Friday Funding Update:
October 28, 2016

Blown Away!!!! In just 3.5 weeks, we have raised $7,378.25! And all I can say is GOD IS GOOD, and THANK YOU to all who have given!!!! We have some very exciting fundraisers in the next few weeks that several of our friends have put together, and we are beyond grateful for all of the effort that they are putting in to help Josiah! A yard/estate sale, a bake sale, Crystal's Cupcakes by the dozen sale, and a profit share event hosted by a local shop called All That Jas! We are thankful to everyone who is "thinking outside the box" in order to help us reach our $60,000 goal! Perhaps you can come up with your own unique way of raising funds! We would love for you to join us in making this happen for Josiah! As I have told many of my friends, whether it is a $1, a $1,000, anywhere in between, or even more, WE ARE GRATEFUL for every dollar raised! We have flyers that we can put out with donation jars, and I have a link so that you can print your own flyers if that would be your preference. 

Please join us in praying that God will continue to bless our efforts! Share our story, like our Facebook page, and follow our website! Thank you to everyone who has given so far!!!!

Because of His grace,

Christy

Happy/Sad Days

Three of our children had a few extra days off from school this past week, and so we decided to plan a family outing. We normally try to include everyone, but occasionally and often as a result of my parent's wise urging, we will plan an outing for just our typically developing children. Our options are very limited when Josiah and Jalen are included in the planning due to their sensory needs and their risk of flight or running away. They have no sense of danger. We are always "ON" in terms of our watchfulness, but taking them out in public requires a level of singular focus and vigilance that often makes it impossible to meaningfully engage with our other children. 

A few of us....

And so we planned some special things for Jalen to do so that Josiah could have the treat of having our home all to himself. You see this is one of the major reasons he needs this therapy building so badly. When we are all home, he becomes   completely overwhelmed. We can whisper, and that noise will still bother him. He is processing everything. Every step, every movement, every noise. And so Jalen enjoyed a trip to LifeWay for some of his favorite DVDs, and he went to the Children's Museum for a little while before he became overwhelmed and needed to leave. And Josiah enjoyed the peacefulness of our quiet home.

Ninja Brothers

Jeremy and I enjoyed our time with our other children so much, but there is a deep sadness to not being able to enjoy these times all together. Something is always missing. SomeOne is always missing. I have to continuously pull my mind away from thinking about Josiah and Jalen so that I can treasure this special time with Olivia, Jack, Judah, and Jason. It's a Happy/Sad Feeling that makes for a Happy/Sad day. 

Does Olivia look more like Dad or Mom?

The therapy room will provide Josiah with the quiet he so desperately needs, and the therapy pool will calm his sensory needs. But the pool will do something else as well. If Josiah is having a good day, his favorite thing to do is to swim wtih his family. What a blessing it will be to be able to access a pool year-round so that on his good days our children can enjoy swimming all together without the dangers that come from taking Josiah and Jalen in public. And those days will just be Happy/Happy Days!  

Jason and Jalen 

Josiah loving on his baby brother Jason

Friday Funding Update:
October 21, 2016

We are thrilled with the progress that has been made this week! Our current fundraising total is $3,653.25! God is so good!!!! The higher outside temperatures have made it challenging for Josiah. He would function so much better if he could have Fall weather all year long. But we have thankfully been able to comfort him with van rides and have avoided severe self-injury for the most part. The driving is exhausting for us all, but we will gladly drive him in the van to avoided having him get so upset that he hurts himself! Building this therapy room and indoor therapy pool will make such a huge impact on improving Josiah's quality of life. Thank you to all who have given! Please continue to help us think of ways to fund-raise. I was contacted by the mother-in-law of a dear friend of mine. Her name is Kathy. She has never met our family before, but she has felt called to help Josiah. Next week she is hosting a yard sale and bake sale to raise funds for Josiah. God is using people we don't even know to help change our sweet boy's life for the better. Will you help is too? We are forever grateful!!!!

