99 Balloons

Although I had every intention of doing my mini-series on adoptions for my next couple of posts, I really want to share what’s been going on here for the past week. Then I’ll come back to adoptions later-on when I have time!

First, I want to share a video that is really powerful and I promise is worth the six minutes it takes to watch. (I’ll also give you the heads-up to have tissues ready as well!)

So now, you know the history of 99 Balloons. And I shared that because they brought a team over here to Ekisa this past week. It was truly incredible and such a blessing, as they created their team based around the needs of Ekisa, bringing physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, nurses and other medical professionals, and a child counselor who specializes in sexual abuse counseling.

Over the course of their time here, they gave presentations/seminars to our mammas about aspiration, CPR, other medical needs of our kiddos, and sexual abuse. It was all very informative, giving time for our mammas to ask questions, as well as giving us new ideas about how to best serve the kids at Ekisa.

The team also sponsored a dinner for our 35(ish) community care families, to encourage them, love them, and let them know what an amazing job they are doing at caring for their children. It was quite the evening, complete with party crashers, a double-booking of the space with a high school dance party, a mamma going into labor, and a goat being given away as a door prize! To put things into perspective, we have iPads as door prizes in the States, but Mamma Shivan, when her number was called to win the goat, hit the ground on her knees and immediately started crying. It was a beautiful moment, and I really don’t think there was a dry eye in the entire crowd.

They came to serve Ekisa, and they did just that. But 99 Balloons is not just doing cool stuff internationally, but locally (stateside) as well. Their primary ministry is partnering with local churches to train volunteers to provide Recess Nights for families with children with disabilities. From their experience with Eliot, Matt and his wife realize the importance of reaching out to families, as well as the role that the church body can have in doing so.

This is something that I think is incredible work, and when I get back to the States, is definitely something that I plan on getting involved with – in case I can be of any inspiration to you:) I was really convicted of this in the past several months in thinking about actually how many families you see in the church that have children with special needs. Couldn’t we as a church body be loving them better? Anyway, food for thought, and more information on www.99balloons.org in case you too want to get involved!

They are based out of Arkansas and if you look at a map online of churches doing Recess Nights, only Arkansas and surrounding states are represented. Wouldn’t it be cool to get Virginia on the map too? Or maybe Uganda?!