For many years now, I have had trouble communicating with and having a usual relationship with my brother. He suffers from Asperger's Syndrome,and unfortunately, this was only detected when he was 20 years old. So, most of his life he didn't receive proper support to deal with his condition. Nor were we,his family, able to understand why he was different.

So, living with him is a daily challenge. During the lockdown and pandemic times, he was even more immersed in his own world and it was becoming harder and harder to really find ways to communicate, to spend time with him and even to see him... As an Asperger's he really doesn't like to be touched nor seen. Almost 30, my brother didn't have a job. He had finished studying a technical career in photography and was studying his BA in Photography in Australia waiting for his VISA to continue studying 'in person' there and, if possible, get a job there.

During the summer in the UK, I was able to meet Pedro's mother and she gave me one of Pedro's prayer card. After hearing her speaking about how good Pedro was during his lifetime, I knew I had to count on him.

As I returned from the UK to my country of origin, my parents told me that my brother had not been granted the VISA to go to Australia. My heart stopped for a moment... It was quite sad because for someone with Asperger's,receiving this news was very depressing and all the possibilities that could beopen to him in such a country were diminished.

An add-on to this, is that I am entrepreneur in the creative industries. Hard and very challenging situation during the Covid-19 pandemictimes, I wasn't able to pay myself a salary.

Many things were happening at the same time. So, I began topray one day and Pedro's prayer card fell from my little book. As I saw theprayer card, I prayed for him to help my brother solve his unemployment situation,as my brother was spending most of his day lying on his bed, sad and not verymotivated.

Not a couple of days passed before I received an opportunityto travel to the Peruvian Amazon to lead a workshop. I had the idea of inviting my brother to take the photographs. But I was very fearful of asking him because he didn't really want me to speak to him. But, as I approached and told him the idea, he accepted.

Since that day, he has started working with me. We can spend time together at work. We can speak. I can help him and he is challenging himself to improve. After this happened, I dedicate some time to pray to Pedro always, thanking and asking him to help me always with my brother withAsperger's.

Thank you Pedro and his mom for giving me that prayer card!

AA

10January 2022

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