You are Invited!!

Join us this Saturday, for a grand BBQ down at 'The Farm' Youth Outreach in Snohomish. Located at 11212 - 92nd Street S.E. Snohomish, WA 98290. We'll be there from 2-5pm. A big huge thank you to all of the local businesses who donated food for this event. We're expecting over 200 people!!

This is the perfect opportunity to bring a friend or make a few new friends. Meet people you haven't seen since our last event, and get re-connected.

To get to 'The Farm' take Hwy 2 Eastbound toward Monroe. Take the 88th Street exit (just past Hwy 9). At the exit, turn right and head downhill. Take the sharp corner to the right and The Farm in on the left just past the Pilchuck Vet. Hope to see you there!

In Dallas, TX

This week I have the most incredible opportunity. Thanks to the Joint Heirs foundation, I have been sent to the Christian Leadership Alliance conference in Dallas, Tx. I'm staying at the conference hub, the Hyatt Regency. I am so honored to be here. The following is a glimpse of the opportunities that I have this week.

Every morning, we have a bible study led by Jill Briscoe. The general sessions will be led by Chuck Swindoll, Tony Evans, Patsy Clairmont, and it gets even better. I have the opportunity to take classes and workshops taught by the leaders of organizations of many non-profits and churches. It will be an amazing week! They even provide a little entertainment in the evenings, including a night with Babbie Mason and Comedian Anita Renfroe. You can view a few pictures of the place at http://dallasregency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/gallery/photos.jsp;jsessionid=KGK2I3JAUIF3FTQSNW2VAGGOCJWYOUP4?icamp=propPhotoGallery. I'll keep you filled in on the specifics and what I hope to bring back to the ministry. Your prayers are appreciated!

Stuck Somewhere In Between

This is a picture of our daughter Kayla Christine Holdaway,

April 14, 1992-September 28, 2003

Is April 14th really a day to Celebrate? I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I'm torn. On the outside the world wants to see how I've conquered the pain and hurt I feel from leaving behind a world I once knew. A world of medical tests and iv's. There was some comfort there, I had been placed there by God. He gave this gift to me and I loved her. Every minute. It never mattered whether I was cleaning up vomit or learning how to be more forthright with education of those with special needs. She had a special way of handling it and she was our teacher and example. But I miss those days. Days that meant more than just being together but really understanding what is important. We'd have an issue in our home, and the moment she'd be sick, it all went away. Nothing mattered except what we had been called by God to do...that is...love. I do miss those days, even though they were difficult. I can still hear her calling just beyond my doorway, "Momma, can you come take my mask off?" The alarm of the oxygen, with it's tubing taped across the floor, waking us as another breath has been missed, or the alarm of the feeding pump expressing the empty bag. She was amazing and through all of this she was a messenger of truth, courage, and above all, here to glorify God. She knew it. I just wasn't ready to let her go. Yet, THY will be done. Not mine.

April 14th in our house still isn't better. It was BOTH of our girls birthdays. Recently I wrote a letter to our readers sharing how wonderful that day is in our home, but that's only 1/2 the truth. For any of you who have experienced the excruciating pain of the loss of a child, you know that those holidays don't just turn into something magical. And for us, with Cassie, it's still difficult. We put on our smiles, but the honest truth is that we miss her. I pray in the years to come thas day transforms into something sweet, but for now, in all honesty, it's painful. We're still not sure how to make it 'better'.

I don't intend to decieve those who truly care about the work I do, but as for moving on and just forgetting what lies behind, I cannot. The pain is just too deep. We Celebrate for what IS, the gift that remains, our beloved daughter Cassandra and forge ahead to the work that awaits. Changed all the more for His glory, remembering what He has done and what He continues to do.

Pictured right - our daughter Cassandra and her little girl Genesis Noel.

Pictured below - Genesis wears a dress great-grandma hand made for Kayla.

Into His Presence by Sharon Milan - Used with Permission

INTO HIS PRESENCE
“People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth; anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10: 13-16

What a precious and tender look into the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is truly a favorite story of mine. But have you ever stopped to wonder why the disciples rebuked those who desired to bring their children into the presence of Jesus? Did the disciples think the children could not understand Christ’s teaching? Did they think Christ lacked the patience and love that children require? Or did they view children as so unvaluable that it would not be an effective use of their time and resources to allow and encourage the practice. Nowhere in scripture do we read what the disciples were thinking, and I would imagine purposely so. Perhaps this is a place where we are to prayerfully pause to examine our own hearts, especially towards those we daily choose not to bring into the presence of our professed Lord.

