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Do Your Christmas Shopping Now!
“Pack and Pray” A Great Way To Serve Needy Children By David Ettinger
Why wait until Christmas to do your shopping when you can start getting it out of the way now? That’s the beauty of “Pack and Pray,” an outreach of the Special Needs Ministry at First Orlando in association with Global Outreach Missions.
Special Needs Ministry " Give Back "
Special Needs Ministry “Gives Back”
406 Shoeboxes Filled For Needy Children
The boys, girls, men and women of the Special Needs Ministry at First Orlando and of Central Florida learned a valuable lesson on “Give Back Saturday” — Nov. 7, 2009 — in Faith Hall. “This has been a wonderful way to get our special friends [children and adults with disabilities] to be part of a very meaningful outreach to other people,” said Gail Brown, First Orlando’s Director of the Special Needs Ministry.
Caption (for all pictures): Volunteers, dressed in Christmas attire, lend a loving hand to "VIPs" from the Special Needs Ministry. (Photos by John Grosshans)
The outreach Gail speaks of is filling shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. OCC is a ministry where people fill shoeboxes with age- and gender-appropriate items such as small cars, dolls, yo-yos, pens, crayons, toothbrushes, combs, t-shirts and flashlights, and the shoeboxes are sent to needy children around the world.
The Nov. 7 shoebox-packing event was a combined effort of the Special Needs Ministry and the Joni [Eareckson Tada] and Friends International Disability Network. Also on hand was First Orlando’s College and Singles ministries. It was a festive time that included face painting, cookie decorating, letter writing, balloons and bubbles.
“It was definitely a day to remember,” Gail said. “This event was for families to come together to fellowship, pack the boxes and enjoy spending time making new friends.”
At the center of Faith Hall was a “shopping market” — separate, tent-covered tables featuring different items that needed to go into the boxes. Tables included shoes, toys, hygiene items, school supplies, clothing and other miscellaneous items. The volunteers accompanied the special needs participants, or VIPs, from table to table, helping them select the correct items they needed for their particular (boy’s or girl’s) boxes.
Besides seeing her VIPs engaging in meaningful ministry, Gail was equally thrilled by the amount of volunteers that turned out. “The College/Singles team showed up in large numbers to help with the event and experienced a time of fun and fellowship with our Special Friends,” she said. “Many thanks go out to the College/Singles ministries for their time and sensitivity to the ministry.”
In all, more than 200 people attended Give Back Saturday and 406 boxes were filled, prayed over, and packed for shipping.
For Gail, volunteers are a huge part of the Special Needs Ministry. “One day, God will take your face in His hands and gently remind you that you are important to Him,” she said. “I share this thought with you because it is through the embrace of your hearts that our ministry continues to grow. Many thanks for the attention you give to our Special Friends. Not only do they love being with you, but it blesses my heart to see you reaching well beyond your comfort levels to make them feel important. God bless you!”
As impressive as this year’s volunteer showing was, Gail is looking for even more kind hearts next year. “It was a joy having so many volunteers! We are already praying for even more involvement from the disabled community next year and we will need more of you to help. Please be in prayer for this very special event.”
To learn more about the Special Needs Ministry at First Orlando, contact Gail Brown at 407-514-4398,
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, or click here.
Christmas 2009 Buddy Break at First Baptist Orlando
Kids Kindergarten Choir from Orlando First Baptist came and sang. Great Job!!
Operation Christmas Child at First Baptist Orlando -- Give Back-- It Was Awesome!
Here are some Photos
The Team That made it Happen
Huge Turn out!!
Christmas Carols & More
Some of our Helpers!! Working Hard.
The Morales Girls!
Join & Make a Difference
Join a Special Needs Community Today!
SpecialNeedsBridge.com is a website we’ve designed to bring together people around the world. Our objective is promoting a community based establishment through which members can exchange information, and receive moral support from fellow members.
Membership is available to interested parties for free, it doesn’t matter your line of work, social status, education, or personal situation, this special needs community is open to people from all works of life including those located within and outside the United States. Once registered you have access to resources and special privileges from organizations who serve the special needs community.
SpecialNeedsBridge.com Website
The website features a blog and resource center where members can obtain useful information applicable to everyday life. As fellow members share their thoughts, experiences and successes in life we hope to use the site as a platform on to which many can interact and learn from one another.
