Happy Fifth-Anniversary JFK!

Yesterday, August 16, marked the fifth-anniversary of John Fitzgerald Kennedy Bruce-Papfio coming to live in our home. In that span of time John has become a part of our family, a part of our extended family of faith across the world, and a source of unending blessing to us and so many others. There have been some difficult moments to be sure, and we continue to wrestle on a daily basis with some of the very same things that we did in those first days. However, I can without reservation say that very few people, and very few life events, have ever taught me more about the true meaning of love and faithfulness than my relationship with John has taught me. It is truly a gift from God, a pearl of great price, that has forever altered the course of my life and my understanding of who I am and who God is. And it is a gift that Maria and I could never have found without the loving support and constant encouragement of this community of faith that we call Communality. From the very first day when James Walsh brought John and I home, there has been an unending stream of people who have come forward to assist us in this experiement in love. From Geoff & Sherry Maddock and the Bible Study group at St. James Place to James Walsh, Troy Allen, Mike Higgins, Clinton Graham & John Heinz (faithfully incorporating John in the Rescue Mission Bible study), Jeremy Sullivan and everyone at Camden House and the Simple Way, all the people at Comprehensive Care, Chuck Griffin (formerly of First UMC Lexington), Peggy Hinson of Voc. Rehab, and all the staff at Gatti-Town, the support has been tremendous and the encouragement constant. So, our deepest and most heartfelt thanks to all of these people and to everyone who has not been named but has helped to consistently uphold and pray for our family. And a special thanks to JFK for simply being who he is; a mystery of God's grace and love that, thankfully, I will never understand no matter how many years pass.