For as long as I can remember, I have been deeply invested in knowing the hearts of others, especially those who have been marginalized for being "different." My passion in working with individuals with disabilities is rooted in the experiences and relationships of my childhood. My wonderful mother, who also has devoted much of her life to working with the disability population, exposed me to the diversity of human abilities by allowing me to tag along with her to work starting before I was even in preschool. At the the time, her work took place within the homes of families of children with disabilities and later within a school setting. The experiences and relationships throughout the years have been an integral part of my own development.
The summer after my freshman year of college, I had a job as a school aide at school for children with disabilities. One morning, during staff devotions, I listened to another staff member talk about her recent trip to India, where she and another staff member had recently travelled to assist in the development of Ashish, a school for children with autism. Having always had a passion for international outreach, her pictures and stories tugged at my heart and I never forgot about Ashish.
Preparing my heart...
Starting on that summer day when I first heard of Ashish, I started to dream about traveling to India some day. I occasionally explored the idea by looking into college service trips and volunteer opportunities, but it never worked out due to time spent in school and my pursuit of my career goals. I put my passion for international missions on hold for a few years while I pursued my doctorate in school psychology. Of course, my educational experiences would further equip me working with the population that I am most passionate about. At some point during my training, I developed a connection with children and families affected by autism spectrum disorders and decided to devote my education and career to working with these families. I have been blessed by every opportunity to work with those affected by ASD, and it has been a constant reminder that every minute of my education has been worth it; the children have been my main source of motivation.
Perfect timing...
During a conversation with my mom during the fall of 2012, I started sharing about my long-lasting desire to travel to India. Always encouraging me to pursue my dreams, my mom suggested that contact Geeta, the director of Ashish, to ask if they would be interested in having me as a volunteer during the summer. Shortly after contacting Geeta, the deal was sealed. I met with Geeta in November during her visit to the States and the excitement that I experienced during our conversation left me, without a doubt, thinking that I needed to visit Ashish. Even though planning a month-long trip to India can certainly be a little chaotic while writing a dissertation and getting through another year of graduate school, I figured that there is likely no better time to take a month off from my responsibilities at home and pursue the opportunity. I've been amazed at how many doors were opened as I started planning.
Kingdom Eyes...
As I planned to share about my trip to India, I was reminded of the perspective shared by a friend in college who had spent a summer doing service work abroad. This friend (who also had a heart for international missions) said that, as she prepared for her trip, she prayed that God would give her "kingdom eyes," and that through every single interaction she had with others, she would be experiencing the kingdom of God. As I am especially excited to travel to India and to see the kingdom of God in this unfamiliar part of the world.
I've been told that the cultural and religious believes in India have historically understood disabilities as a "curse," and that individuals with disabilities are often left to suffer. Ashish has been founded to promote an alternative and inspired understanding of disabilities by advocating that those with special needs are not, in fact, cursed, but are, rather, sons and daughters of Christ, who have been fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. I pray that, through the entirety of my trip I, too, can have "kingdom eyes."
I've been told that the cultural and religious believes in India have historically understood disabilities as a "curse," and that individuals with disabilities are often left to suffer. Ashish has been founded to promote an alternative and inspired understanding of disabilities by advocating that those with special needs are not, in fact, cursed, but are, rather, sons and daughters of Christ, who have been fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. I pray that, through the entirety of my trip I, too, can have "kingdom eyes."
Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
Luke 6:20
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