I was made in the image of God and born on September 3, 1975. The doctors told my parents that I had Down syndrome. This means I learn slower than most of you. I wish I didn’t have Down syndrome, but I know it’s the way God created me to live for Him.

When I was little, I went to Sunday school like everyone else in our church. When I was 6, I stayed with my mom in the 4-year-old class where she was the teacher and I was her helper. When I was 10, my sister, Katie, was born and my mom stopped teaching the 4-year-old class. Lots of people thought I should go to the special-education class at church because I was different. I didn’t want to. In the special-ed class, there were students from 10 to 40 years old. One man was 23 and wanted to marry me. This was scary and I didn’t like it.

I love to sing. I started going to the special-ed class only for the first service and then to our King’s Kids Choir practice for second service. It was great singing with the kids in front of the church, and I sang in two musicals. I was sad when I got too old for the kid’s choir.

Last June, I listened to my brother talk about starting in the junior-high group at church and all the fun things they did. I wanted to be with teenagers too. Mom and Dad talked with the junior-high pastor, and he said I could be part of the group. I was so excited. I went to summer camp, and I am in a Sunday morning core group with 10 other girls. On Wednesday nights I go to Youth Mania.

It’s fun, but I wish the girls were really my friends. Maybe if I had been with them from the beginning, they would know me better as a person and know that I am just a regular person with regular feelings who is more like them than unlike them. I hope that in your churches you keep everyone together whenever you can.

Julie Hutchinson is a deacon in her church, First EFC of Fullerton, Calif.