The Amigos teach kids to love people who are different
“I think I learned more about life from Matt than almost anybody, because his loyalty and faithfulness and joy is of a level that I can barely comprehend,” said Jordan McDevitt of Matt Bangsund, one of The Amigos at The Dwelling Place.
Jordan and his wife Olivia grew up with Matt at Upper Valley Christian School in Leavenworth, and have been friends ever since. Matt’s dad, John, who helped found the school with Kathy Bangsund, was Jordan’s football coach. Jordan learned a lot from John, as well.
“He was a teacher, mentor, role model. Such a good storyteller and great sense of humor,” Jordan recalled. “He would always say, ‘Work hard and play hard,’ and he lived it. He and Kathy have sort of laid the foundation of my life in terms of creating structure and imparting education and imparting the gospel. It would be really hard to imagine my life without them.”
Jordan and Olivia left Leavenworth to complete their education, but they moved back to start their own family in their close-knit hometown.
“I’ve always wanted to be here,” Jordan said. “It’s family roots, in part. I’m a third generation that has lived in the Valley. What comes along with those roots is the sense of community, for sure. It’s a great place to raise your kids, aside from being beautiful.”
Jordan is now a real estate developer in the area, helping others who value the beauty and heritage of Leavenworth to settle here and integrate into the community, as well.
“There are different circles, different groups of people, in town. You have people who know each other through school; then the downtown business community; and then the agricultural community; and then the retirees.”
Olivia and Jordan McDevitt grew up with Matt. Now their children, including Titus (pictured several years ago), are growing up with Matt, too.
The Dwelling Place intersects most of these circles, as The Amigos attend church, local sports games, and have worked in downtown businesses. They regularly visit the library, the gym, and the grocery store. The Amigos and their relationships throughout the Valley are part of what maintains Leavenworth’s warm and inclusive culture, even as it grows to embrace new residents.
“One of the surest marks of a community is how they take care of those who can’t take care of themselves. The warmth which the guys receive from the community says a lot about who we are and what we value,” Jordan said. “You have those rock solid people here who carry the torch of culture and pull others along with them, and I think the Bangsunds have been that. They’ve created culture in a really neat way.”
Matt with Jordan and Olivia’s daughter, Daniela.
Raising his own family in Leavenworth not only keeps Jordan close with his childhood friend, Matt, but allows his children to get to know Matt and the other Amigos.
An especially poignant moment for Jordan happened when he brought his 2-year-old son, Titus, to the Dwelling Place’s New Year’s Eve party one year.
“Matt was holding Titus and they were making eye contact with each other, and it was this moment where Matt was befriending my son and sort of sharing his soul in a way that he always had with me,” Jordan said. “He immediately gave himself to him. It was really precious to me to see the dynamic of the generations. Matt is like that with everybody. But for it to be my own son…”
Matt Bangsund meets Titus McDevitt.
The Amigos are teaching his children—Grace, 13, Daniella, 10, and Titus, 8—how to love and value people who may appear different.
“I think American culture is devaluing those who are different, and especially those who don’t ‘contribute.’ That’s really disturbing to me,” Jordan continued. “But my kids are having the chance to interact with Matt, and the message they’re getting is exactly the opposite. He is valuable—uniquely and powerfully valuable. I think there can also be a tendency for kids to see someone who’s different and be afraid or reserved and feel uncomfortable. We’re afraid of things we don’t understand or don’t know. For them to know The Amigos, when they see someone else with a developmental disability, instead of hanging back and not knowing how to interact, they immediately light up. They want to approach them. It’s really helped them understand that the Lord made us all different and we all have value.”
Jordan has served as treasurer and chairman on The Dwelling Place’s Board of Directors for about 10 years. He is motivated to protect The Amigos’ way of life, especially as they age. Additionally, since John passed away in 2018, Jordan and the other board members are seeking ways to raise funds for more staff and a new director. They want Kathy, who has carried a heavy workload at the Dwelling Place for 18 years, to have the freedom to retire and devote her time to simply being Matt’s mom, and spend more time with her other two adult children and their families.
“John and Kathy are pillars of the community who have constantly poured their lives out for others,” he said. “Whereas some people are thinking about how to slow down and retire, Kathy is worried she’s not going to get it all out before she goes to be with the Lord.”
As a business owner and long-time resident of Leavenworth, Jordan invites others in the Valley to deepen their commitment to, and support for, The Amigos and Kathy by giving regularly to The Dwelling Place, or helping to organize fundraisers. Individuals could give monthly and businesses could share a small percentage of their profits to ensure The Dwelling Place continues to provide high quality care for The Amigos throughout their lives.
“There are a lot of people who heard The Amigos’ story, and if they were invited into being part of their lives, I think are people who would take that invitation.”
