9 minute read
MILESTONES AND FAVORITE MEMORIES OF 2022
BY CHRISTIA WOODFORD
In 2022 our Special Needs Living-Indianapolis & Surrounding Areas family and friends have been busy making incredible memories and achieving amazing millstones!
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Gonzalez Family —
The Gonzalez family
We moved our two sons with autism (Victor, 10, and Tony, 6) from New Jersey to Indiana in March. They recently started playing with each other … and in the water! Our oldest wasn’t the biggest fan of the pool, but he sure likes splashing his brother, while our youngest is even speaking better! Huge milestones are happening here.
McCabe Family
The McCabe family
One of our favorite memories in 2022 was taking ‘our son Jordan, who is nonverbal and has autism, and his little sisters, to Disney World for the first time. They had great accommodations to support our son and family during this experience.
The Denton Family
The Denton family
Grace Ponto
Grace Ponto
Grace is doing adaptive water skiing this past June. The organization is Camp Wack, located in Lafayette, IN, that provides children with disabilities the opportunity to participate in adaptive water skiing using specially equipped skis and outriggers to ensure a positive and rewarding ski experience. It was an amazing experience, and we will make it an annual event. The people that run it are all volunteers, and it’s a day-long event. Visit their website: http://campwack.org/.
Lola Howell
Lola Howell
Lola was waiting for the bus while holding her white cane. She’s been using her cane more and more, which is a huge milestone in her world!
The Smith Family
Don Eduardo Chura Apaza was born in the Q’ero Community that cultivates and develops the wisdom and knowledge about the ancestral healing andt is part of a long line of masters of Andean medicine of the Quechuas Queros located in the upper Andes of Peru, performing ceremonies and healings with the intention of spreading the sacred teachings of his father, Francisco Chura.
Smith family and Eduardo Chura Apaza
Quinn and Noah Smith
Andean Spirit Eduardo Chura Apaza (Smith family)
Noah Smith
The Ancestors Within: Reveal and Heal the Ancient Memories You Carry by Noah Smith. Your ancestors have waited your whole life for this moment … the day you reveal and heal the ancient memories you carry. The world of ancestral healing opens up possibilities for mind, body, soul and spirit wellness you’ve never imagined. The Ancestors Within offers a collection of life-changing experts’ stories and practical tools in the field of ancestral healing so you can understand what’s possible and experience improved health, wealth and happiness.
Adriana Smith
The Ancestors Within: Discover and Connect With Your Ancient Origins by Adriana Smith. Your ancestors have waited your whole life for this moment ... and the next! What if you had an opportunity to discover and connect with your ancient origins; what if that connection brought healing you never expected possible?
Gillespie Dougherty and her expert author cast give you exactly that in this second book in a powerful series.
The Ancestors Within, Discover and Connect with Your Ancient Origins is a collaboration that brings the best of the world’s ancestral healing professionals together to help you understand how to open up a magical door to a better life, mind, body and soul.
The stories and tools offered here are placed upon a unique altar, specifically designed for your reading pleasure but infused with energy that transcends most barriers. The combined knowledge and wisdom here are breathtaking. The genuine passion these authors have to guide you on your journey to health, wealth, and happiness is palpable. With tools that surpass DNA analysis, get ready to journey within and uncover answers to questions you’ve been asking for a lifetime. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ B09K3HXJMV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
Noah and Adriana were also featured on LIVE TALK, a free Virtual Summit that aired on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m. EMBRACING ANCESTRAL CHAOS: MANAGING YOUR BODY CONTROL FROM AN AUTISM PERSPECTIVE. Adriana and Noah are both non-verbal autistic and communicate through “facilitated communication” with the assistance of their mother, Sharon. Also, check out the lesson under the TAW BOOK TWO: The Interviews module: https://www.sharonsweb.com/
The Miller Family
Beau Miller
One of our greatest milestones this year was Beau’s ability to go on walks in public and not elope/dart off constantly. He has learned safety commands and stays close to mom now. We have enjoyed so many nature walks in the past month because of this. A huge milestone for us at age 7! He’s so happy outside, and now we can explore more together.