As I think about this story and my friends who live with disabilities, I am struck with a sad truth. This group of people living with disabilities continues to be the largest un-churched people group in the United States; which tells me there are still “disciples” whose words and actions are saying, “Do not bring them to Jesus, they cannot possibly understand His teachings. Christ doesn’t have enough love or patience to be bothered by them. They are simply too unvaluable to spend our time and resources on. We should not allow or encourage the practice of bringing them before the Lord.” Church, this cannot be us.

Christ said so long ago: “I tell you the truth; anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15) I find it so incredibly beautiful that this people group is truly the people group (aside from actual little children); most capable of entering God’s kingdom in the very way Christ tells us we must. Their childlike hearts and minds are perfect, ready and truly capable of receiving what we all need most. Parents and caregivers whose lives are devoted to these special people are confronted daily with the realities of what their loved ones can’t or won’t ever be capable of doing. We have an opportunity now to focus on what they are capable of. And by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, they are capable of entering the kingdom of God. They need only be brought into His presence.

As servants of Christ Jesus, when you show up in the life of a person living with a disability; whether you “show up” by smiling, saying “hello” or even by just bringing them a plate of food; you are bringing them into Christ’s presence, as you are Christ’s representative. You are also being obedient to another of God’s heart commands. Proverbs 31:8-9 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Persons living with disabilities might seem uncomfortably different to you. They are not. Their biggest need is no different then yours or mine…they simply need the salvation found in Jesus Christ.

“And he (Jesus) took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” (Mark 10:16) You, too, do exactly that when you show up. As a parent of one who lives with disabilities, thank you for being Christ and thank you for showing up.

Sharon Milan, March 7, 2008 all rights reserved.
Used with author permission.

Your Prayers Have Been Answered!

Thank you so much for praying for our team! God is amazing and has heard our reqeuest. He has provided a new Director of Volunteer Development for Eagle Wings. I am so delighted that Cheryl Rhoads has joined our team. She has a keen sense of who we are and our mission, and brings new eyes to our programs. She has a determination for success and is gifted at recruitment. She is an amazing woman of God and has an amazing story. To read more...click here. You'll be amazed at what God has done and how we've been brought together.

E-mail Cheryl Rhoads today!

Click to Care Results

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the Click to Care Campaign. It was our first e-mail campaign and we learned many things from this project. While it brought approx. 98% new donors to the ministry, it fell short of our goal. We do plan on running this campaign the same time next year, we plan to make a few adjustments. thank you to all our participants, you raised nearly $800. Thank you!

'Walk & Roll, Run' slated for March 29

Last week I received an invitation to be interviewed by Kirk Boxleitner from the Arlington Times. He was great. I answered a few questions about the race and this is what he wrote. We met to talk details about the race and with one mention of our daughter Kayla, this is all he came up with. It's amazing to have so much information about our little girl on the web and at peoples' fingertips. It was a gift to our family to have him include a little about our daughter in his writing. It's clear to those who know me, how much of my work is done in memory of our little girl Kayla. Yesterday being Easter, was just not the same without her. We miss her terribly. She was such a light of hope in our lives, and yet what a terrific gift to have others remember her too. Thank you Kirk. Click here to read more of Kirk's article.

Thank you Volunteers

A big huge THANK YOU to each of our volunteers (coordinators, table hosts, servers, greeters, entertainers, speakers, cooks and many more) who served at the St. Patrick's Day Celebration at Smokey Point Community Church. You did such a wonderful job. We could not have hosted such a wonderful event without your huge outpouring of support. I've heard such rave reviews about the wonderful meal and the desserts...you really went all out! And the entertainment...Voices of the Village was just amazing. You were right about wanting to have more room for dancing in front of the stage, it was definitely needed but the guests made do with what room we had. I have to thank you for your flexibility! As more and more guests kept flooding in the doors, you quickly adapted and set up more tables and even some of you gave up your seats to become servers, rather than hosts. Thank you so much. Each of the guests felt so special. They were loved. You were truly a blessing to them. Thank you! If you would like to share your experiences, please e-mail them to us!

