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Date: January 1, 2010

Books & DVDs Kingdom Chums by SQuire Rushnell Read Our Letter To Parents When God Winks on New Beginnings by SQuire Rushnell When God Winks by SQuire Rushnell When God Winks on Love by SQuire Rushnell When God Winks on You by SQuire Rushnell

In 1987, our son, Holden, was born with a brain tumor, which would need to be surgically removed. Although the tumor was benign, and we were hopeful that Holden would be able to live a fairly normal life, he suffered a massive hemorrhage which left him severely disabled. During his life, he suffered from seizure disorder, respiratory issues, cerebral palsy, vision deficit, an inability to talk, and was confined to a wheelchair. In short, he was dependent on us for all of his needs.

One day a neighbor invited my wife, Melissa, and I to join a group from the neighborhood for a game of bunko as one of the regular couples was unable to attend. Normally I'm not one to play games like that, and I wasn't really excited about going, but I spoke with Melissa and we decided to go.

We didn't know any of the other couples and introduced ourselves. One of the ladies seated at my table asked where I lived, and I said that I lived right next door. She said, “Oh, you’re Holden and Brien’s dad”. I replied that I was and she proceeded to tell me that she had substituted at the elementary school, in both of their classes, but her background before she quit teaching was in special education. She then told me that her son was one of the children who pushed Holden to lunch and music class and that he loved Holden, always talking about him.

And then she told me, "I just have to share something with you. My son attended church camp this summer for the first time. When he returned home, I asked him what he did at camp. He replied that they hiked and swam. I then asked him what type of religious things they did. He told me that they talked about prayer...not like praying for Christmas presents and stuff like that, but for those less fortunate. So I asked him what or who he prayed for and he told me Holden."

I sat at the table with tears running down my face. When we got home later, I told my wife the story, and then I told her, what are the odds…I’m working in the front yard, our neighbor sees me and invites me to the bunko party, even though I don’t normally care for those types of things, we decide to go anyway, and then I am seated with a woman who I’ve never met, who then proceeds to tell me how my severely disabled son, who has never spoken a word in his life, somehow played a role in her son learning to pray. I told her there’s no way that God doesn’t have a plan for Holden.

Holden passed away on December 9, 2005, just after his eighteenth birthday. At both the visitation and funeral, time after time, we were approached by friends of Holden’s from school whom we had never met, who told us how he had impacted their lives. Some were going into medicine, some into special education or other related fields because of their relationship with Holden.

We miss him so much, but we know that he is healthy and happy with God, and he left a lasting impact on all those whose lives he touched. We continue to remember the bunko party and how much comfort that experience gave us and prepared us for his passing.

Sincerely,
Charles