Opportunity to List Your Business and Help the Community
We also welcome business members/sponsors who would like to join us and have us promote their business for FREE. Ads are distributed on the website as professional banners advertising the services offered by a business. We just ask to make a donation if you are able to. Monies derived from advertising are spent on the special needs community and maintaining the community website. Businesses may also show support for this initiative by submitting their business info to the resource directory for free.
Feel free to contact us to discuss this intended partnership. If we feel that your business would benefit our Special Needs Community we will agree to promote your business and make you a professional banner with your info and your approval. Go here to register and become a member for free.
SpecialNeedsBridge.com
David Ring: "I Have Cerebral Palsy — What's Your Problem?"
Inspiring Evangelist to Speak at First Orlando
“I have cerebral palsy — what’s your problem?”
This has been the signature battle cry of David Ring for more than 30 years. Ring, a Christian evangelist, motivational speaker and former First Baptist Orlando staff member, will speak at First Orlando during the 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 and the 9 & 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, worship services. He will also be the featured speaker on Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10, at “Through the Roof,” a conference for families with disabilities and those who wish to learn more about those with disabilities.
Ring was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the son of Baptist pastor Oscar Newton Ring. Because of his cerebral palsy, David Ring suffered constant physical pain as well merciless ridicule while growing up. Ring’s father died in 1964. Cancer took his mother four years later, which led to Ring becoming an orphan at the age of 14. Depressed from the combination of losing his parents and the difficulties of his disability, Ring dropped out of high school. However, with the encouragement of his sister, he gave his life to Jesus in 1970 and returned to Liberty High School in Liberty, Missouri, where he graduated in 1971. Ring earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from William Jewell College in Liberty in 1976.
God has powerfully used Ring ever since. Ring has been a guest on The Old-Time Gospel Hour, The 700 Club and at Bill Gaither’s Praise Gathering (watch David Ring here). He has written one book, Just As I Am: The Life of David Ring, released in 1994. Ring has been featured on broadcasts such as John Hagee’s ministry Cornerstone and James Dobson’s Focus on the Family.
As a nationally known speaker since 1973, Ring shares his story and motivational messages with more than 100,000 people yearly at churches, conventions, schools and corporate events. Ring speaks on overcoming tremendous obstacles to become a champion in the game of life. He uses his life as an example in encouraging others to not become paralyzed by circumstances, but to go beyond their limitations and find hope in the overcoming power of Christ. In fact, he has recently altered his longstanding motto, which now goes: “I have cerebral palsy, but cerebral palsy don’t have me.”
Ring and his wife, Karen, make their home in Nashville, Tennessee, and are the parents of four children, April, Ashley, Nathan and Amy Joy.
If you are going to be in Central Florida this weekend, make sure to attend one of the three services and listen to Ring’s life-changing message. It promises to be an unforgettable time.
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Loving the Parents of Special-Needs Kids By David Ettinger
For Julio and Ruthy Morales, “Buddy Break” is the perfect outreach to families with special-needs children.
“Buddy Break is a respite-care program for the caretakers of these children to give them three hours for themselves,” said Ruthy, who volunteers at First Orlando along with Gail Brown, who heads up the church’s special-needs ministry.
Buddy Break is part of Nathaniel’s Hope, a Central Florida ministry dedicated to bringing hope to children with special needs. Buddy Break is held at First Orlando every third Saturday of the month. Parents and other caretakers can drop their children (teens included) off at the church from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and spend those three hours any way they want — from shopping to catching up on much-needed sleep.
For the Moraleses, Buddy Break is not just something they volunteer to do, but something that is an intricate part of their lives. Blessed with four daughters, it is the Morales’ second oldest, Natalie, who was born a special-needs child.
“She is developmental-delayed; there is an abnormality with chromosome 18,” Ruthy explained. “Though she is now 18 years old, she functions as a 3 year old.”
The Moraleses didn’t notice their daughter’s condition until Natalie was about 7 months old, and the discovery was devastating.
“It was a total shock,” Ruthy said. “We were in our 20s and had no idea what to do. We had a complete lack of knowledge.” (Caption: Natalie Morales at her age 18 birthday party.)
