Dear Partner,
For the past year we’ve taken our daughter, Morgan, horseback riding at Stepping Stones, in Newport MI. The sessions have about 4 other special needs kids with a variety of different physical challenges. When we started in the fall Morgan was “TERRIBLE.” Usually, Stepping Stones has a guide who leads the horse and depending on the needs of the child, an assistant on either side to stabilize things.
The first time we went Morgan wanted nothing to do with the horse. She tried every few minutes to take her helmet off. She tried grabbing the hat of the guide assisting next to her. She tried attacking the lady leading the horse. What it amounted to in the end was me holding Morgans hands in place, trying to keep up with a fairly sizable horse named Ruthie whose strides are just a bit longer than mine. Needless to say, at the end of 45 minutes I was exhausted. (I don’t think Ruthie was really excited about things either).
When the session ended in late fall, Lora asked if we could sign her up again for the spring class. I said yes, primarily because it was 6 months away and I knew it would make my wife happy. You can imagine that when spring came around and I was called out to walk with Morgan and Ruthie I wasn’t real excited about it. To make a long story short, this past Tuesday Morgan rode on her horse, relatively normal. I walked next to her but no longer needed the death grip on her hands in an effort to keep her from grabbing the assistance hat continuously.
She did circles, trots, and maneuvered her way around barrels, with someone leading the horse but actually holding the reigns and smiling. Lora and I were amazed. When I saw on their website they were asking for donations, it was an easy decision. They didn’t heal Morgan from her Angelman Syndrome, but they did help her go from point A to point B. I didn’t donate our life savings. A year from now I probably won’t even remember the gift until I review my receipts for taxes. But I gave because I saw the results firsthand.
That’s what I’m asking you to do today.
Hiawatha at some point helped you get from point A to point B in your spiritual journey. Maybe it was a family member whose life was heading in one direction before their experience at HYC, but followed a different trajectory after. You’ve seen the results firsthand. I’m asking you, on the precipice of this summer ahead, for a gift that will help hundreds of young people get from point A to point B in their relationship with God. Praying what God did in your life, He will do again in the life of a young person during their week at camp. Your donation today will help make that possible.
Grateful for your prayers and continued support of the ministry of HYC.
Sincerely,
Craig Walker
P.S. - Make sure and check out our podcast, Beyond Hiawatha, featuring a look back on Billy Walker Senior’s final interview from 2017. Click here to listen on Spotify, or click here to listen on Apple Podcasts.