Anton's Story

Anton is a young man in his twenties. When he was young he got a rock in his eye while playing. The injury caused him to have severe epilepsy. His seizures gave his classmates reason to ridicule him and eventually isolate him completely. The teachers would not allow him in school because he was too much of a distraction. Anton became lonely.

On top of all of this, Anton was not able to read more than about 20 minutes at a time because of his epilepsy and he was completely prohibited to use the computer or watch television. Anton searched for something to fill his time with. Eventually he found that he was able to knit. He began to knit things and thought it might be a good business since he would probably never get a proper education.

He took his things to the bazar to sell them, but he started having seizures again and people would steal his precious product. He continued to try to sell things at the bazar, but eventually the landowner didn’t want him there anymore because he scared people away with his seizures.

This left Anton feeling completely hopeless…

Until one day…

He was introduced to a young group of people who also had disabilities. This group of people accepted him into their community. He now meets with these people regularly. They laugh together and play games and he now has a place where he is loved.

The loneliness is gone. The despair has turned to hope.

Last wednesday we packaged wheelchairs for this organization. We have the pleasure of giving goods to this organization that pulled him out of despair and some of our co-workers have had the opportunity to spend time with him. So, in a small way, we get to be a part of Anton’s story.

There are many other stories like his. Ask Father that these stories would have similar endings and that other people like Anton would find their way into this wonderful little community.

Home?

Since I arrived back here, I have felt more than ever that this is my home. This is a really exciting and confusing fact. Of course Camarillo still feels like home and being with family feels like home as well. But overseas? Well, that is my new reality. I have felt comfy here for a while, but home? Yes, now this feels like home.

It is a great thing to feel settled in the place that you live and to feel as though you have a community of people around you who love you and understand you and whom you love as well. It’s great to be able to communicate with people and not feel uncomfortable in the stores or walking the streets. It’s great to walk down the street and bump into several people that you know because this in fact is your home.

I have had this passage running through my mind lately from Psalm 68. You see, last year I had a difficult time adjusting back here and I realized that a large part of that was the feeling of loneliness. But this year as I returned, I felt the embrace of many people, the team that he has set me in at the English Center. The passage that came to mind is this: “HE sets the lonely in families.” from Psalm 68.

What a beautiful message just for me. What a beautiful picture of his love for me and how well he knows me. He knew that I needed that sense of belonging, of FAMILY. The photo above was taken just a couple days after I arrived back. These beautiful people welcomed me home with open arms of love. I am so grateful that this place that felt foreign three short years ago, feels like home today.