Three of Jim Elliot’s outstanding seniors, Ryan Hayashino, Matt Howen and John Drebinger were given special recognition and honor during the awards ceremony for their sacrificial giving of their time to young girl with several special needs.  Many were touched and brought to tears as these fine young men received a well deserved standing ovation for their service.  Here is the letter written by this little girls mother:

 

This is an account of your wonderful young men and how they helped one of God’s little angels create a new perspective in life that has generalized into all areas of her life.  We are forever grateful. I sincerely appreciate all that your school has done for our little angel.  I hope the boys realize how special they truly are. In creating miracles and developmental milestones for a child who was otherwise left behind. Our little girl was born with a club foot and has had trouble walking all of her life. The left hemisphere of her brain through EEG scans revealed where the seizures occurred that created her four neurological diagnosis’s that have contributed to her lack of coordination and developmental delays. Feeling rather “different” seeing the neighborhood children ride bikes, roller skate, and  run at ages much younger than herself she started feeling left out becoming discouraged with life at age nine,  when four year olds had mastered skills she could not do.

 I contacted the society for handicapped children and adults and they bought my daughter a bike, and gave her one week pass to a special needs camp to work on balance. After that they said have fun and told me if she rides really fast it will be easier for her to stay on the bike without falling. I thought, oh great, I have had three knee surgeries and have three bulging discs in my lumbar spine and can not run; how am I going to help my daughter learn how to ride a bike? I contacted Jim Elliot High School and spoke with Kathy Martens stating my predicament and asked there were any of your students that might want to help out and run along side her while she is learning since I can not run?  Her smile brought such warmth and shortly thereafter you introduced me to a few wonderful young men.   With limitless enthusiasm my daughter met her new “bike coaches” and they started teaching a child who had considerable neurological challenges how to ride a bike!  Ryan, Mathew, and John did more than run along side my daughter as she practiced balance. They really poured their heart and soul into creating ways an Autistic child could relate and respond to their guidance..  Four days a week they found creative ways to teach her how to listen so she would be safe in a parking lot. Watching how hard to boys were working in the sun running along side a child who did not give any eye contact or know how to listen to them created significant safety issues not only for the rider but for the coaches as well.  One of the young men had to run backwards at a sprinters pace and yell – “look up”, so she would not fall over.  Another boy held the guide bar on the back of the bike, while a the third one focused on traffic to keep them all safe.  It was quite a circus to say the least but these young men kept at it and eventually learned how to communicate with her! These young men with hearts of gold found unfathomable amounts of energy, patience, tolerance, and kindness, for a challenge that was questionable at best..

I can not thank you enough for all you have done for our little angel she now sees the world in a much brighter light because of all the heart felt love you and your students have given sweating out in the sun chasing after a child on a bike who was still learning how to listen, talk, and most other common skills we all take for granted that she has had to learn.  Because of the patience and genuine love for one of God’s little angels, by listening to all of her silly jokes, she now feels comfortable around people.  She now talks in public instead of hiding behind me signing what she wants.  Now that’s impressive for a child who has refused to talk in public her whole life!    Because these young men really put on their thinking caps and created ways to communicate she is now talking…constantly.   

Your young men our well on their way to becoming great leaders because their hearts lead the way.  

We at Jim Elliot are proud of these awesome young men as well as the hundreds of other students who continually give of their time, talent and resources to many individuals and organizations throughout the community. We know that they will continue from here to lead a life of service to the Lord and to those in need.