Time with a Friend

Meet my friend Heidi. She is reallly wonderful. This past week I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with her. Whenever I am feeling down or overwhelmed with my work, I've mentioned before that the best therapy I know is to spend a little hands-on time with the people we serve. Heidi has a way of quickly bringing me down to reality. This week was her birthday. She doesn't live too far and appreciates ANYONE with a listening ear. Even the ear of my little grand-daughter Genesis. Genesis doesn't care that Heidi doesn't read all the words on the page, she loves it because Heidi turns the pages faster. Eating with Heidi and shopping together takes patience, and after an afternoon together I feel more relaxed. It's like taking a break from the busyness of the world and taking time for someone/something really important. Heidi is full of gifts of the heart. Spending time with a person who has special abilities doesn't take away from your life, it adds to it. Heidi has so many lessons to teach me, and I look forward to the years to come with her. Happy Birthday Heidi!!

St. Patricks Day Celebration

Were you one of the 70 people that we had to turn away for this dinner? I have to admit, it's by far the worst part of our ministry. Building capacity at Smokey Point (for serving dinner) was 180 people. As the tables were full, we kept noticing that guests continued arriving. The men were so generous with their accomodations, they kept going into the back room and rolling out more and more tables. We ended up with 33 tables (seating 7 each)...about 230 guests! WOW!! If you missed the music, they were fabulous! We danced the night away! Voices of the Village (pictured lower left) include everyone who wishes to participate in their music performances, at whatever level of ability. One of the pastors did this transparent drawing...and it was like magic. It really conveyed the story he shared about how much God loves us. The most amazing part (beyond the message) was how long the guests sat quietly and attentively to the encouragement. You could've heard a pin-drop...and that's amazing for these guests. Immediately afterwards, one gal got up and stood alone and responsively sang 2 verses of Michael Row the Boat Ashore. Very powerful evening. Here are a few pics and watch for our live video footage to be uploaded to youtube soon.

Friends being reunited at an event...what a special moment. Thank you to 100+ volunteers and partnership of Smokey Point Community Church and their In His Image Special Needs Ministry.

Thank you to the members of Voices of the Village! You did a terrific job! See you in two weeks at the Walk & Roll, Run!

Time for Exercise

On Saturday, March 29th, we will be walking/running/rolling/jogging on the Centennial Trail to benefit Eagle Wings. Last year we gave away a van with a wheelchair lift to a family in need! it was amazing. This year we will be meeting again at Haller Park in Arlington and the gun will fire at 11am. Registration $15 - begins at 9:45-10:45am. Get your registration form in early and save $5...day of race registration is $20. Cannot participate? Consider sponsoring a group home so they can join us. We'll be grilling hot dogs for a donation at noon. Send it to Arlington Runners Club. See you there!

Communicating Obstacles

I am frequently asked, how do I communicate with a person with a disability? Sometimes they are very difficult to understand.

First and foremost, treat the person like they are your family. They are a person FIRST. Their disability is always second. If you've ever found yourself in an awkward situation, trying to communicate, you may find the following helpful:

Always give the person the benefit of the doubt that they CAN communicate. Never assume by the way that they look or judge their ability by their appearance. When communicating with someone who is slow to speak, be patient. Wait for them to completely finish their sentence. They feel valued when you listen attentively, and do not interrupt. If you have a difficult time undersanding them, repeat the parts of the sentence that you did undersand, and ask them to repeat what you didn't get. NEVER pretend to understand.

In asking one of the persons we serve about this, he went on to explain that one of the funnest times he had with our volunteer was when this volunteer couldn't understand what he was saying. The volunteer must've asked about 9 times for him to repeat was he was saying, and after about the 5th time, they both broke out in laughter and it was very funny. The issue turned into a deeper relationship when the volunteer was willing to be humbled (a bit) and they both were able to see the heart of the other.

After all, most people would say..."Lighten Up!". It's going to be ok, but you'll look dumber if you 'pretend' to understand and end up assuming something incorrectly.

Volunteers!!

Can you believe it? In a world of people who are all so busy, I pause for a moment and reflect on the response of a simple ask on a Sunday morning. You read my blog about attending Smokey Point Community Church, and I was asked to share about Eagle Wings and the upcoming opportunity for serving. Sarah and I sent out invitations for the Eagle Wings St. Patrick's Day Celebration, and in record numbers the RSVP's came in. Within 8 days we had dinner reservations for 180 people. Building capacity for serving dinner. This would require more volunteers than ever. Wouldn't you know, that over 100 people responded to help serve? I am amazed. More than 100 people demonstrating they care. Thank you.

Eagle Wings St. Patrick's Day Celebration will be this Sunday, March 16th from 4-6pm. Please drop by to observe if you're in the neighborhood. Co-hosted by Smokey Point Community Church.

