Help And Hope Through Joni’s House

No doubt about it, I love pouring my life into others. 

Especially when it concerns reaching the needy and afflicted for Christ.  

Hi, I’m Joni, and when it comes to these people, the Bible is always using words like “rescue” and “defend” and “help,” “speak up for” and “care for.” ’Cause God doesn’t just want us to simply remember the afflicted or pray for them, although both are important. No, it’s more than that. He calls us to be his hands and his feet. To actually do something. And that’s the way I have been pouring my life into others. No matter where in the world Joni and Friends goes, Ephesians chapter 4 is on my heart. It says we want to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. I mean, for years I’ve been working with our team to build up, to mentor and train a new generation of leaders to do his work. And I’m talking about a generation of leaders in places like, well, South/Central America, Eastern Europe, Africa; places where people with disabilities need to be rescued; they need to be defended and helped and cared for and spoken up for.  

Just recently, I got on a Zoom call with these very leaders in these countries. And these are my brothers and sisters in Christ who, like me, they all have a passion to reach for Christ the poorest of the poor: the disabled in their countries – like Uganda and Peru, El Salvador, India, Nepal and others. These are leaders we work with when we distribute wheelchairs and Bibles and when we do evangelism. These are the very leaders who help us go into the streets, find the disabled who are impoverished, and help them. And I have so much respect for their leadership skills, for these people’s passion for the disabled, but most of all, for their love for Jesus Christ. And many of them, like me, are disabled themselves. I’m thinking of Claudia who broke her neck in a diving accident just like I did, many years ago. She lives in El Salvador, and for years, she’s been organizing our Wheels for the World outreaches in her country. I remember when I attended our first International Family Retreat that she helped lead. Oh, my goodness! And now Claudia, along with others like her around the world, will be leading the charge with Joni’s House.  

Now let me explain it. Joni’s House is a new and exciting initiative that we’re building. It’s not a program, but it’s a place. Joni’s House are centers that adorn the Gospel by serving as hubs for our wheelchair distribution and repair, International Family Retreats. I mean, Joni’s House is partnering with our international coordinators, like Claudia, as well as with other evangelical churches in these countries, and local hospitals. Joni’s House is a place where the poorest of the poor will find hope in Jesus Christ, as well as medical help, Bible study, food, dignity kits and physical therapy. And I could not be more excited! To me – I don’t know – Joni’s House is my legacy; what can I say?! It’s a place where the disabled who have nowhere else to turn – they’ll be able to come and find spiritual healing in Jesus, as well as practical help from his people. And I’d love for you to see a screen shot of that Zoom meeting I had with Claudia and all the other international leaders who are helping us with Joni’s House. I want you to see it because I want you to be praying for these leaders as we work with them to reach more desperately needy people for Christ. Just go to joniradio.org and enjoy our smiles on that photo. And please pray over each leader as they join us in following Jesus’ command to go out, find the disabled, and bring them in. Again go to joniradio.org and while you’re there, I’ve got wonderful photos of our first Joni’s House in El Salvador – and a video! Go to joniradio.org.

© Joni and Friends