Mark2Ministries
Hello, dear friends and partners in the advancement of the gospel! As I sit at home with a sick child, I am reminded, yet again, of God’s faithfulness — in the good times as well as in the challenging times. My favorite hymn is “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” The lyrics draw us closer to the Father as we reflect on His faithfulness in times of plenty and in times of want. In Him, there is no darkness. He never changes. His compassions don’t fail. His mercies are new every morning. Whether it’s summer or winter (plenty or need), He is faithful. Oh, how good our God is! Praise His name!
Mark2Ministries
Mark2Ministries Inclusion Ministry Team
As I sing His praises today, I’m excited to share with you how He has been faithful to our ministry and our friends with special needs. Here is a rundown of the past several months:
1. To start, God has faithfully answered your prayers for us!
1. You prayed for more church partnerships. God delivered! Thanks, and please keep it up!
2. You prayed for our website to reach more people. God delivered! Thanks, and please keep it up!
3. You prayed for our new tax filing method required by the IRS. God delivered! Thank you!
2. To expand on how God answered your prayers in 1a above, we have just scheduled our fifth initial ministry consultation of 2022. These are pre-pandemic numbers here, folks! We have all prayed and prayed for God to open up churches again to be welcoming of our friends, and He has blessed those prayers abundantly.
1. Please pray for these churches as they begin or continue their newly formed ministries!
• Brandywine Community Church, Greenfield
• Indiana Chin Baptist Church, South Indianapolis (Southport area)
• Church at the Crossing, North Indianapolis (Keystone at the Crossing area)
• Life Church 180 Assembly of God, Southwest Indianapolis
• Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, East Indianapolis (Lawrence area)
1. Here is what Andrea at Holy Spirit Lutheran had to say about working with Mark 2.
Mark2Ministries — Special Needs Living Parent and Care Giver Empowerment Day
Testimonial — “Well, thank you for starting such an awesome ministry. We now have six kids who all have buddies. We are continuing to grow in buddy volunteers. We would not have known where to start without you guys! It is truly one of the most exciting programs we have started in the last year because it is transforming lives. Kids, parents and volunteers!”
1. All of this is done at no cost to these churches because of your faithfulness in giving to and praying for our ministry! Thank you!
2. Our biblical counseling and relationship coaching services continue to grow and bless families!
1. We are currently going through our marital enrichment program (Prepare/Enrich or P&E for short) with three (3) families. This program is like a spring of fresh water in the desert of a weary relationship. It’s an immense joy to watch marriages flourish where they once withered!
2. We have also already “graduated” two (2) other couples from our P&E program earlier this year.
3. We were also able to provide biblical counseling and life coaching for two (2) adults on the Spectrum.
4. All of this is done at no cost to these individuals/ families because of your faithfulness in giving to and praying for our ministry! Thank you!
3. Our partnership with Special Needs LivingIndianapolis & Surrounding Areas (SNLM) continues to bear great fruit.
1. We were able to lead a breakout session at SNL’s Parent Empowerment Conference in September. There were dozens of families who attended live and several others who attended virtually. All were blessed by the great love of our great God.
4. Programming via RightNow Media(RNM) is still available for your use, compliments of Mark 2! We’re grateful that several of you have started using this platform to guide your personal devotions and small group studies.
1. To get access to the RNM library via text message, simply text “MARK2” to 49775.
2. To get access to the RNM library via the web, use this QR code.
3. As a reminder, RNM has more than 20,000 Bible studies, podcasts, and other video-streaming content to encourage and equip families and ministry leaders. This is a huge help in the event of a shutdown or quarantine, but it’s also a great way to draw close to God in between corporate worship services.
Mark2Ministries RNM Library