Visiting at Smokey Point Community Church

What a great weekend! Man, if you've never been to Smokey Point Community Church...you should give it a try. OK OK, I absolutely love my own home church, but it was great to get away to someplace different. It was great to get away. I just loved the praise and worship. It reminded me a little of how it's done at Mt. View with the combination of contemporary songs as well as the traditional. Let me tell you, I could've sang "How Great Thou Art" about 3 more times. By the way, I was speaking there at all 4 services (2 Sat evening and 2 Sunday morning). Their church is co-hosting their 2nd Annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration and unbelievably, we had dinner reservations for 180 people within 8 days! Wow! They really have it together there. BUT the most impressive thing to me was their program for special needs called "In His Image". It consists of a Small Care group (which consists of adults with special needs) that meets on Saturday nights. They also have a S.S. Program, they have a parent support group, they have nights out and even a VBS for those of all ages with special needs. Absolutely amazing...following and honoring 1Corinthians ~ All parts of the body are needed to the "T". Those parts who are weaker are the most precious. I agree. Want more info? E-mail my friend Lindy.

Encouragement from a Caregiver

Every once in a while, someone sends a note of encouragement. This was mine today. Thank you Chris. I know caregivers typically enjoy what they do but we really appreciate them for all they do. Caregivers give so much, and at a very emotionally and physically draining job. And yet...they see it as the gift that it really is.
If you're wondering what her encouragement was...click here.

Who is Didi?

Let me tell you about Didi Prentice...she is one of the most amazing and gifted people I know. For as long as many have known her, she's always found a way to be in support of those who have special needs, whether phyisical or mental. Didi puts her support into action! She is a teacher for Path with Art and teaches watercolor classes in her home. Last year Didi donated her watercolor artwork to Eagle Wings as a fundraiser in Mukilteo. Her artwork is simply beautiful. Read more...

Visiting a New Church

This past Sunday, my husband and I had the joy of visiting University Presbyterian in Seattle. Saying that the experience was great would be an understatement. Everyone who knows me, knows that I really enjoy a good gospel choir. This past Sunday, their gospel choir shared their gift of music. They were powerful. Opening with the little children singing "This Little Light of Mine" and having the choir sing back up was awesome. I loved the heart they brought into the song. It came alive. As the leader turned to the congregation, the tears immediately fell from my cheeks as I remembered my own daughter singing up front in Seattle Children's Chorus. It's been quite a while since I've heard her voice. They also led a number that we are familiar with in our own church, "Ancient Words (...ever true, changing me and changing you...)". So many things spoke to my heart. The powerful message of HOPE delivered by Rev. Kay Broweleit was AWESOME! She and her husband David have been long-time Champions of Eagle Wings and it was our first meeting face to face. They are so kind. After hearing her share her heart, I can how passionate they really are about living a life of hope and love. On the cover of their church bulletin was an eagle and Isaiah 40:28-31 written. Imagine that! What a gift the family of UPC are to their community!

Celebration Co-ordinators ~

This past Saturday, we hosted our first Celebration Co-ordinator Tea at Bethlehem Lutheran church in Marysville. They do so much for our ministry. It would not be possible to host an event at a church without the outstanding support and organization of these volunteers. Yes, it's a one year commitment, but they love it! They have the charismatic ability to draw in others and get them all fired up about the event. They pull in all ages of volunteers to serve, host tables, help with photos, cook food, and generate excitement of the event all through their congregation. These Co-ordinators really pull together a supportive and well-balanced team to accomplish this great task and we appreciate each and every one of you. Our volunteers are the legs we stand on and without you we wouldn't be able to do what we do!!

Mentoring Get - Away

So much has been happening in the office! For starters, our staff took our very first trip as a team. We headed down to Canby Conference Center in Oregon by invitation of the M.J. Murdock Foundation’s Mentoring Program. It was wonderful. Such a great learning experience! We spent four solid days together including driving for 5 hours!
I’ve been blessed my whole life with so many wonderful mentors. People have influenced my life in ways that are sacrificial for them and promote spiritual growth for me. People like my friend Janice!
For homework, prior to our arrival, we read “Connecting” by Paul Stanley and J. Robert Clinton. Paul was one of our keynote speakers. He was great, very personal and practical. I have to admit my favorite was Romanita from World Vision. She was empowering and more my style of communication. She was quick, direct and to the point. I could hear her all day long. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect for the duration of the conference, as to whether or not the application would relate to the workplace or to me personally. By the end of the week, we were challenged in both. I’m looking forward to our next homework assignment (a new book called “Mentoring” by Walter Wright). Next trip is in May ’08.
This Mentoring process is a 9 month process and will continue to update as I make practical applications in my life.