SharePoint
Sign In
Help
ADN logo

Light in the Dark
 

  • Home
NavigationSearch
  • Home
    • About
      • Our Mission and Vision
      • Our History
      • Who Are Anabaptists?
      • Our Staff
      • Field Associates
      • Board of Directors
      • Annual Reports
      • Staff Openings
    • Get Involved
      • Congregational Advocates
      • Partner Congregations
      • Accessibility in all aspects of church life
      • Barrier-Free Grant
    • NewsletterCurrently selected
      • Latest issue
      • Previous issues
      • Subscribe
    • Blog
      • Latest Posts
      • Subscribe
      • All Posts
    • Resources
      • Accessibility and Awareness
        • Accessibility
        • Accessibility Audits
        • Awareness
        • Changing Attitudes
        • Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)
      • MC USA Accessibility Resolution and Study Guide
      • ADN Books
      • ADN Disability Language Guide
      • Barrier-Free Grant
      • Book and Media Recommendations
      • Caregivers
        • Circles of Care
        • Families
        • Support Groups
      • Congregational Assessment Survey
      • COVID-19 Resources
      • Disability Topics
        • ADHD
        • Autism spectrum
        • Disabilities of Aging
        • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
        • For the Deaf
        • Hearing Loss
        • Hidden disabilities
        • Intellectual disabilities
        • Mobility Impairment
        • Vision Disabilities
      • Faith Formation & Worship
        • Children
        • Classroom Accessibility
        • For Church leaders
        • Book Reviews
        • Our Speakers
        • Youth
      • From Other Faith Traditions
      • On Mental Health
        • Children and Youth
        • Depression and Anxiety
        • Healthy Boundaries
        • Mental Health Education
        • Mental Health Resource for Congregations
        • Mental Illnesses
        • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
        • Suicide
      • Speakers and Trainers
      • Webinars
      • All Resources
    • Donate
      • Support ADN: Donate Now
      • Legacy Giving
      • Honor And Memorial Gifts
      • Building the Future Partners
    • Contact Us
Left Menu
  • Pictures
  • Lists
  • Libraries
  • Recent
  • NewsletterCurrently selected
    • Latest issue
    • Previous issues
    • Subscribe

Light in the Dark
Coming to terms with a child's disability

Timothy Burkholder and Christine Guth
Page Image
Two girls back to back on a stage
Image Caption
Nyleea Maldonado (left) and a friend help lead a children's program at Arca de Salvación.​


Opening paragraph
​​Josue and Norma Vazquez Maldonado were anticipating the birth of their third child, six years after their second daughter was born. They had settled comfortably in Fort Myers, Florida, having moved from their native Puerto Rico. They were attending church at Iglesia Menonita Arca de Salvación. One of the first people to welcome them was Ruth Diaz Mellote, who immediately became friends with Norma and would soon become even more significant in their lives.
Page Content


Timothy Burkholder and Christine Guth are contributing authors for Circles of Love: Stories of Congregations Caring for people with Disabilities and their Families, available from MennoMedia. Other authors were Dean Preheim-Bartel and Linda Christophel.

Este artículo está disponible en español.

Routine blood tests just weeks before the baby’s birth hinted of possible developmental problems. After she was born, Nyleea had complications and needed to remain in the hospital for two weeks. Tests showed she had trisomy 21, or Down syndrome. This felt like terrible news! Through tears, Norma began to ask God, “Why me?” The night after Nyleea came home, Norma continued her debate with God. She awoke the next morning with a miraculous sense that her daughter was really a gift from God, and determined to discover how she could provide the best care for her.

Through diligent research online, Norma found resources about Down syndrome in both Spanish and English and a Down syndrome Facebook group. Help from her husband and two older daughters made her job at home easier. When she needed help, Ruth, her best friend from church, stepped in. Ruth’s attentive care soon made her the primary person Norma trusted to care for Nyleea.

Nine years later, Nyleea has found her place in Sunday school. The music director has welcomed her as a member of the children’s choir. On the third Friday of the month, the congregation holds a special children’s service, in which Nyleea participates.


Norma (left) and her friend Ruth Diaz

While Norma has been busy caring for Nyleea in recent years, especially after a decision to homeschool, she makes time to give back to her church. She recently completed studies with Instituto Bíblico Anabautista (Anabaptist Biblical Institute), graduating from its on-location Christian leadership training program. She now directs the congregation’s Sunday school program for all ages, where she works to ensure that children of all abilities are able to learn and grow in their faith.

The peace and acceptance she has found in knowing her daughter is a gift from God is a blessing that inspires Norma to reach out with warmth and support to the many parents of children with disabilities that God has been bringing into her path. She is grateful for opportunities to share her faith with others who are coming to terms with a child’s disability, and continues to seek God’s leading for her ministry. “God gives us light in the darkest moments,” she testifies. “God works in mysterious ways. I know this is a long journey, but God is going to guide me in the correct way.”

Book cover: Circles of LoveThis article is based on Chapter 8 in Circles of Love: Stories of Congregations Caring for people with Disabilities and their Families, published in 2015 by MennoMedia and Anabaptist Disabilities Network.  Order from MennoMedia.

 In this issue

  • We Are Able Workcamp
    We Are Able Workcamp offers a service opportunity in the summer of 2016 for teens and young adults with developmental disabilities and other young adult volunteers.
  • Teachers of the Soul
    Book review of Teachers of the Soul: The Heart of God Revealed through People with Disabilities, by David J. Gullman (Westbow, 2015). Reviewed by Christine Guth.
  • Faith in Action Transcends Disability
    Joshua Dean finds a warm welcome and tangible expressions of the gospel in a new church home at Slate Hill Mennonite Church.
  • ADN Updates February 2016
    ​Recent posts on the Opening Doors Blog, progress on the new website, and why you should visit our Facebook page
  • Safety for Vulnerable Populations
    Steps that churches can take to ensure the safety of all vulnerable persons, including children and adults with disabilities.
  • Special Needs Parenting
    Review of Special Needs Parenting: From Coping to Thriving, by Lorna Bradley (Huff Publishing Associates, 2015). Reviewed by Christine Guth.
  • Becoming More Inclusive
    Two churches take new steps to become more accessible to people with disabilities. ADN offers resources and connection to congregations like these seeking to widen their welcome.
  • Open Roof Award
    Cedar Lake and Staunton congregations were honored with the Church of the Brethren Open Roof Award for 2015.
 

Contact us

P: 877-214-9838 (Toll Free)
P: 574-343-1362
3145 Benham Avenue
Suite 5
Elkhart, IN 46517-1970
Visit the Anabaptist Disabilities Network on Facebook!

Support ADN

Use your credit card to contribute online:

Donate Now Through Network for Good

Donate Now Through PayPal

    Resources

  • Staff
  • About
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Employment
  • Sign In
  • © Anabaptist Disabilities Network 2019