, the church was happy to provide a classroom so that this community program could reach more special-needs families. What’s wonderful is, Teresa and her friends over in Santa Monica have gotten involved in this church and its special-needs outreach. And it’s become one way – just one way – that the Holy Spirit is working not only to reach these weary special-needs moms of young people with disabilities, the Spirit is working on their hearts and the hearts of all the other parents of those kids involved in the program.

And I share Teresa’s story because it’s so common; it’s being repeated thousands of times across our country. When boys and girls with disabilities reach young adulthood, there needs to be more for them than sitting at home and feeling isolated from the mainstream of life. And churches? Well, it could be a whole mission field of moms and dads and young people like Holly who can be reached with the Good News and a day program that will enrich their lives, the lives of these kids with disabilities. So, please be in prayer for Teresa, would you? And for her disabled daughter Holly and for many other families like theirs. And ask God to raise up an outreach in churches for families like Teresa’s – it’s the Christian, it’s the decent, it’s the caring thing to do when a disabled kid becomes an adult.

If you want to get your church involved, we’ve got tons of church resources for you at our ministry, so just connect with joniradio.org today, where we’ve got a link to our church relations outreach. Again that’s joniradio.org.

And one more thing, we at Joni and Friends would love to pray for you and your hardships. So, share with us your prayer need today at joniradio.org.

© Joni and Friends

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