Julio agrees.
“It was an eye-opening experience,” he said. “We were totally lost for answers.”
Fortunately, both Ruthy and Julio were already believers in Jesus.
“Though Christians, we were young in our faith and found ourselves asking the question that so many others ask, ‘Why us?’ ” Julio admitted. “It was a very tough struggle, but it did bring us closer to the Lord.”
In fact, Ruthy said that the Lord had been preparing her even before Natalie’s birth.
“I’ve learned that God always works with His people,” she said. “For instance, when I was a little girl in Puerto Rico, there was a special-needs child at my church I was drawn to. When we came to Orlando and attended a Spanish-speaking church, there was another special-needs girl I was drawn to. It was as if God was preparing my heart and future for what was to come.”
And the Moraleses needed all the preparation they could get. With God’s help, they eventually overcame the shock and were able to deal with Natalie’s condition head-on. But the same hindrance persisted: lack of information.
“There are so few resources regarding Natalie’s situation,” Julio said. “It’s such a rare chromosome deficiency that up to this day the information is very scarce. There are just not a lot of kids, that we are aware of, who have this condition.”
Though chromosome 18 deficiency has several characteristics, perhaps the one that has been the hardest for the Moraleses is Natalie’s inability to speak.
“Knowing what she wants is often a guessing game,” Ruthy said. “It can be very frustrating. Because she is developmentally delayed, she is not able to make as many sign languages as we would like. Also, though she’s 18 years old, she’s still in diapers. Fortunately, we have some [outside] help for her. We also get help from Natalie’s sisters, who love her very much.”
And though anyone with children can empathize with the Moraleses and others in similar situations, one thing they have difficulty doing is seeing the bright side of being the parents of special-needs children.
“Natalie has been a blessing to us,” Ruthy said. “She makes her sisters better people. Because of Natalie, they also have a heart for the [special-needs] ministry.”
“Also,” Julio added, “you learn not to complain as much. When you have a child with special needs, you realize that some of the things you used to complain about are really nothing. For instance, we take for granted the ability to pick up a glass of water and drink it. Many children with disabilities can’t even do that. Your whole way of thinking changes.”
Unfortunately society often tends to consider such children as “mistakes.” The Moraleses totally disagree.
(The Morales family, from left: Julio, Veronica, Vanesa, Natasha, Natalie and Ruthy.)
“I believe God has a purpose for everything He does,” Julio said. “In [Natalie’s] case, He did exactly according to His plan. Natalie has caused me to view life in a completely different way. I have more appreciation [for] and understanding of life and people. I can understand why people sometimes stare at special-needs children and keep their distance from them. I try not to take it personally when it happens to Natalie.”
And though the challenges are many, the Moraleses know that Natalie has changed their lives for the better and want to encourage younger parents of special-needs children to come to the same conclusion.
“Always remember that with God there is hope and a purpose,” she said. “Be assured that He did not make a mistake. If you finally come to the place where you can rely on the Lord’s strength and not your own, then you will be blessed.”
“It’s a learning experience every day,” Julio added. “At first, it is like crawling; later on, you begin walking. But the one thing I stress to young parents struggling with special-needs children is to never lose hope. Trust in the Lord. The strength will come so long as you have faith in Him.”
Caption (for all pictures): Volunteers, dressed in Christmas attire, lend a loving hand to "VIPs" from the Special Needs Ministry. (Photos by John Grosshans)
In all, more than 200 people attended Give Back Saturday and 406 boxes were filled, prayed over, and packed for shipping. 
high school. However, with the encouragement of his sister, he gave his life to Jesus in 1970 and returned to Liberty High School in 
Loving the Parents of Special-Needs Kids
“It was a total shock,” Ruthy said. “We were in our 20s and had no idea what to do. We had a complete lack of knowledge.”
“Knowing what she wants is often a guessing game,” Ruthy said. “It can be very frustrating. Because she is developmentally delayed, she is not able to make as many sign languages as we would like. Also, though she’s 18 years old, she’s still in diapers. Fortunately, we have some [outside] help for her. We also get help from Natalie’s sisters, who love her very much.”
Unfortunately society often tends to consider such children as “mistakes.” The Moraleses totally disagree.
