Give the Gift of Hope Found in Christ

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

John 1:5

Through your faithful partnership with Joni and Friends^®, families like James and Amber’s are finding renewed joy.

In 2020, James and Amber welcomed their beautiful son, Jacob, into the world. After a week in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and multiple tests, doctors confirmed that Jacob has Down syndrome.

In that moment, the dreams they had for their family suddenly felt uncertain. They began a journey filled with medical appointments, sleepless nights, grief, and deep concern for their other children, Abigail and Luke.

Then came words from doctors that no parents should hear, “this could have been prevented if you had just done medical testing.”  

Heartbroken, James and Amber started to question past decisions and wondered what God’s plan for Jacob could be.

Parents in New England and across the globe need to know that our Savior came for every child—for children are made in His image, full of purpose, dignity, and immeasurable worth.

After Jacob’s birth, James and Amber felt trapped by disheartening thoughts and deep isolation. They longed for a community who understood what they were walking through. Jesus’ words in John 9:3 gave them a glimmer of hope: “…this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” These words brought peace knowing that Jacob’s birth, diagnosis, and the rewriting of their dreams were being used for God’s glory. And with God, James and Amber knew everything would be alright.

The weight of judgement from others can be heavy for Amber and James—but not as heavy as the guilt they sometimes carry themselves. “It is also hard to feel like you are doing enough as a parent,” Amber admits. “Jacob’s needs can feel so urgent that we worry we’re not giving enough attention and love to Abigail and Luke.”

And friends, that is why your partnership means everything!

Thanks to your generosity, Joni and Friends is a lifeline for Amber, James, and their children. According to Amber, Joni and Friends is a place “where there is zero judgement, a deep sense of community, and never-ending love outpouring from every person involved.”

Amber describes Family Retreat as “what the Kingdom of God should look like. Our pastor often says it is not about getting people into Heaven, it is about getting Heaven into people. That is what Joni and Friends does.”

Through Family Retreat and other Joni and Friends outreaches like Marriage Getaway and Walk ‘N’ Roll, James and Amber know they are not alone.

“We feel like we are enough, simply because of Christ’s love,” says Amber. “No matter our ability or background, Family Retreat is a place where we are surrounded by a community all trying to figure out how to get more of Heaven and Christ into everyone.”

The fact that Family Retreat is designed for their entire family is significant. Spending time with other siblings who have a brother or sister with a disability has taught Abigail and Luke that they are not alone. It has reshaped how they think about their family.

And for Jacob, Joni and Friends provides opportunities for him to worship freely and express his joy in Christ in his own way. James and Amber saw Jacob’s love for worship come alive at our Walk ‘N’ Roll. Now Jacob walks around the house with a blue tooth speaker jamming to his favorite worship songs.

Not only that, but following Walk ‘N’ Roll, their family found a new church home with Joni and Friends ministry partner Crossway Christian Church. “After seeing the most love in one building that I’ve ever seen at Walk ‘N’ Roll, and a whole lot of good dance moves from Jacob, we knew we needed to find a church that could better support Jacob and his needs,” Amber says. “Finding a church where we can breathe and know that our kids are being taken care of so well is priceless.”

Over the last year, our New England team has hosted 35 disability ministry trainings and provided practical disability awareness resources and support to 708 ministry leaders and volunteers. It is our prayer that each training results in more families like James and Amber’s finding hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ.

And while we praise God for His work in their lives, there are many more families like James and Amber’s who need to hear that their children are a gift from God, too.

When you generously support the ministry of Joni and Friends through programs like Family Retreat, Marriage Getaway, Wheels for the World^®, and mobilizing the local church, you are helping families like Jacob’s know God’s glory is on display in them.

Will you let Jesus work through you today so that families living with disability can experience new hope in Christ?

Our goal is to fund all our programs and outreaches. Your gift will help us reach even more of God’s precious children.

Thank you for giving the best gift you could give—the hope of Jesus. I pray that your family will be blessed abundantly.