Because of His grace,
Christy

Joseph Prepared Me for Josiah

A pastor friend of mine posted a prayer request on facebook a few days ago asking prayer for a young man in his church who had been in an accident. The young man was driving a tractor trailer for his work, and a car pulled in front of him. He was unable to avoid hitting the car, and the driver of the car was killed. My friend said the young man "had a load of guilt and pain." I understood, because I have experienced that guilt and pain as well. 

In 2005, I was asked by my friends Tommy and Stefanie to care for their newborn son Joseph. He had been born prematurely, and Tommy and Stefanie didn't want to place him in a daycare setting for this reason. And, since our son Jack had been born 10 weeks early, I was uniquely suited to care for their precious firstborn. Stefanie and I had always been like family. Our parents had lived next door to each other my entire life. I was thrilled for the opportunity, and our children Olivia and Jack were very excited about having a baby in our home to love.

On October 18, the unimaginable happened. I had laid Joseph down for his nap right before feeding our children lunch. After lunch and before putting Olivia and Jack down for their naps, I checked on Joseph. I found that Joseph had passed away in our crib while napping. I instantly started CPR and called 911, but there was nothing I could do to breathe life back into his little body. The hardest phone call I have ever had to make was to call and tell Tommy that something was wrong with Joseph and that I didn't know if he would be alright. Seeing Tommy and Stefanie's indescribable heartache and grief gave me such a helpless feeling. And I felt the waves of guilt and pain and doubt roll over me. Why didn't I realize something was wrong? They trusted me. I failed them. This is all my fault.....


BUT Jesus.

In the days that followed, Jesus comforted me in countless ways. Tommy and Stefanie were selfless, compassionate, and gracious toward me in the midst of processing their own heartache. They showed me love and mercy so great that the only explanation for this is that God gave them the strength and grace needed to face each new day. I was surrounded by family and friends who supported me in my weakness. And Jesus used the loving honesty of my husband to remind me, "If you make this about what you were unable to do, then it makes you Big and God small. But, if you make this about what God did, then it makes you small and God Big." 

You see, this is Joseph's story. It's Tommy and Stefanie's story. And it's mine as well. But, more than anything else, it is a story about Jesus. About His plan for our lives. About His ability to use a baby just shy of 4 months old to bring about His will and purposes in the lives of others. It's about the lessons He taught us all through loving and losing Joseph.

I found out I was expecting Josiah just shortly after Joseph's death. I can look back and see how God used Joseph to teach me valuable lessons about His plan for our lives, about trusting Him to bring beauty even out of the ashes of our lives. And, when I feel the waves of guilt and pain and doubt sweep over me concerning the many "what ifs" in my own son's life, I am reminded that God is Big and I am small. 

You may be wondering why I would choose to share this on Josiah's fundraising website. This post isn't about fundraising. People ask me weekly, "How do you guys keep going?" I can't really answer that question without telling Joseph's story, and about how God used this precious baby to teach me to trust in Him and to rest in the fact that He holds our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows. 

“Life is but a Weaving” 
(the Tapestry Poem)

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.

Not ’til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.

― Corrie ten Boom

Friday Funding Update:
October 14, 2016

As of Thursday morning, we have $525 in the "Josiah Verroi Fund" established by our church: Beacon Baptist. We are thankful and excited for the progress we have seen so far! Our website has had 3,506 page views so we know Josiah's story is getting out there!

One of the questions that I am getting most often is, "Why can't we give online?" We are so excited to announce that you now can give online via PayPal! Our church has graciously agreed to allow PayPal donations, and you can access the church link to PayPal at: www.beaconbaptist.com/donate/. These donations are tax deductible, because Beacon is a non-profit organization. However, if you choose to give online via PayPal rather than sending a check, there is a 2.95% processing fee. This fee means that 2.95% of your donation is not tax deductible. We realize that we live in a "click and donate" generation so we want to make giving online an option. We are so grateful to all of the people who have been willing to give to make this happen for Josiah!

Our flyers have arrived! We would love for you to request a flyer that could be set out with a collection jar at a public place of your choosing. Every donation, no matter how large or small, will help us reach our goal of $60,000!

Thank you again for giving and for sharing our story! Please take the time to follow our website, like our facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/supportjosiah/?fref=ts), and share our story online and with your friends and family!

