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Well, when we first started dating, we tried to find a church home and so we trialed a bunch of churches, we ended up finding one that we loved. Been going there for almost 10 years, probably.
And then we had Mac, and Mac was born with special needs. So he's totally blind, and we kind of thought that this church that was so amazing would just be amazing with our son. I found myself every single day dropping Mac off at Sunday school with this, okay Nicole, you can do it. Just coach them, tell them what they need to do.
"Hi, this is Mac. Mac's blind, but don't worry, he's just like every other kid. He just doesn't like his hands touched. But he likes to play, he likes to have fun. And here, you guys got this." Kind of coach them through. And then I'd come back from Sunday school to pick him up, and they'd have them pushing him around in a stroller. He never made it the whole service, or we'd get called out of service consistently.
So it got to be too much on our hearts, and we stopped going to church because we were struggling enough with trying to navigate what this was like with a child with special needs. That having somewhere that didn't feel like they accepted our child list was really hard. So I'd say we were homeless for a while. Church homeless for a while. So we searched churches that have a special needs program, and Westside popped up. And we realized it was like two miles from our house, very close. So we came the very first Sunday that we moved in.
We've been back every Sunday ever since.
The special needs director informed me that she was legally blind. Brooke. That was awesome. Very welcoming, warm, insuring. Made a lot of promises that I was skeptical that she could keep.
Brooke called us that week, said we have a one-on-one for Mac, that we'll be with him every Sunday. If you're interested, just let us know what service you want to go to.
So I was nervous to meet the family and meet Mac. I was like, I don't know if I'll know what he needs or ... I felt like I might be inadequate, or I feel like God just shows me what he needs.
She is Mac's one-on-one. So every single Sunday she is there. She was never a part of the children's ministry before, I know that she's grown up in this church. But she was asked if she would do this and spend time with Mac, and she is with him, and Mac adores her.
I love him. I don't know, I just feel like I have grown close to their family. And it's really cool. Like I am young adult, and they're a married couple that has three kids, and it doesn't seem like it would be a really ... We would connect. But I feel like we do connect. And I don't know. I look up to them a lot.
Chris and I started this fundraiser for Mac's school. Matt goes to Children's Center For The Visually Impaired.
Yeah, well she invited me to this banquet fundraiser thing that she had put on, and tickets are like $100 or something. And she gave me two free tickets.
She wrote us this amazing thank you note afterwards that ... Can I read it?
"Choosing to volunteer with Mac on Sundays was something out of my comfort zone, but I felt that God had placed the opportunity in front of me for a reason. I was so nervous that I did not have the skills to be with him, or that I would do something wrong. Things came naturally and I was proven wrong. Being with Mac on Sundays is the highlight of my week, and he seriously melts my heart. THANK YOU," in all caps, "For trusting me with your child each week. I love him so much."
…and that's when I started to feel like I was part of Mac's family, and I just love them all so much.
I feel like we cannot adequately say how much this place means to us. And this is a whole new ballgame. This is unbelievable, and there's no way to put into words exactly what it means to us. But our kids, they wake up, they're like, "It's Sunday? Yes, we get to go to Westside." I mean, everything about it has impacted our worlds so positively. Everything.
You helped make these blessings possible through your faithful giving. Thank you.
