{"id":1195,"date":"2011-07-21T05:04:19","date_gmt":"2011-07-21T09:04:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=1195"},"modified":"2011-07-20T23:03:59","modified_gmt":"2011-07-21T03:03:59","slug":"where-are-they","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/07\/where-are-they.html","title":{"rendered":"Where are they?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Lawrence moved two weeks ago. \u00a0His court-appointed guardian had signed the forms we send each year saying that as his pastor I would get all information regarding his health and safety. \u00a0Yet, it wasn’t until I called the guardian’s office that she remembered to tell me that he had been moved 30 miles from his hometown.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the saddest things about ministry within the mentally challenged community is the disappearance of our members. There have been at least ten or fifteen of Special Gathering attendees who have been moved to other cities or towns by the State; and we have no idea where they were sent. \u00a0Our ministry doesn’t do social work but our mission is evangelism and discipleship.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0When Lawrence missed two Sunday in a row this month, I called his guardian. \u00a0Lawrence isn’t a casual participant of our ministry. \u00a0He is a member of our choir. \u00a0Additionally, only four times in 22 years has Lawrence missed Special Gathering.\u00a0<\/span>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The guardian explained to me that the caregiver where he was currently living had tried to isolate him from her and her staff. \u00a0There had been other warning signs. \u00a0Finally, Lawrence was pulled from her home, moved to another city, and put into an Adult Living Facility.<\/p>\n

Our most vulnerable citizens are not only used as political pawns, they are pushed, pulled, moved and disregarded. \u00a0While President Obama tried to erase the derogatory and degrading term “retard,” it is growing in the popular vernacular as an insult. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

People who are mentally challenged were born with their disability. \u00a0Their condition is not their fault. \u00a0It wasn’t their bad habits or their addictions which led to their disability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I made the trip to visit Lawrence two days ago. \u00a0A mutual friend and I took him to lunch. \u00a0We wanted to let him know that he has not been forgotten. \u00a0Several years ago, in an ministry-wide exercise, Lawrence indicated that he only had two friends. \u00a0I was one of them. \u00a0I feel this gives me a greater responsibility to strive to insure that Lawrence is not lost in the maze of \u00a0bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo that can envelop the lives of our population.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I also understand that Lawrence is in the Lord’s hands. \u00a0God is more concerned about his vulnerable child than I am. \u00a0Additionally, God has all the resources of heaven at his disposal to keep Lawrence safe. \u00a0It is a great assurance to me that none of our members are lost to the Lord. \u00a0While I may not be able to physically insure their safety, I can pray and be consoled with the knowledge that God answers prayer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lawrence moved two weeks ago. \u00a0His court-appointed guardian had signed the forms we send each year saying that as his pastor I would get all information regarding his health and safety. \u00a0Yet, it wasn’t until I called the guardian’s office that she remembered to tell me that he had been moved 30 miles from his…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,3,186,49,16,8,85,4,41],"tags":[21,688,696,7,699,715,701,694,689,57,6],"class_list":["post-1195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-prayer-2","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-prayer","tag-simple-scriptural-truths"],"yoast_head":"\nWhere are they? - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/07\/where-are-they.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Where are they? - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Lawrence moved two weeks ago. \u00a0His court-appointed guardian had signed the forms we send each year saying that as his pastor I would get all information regarding his health and safety. \u00a0Yet, it wasn’t until I called the guardian’s office that she remembered to tell me that he had been moved 30 miles from his…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2011\/07\/where-are-they.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-07-21T09:04:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-07-21T03:03:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/files\/2011\/07\/face.jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. 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