And please continue to pray for our sweet boy!

Because of His grace,

Christy

Barometric Pressure and Van Rides

This picture of Josiah makes my heart heavy. It rained so much the past few weeks, and the changes in barometric pressure seem to cause Josiah significant discomfort and even pain. He becomes so distressed that the only thing that comforts him is riding in the van. Hour after hour. He isn't asleep in this picture. He is riding in a silent van, but he is frozen from being completely overwhelmed. All he can do to comfort himself is to hold his head. It's such a sad feeling not knowing how to help him.

This is one of the reasons why we are doing this fundraiser. We need to have a place where Josiah can go to combat the effects of his extreme sensory sensitivities. This building renovation and therapy pool will go a long way to meeting this need for him. Swimming in the pool provides calming input like nothing else can, and, being in a soundproof room, will give him the peace and quiet that his body needs.

We know that there is no way we can accomplish this without the help of others. Would you join us in making this happen for Josiah? We are expecting our flyers to be delivered in the next few days, and we would love for you to request a flyer that can be put in a public place to help spread the word about Josiah's needs. Thank you to all of those people who have already donated, and thank you to the people who are spreading the word and asking others to give.

Please remember to follow our website, like our facebook page, share our story, and give! We are forever grateful for your efforts on behalf of our boy!

Because of His grace,
Christy


*We will post an update on Fridays with the current fundraising total. :) 

Progress and Praise!

We are so thankful for all of the support we have received so far! Our Facebook page was liked over 100 times on day one, and so many people shared our story. We have also had several friends contact us with ideas for raising funds. What a blessing! We are praising Jesus!

We are trying to find people who are not only willing to partner with us by giving, but who would also be willing to host some kind of independent fundraiser for Josiah. This could be anything: bake sales, car washes, putting a donation jar out at your church, school, or place of employment, etc. 

This picture is of our flyer. It will arrive this week. We would love for you to request a flyer to place somewhere with a donation jar of your choosing. (We can also send you a link to print the flyer.)

Please continue to share our story with your family and friends, and encourage others to like our Facebook page and to follow our website!

We are grateful to you all!!! And we can't wait to see how the Lord is going to work through each of you to help our boy!

Because of His grace,
Christy 

Drum Roll Please.....

The day has finally arrived! We have been planning this fundraiser for several months, and we are thrilled to officially start accepting funds today. For those of you who don't know our son Josiah, please take the time to learn more about him here. Under the tabs above, you can read all about him and our family, and you can find out about Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder and how it affects his life. 

It is a VERY humbling thing to ask others to help us provide for our son, but we know this is a project that we will never be able to accomplish for Josiah without your help. Josiah's quality of life will be greatly improved by having this therapy room and by having access to swimming throughout each day. Will you please consider partnering with us? 

Tax-deductible donations can be made by sending a check to our church: 
Beacon Baptist Church

1622 Kirkpatrick Road

Burlington, NC 27215

*Please write the check to Beacon Baptist Church, and put "Josiah Verroi Fund" in the memo line. 

You can also give via PayPal! (There is a 2.95% processing fee to do this. Which means 2.95% of your donation is not tax deductible.) But we have had several people request an option for online giving so please feel free to use this service! You can access the church's PayPal link at:
www.beaconbaptist.com/donate/ . 

Beacon has graciously agreed to manage this project for us. They have set up a fund for Josiah, and, once we have raised enough, they will write checks directly to the vendors helping us complete the project.

Would you like to do more to help?

If 60people will commit to raising $1,000 for Josiah, we will reach our $60,000 goal so much faster! Check out our "FAQs" tab for some ideas of how to raise funds. Message us at jverroi@gmail.com with any questions you may have.  

We will be posting updates every Friday! Please help us spread the word!!!!

One of the biggest lessons we have learned about being parents of special needs children is that it truly takes a community of supporters to love, uplift, and help in tangible ways! Will you join our community? Will you help our boy? 

We are forever grateful to those who join us in making this happen for Josiah!!!!

Because of His Grace!

Jeremy and Christy