Family Retreat Supports Families All Year Long!
“God sets the lonely in families.”
Psalm 68:6
Dan and Sandra Rivera were super excited when they heard about Family Retreat.
Their sons DeMetrius (19), Nathan (11) and Isaac (6) matched their parents’ excitement.
Both DeMetrius and Nathan have global developmental delays, making their day-to-day caregiving routines incredibly complicated – and making vacations impossible.
Little Isaac was perhaps anticipating Family Retreat most of all.
As he explained, “I was looking forward to having my own assigned volunteer buddy!”
When their in-person Family Retreat was canceled due to COVID-19, the Rivera family was heartbroken. But coronavirus couldn’t stop us from encouraging special-needs families, and provisions were made for Family Retreat at Home. Dan and Sandra received a personal invitation from our New England staff letting them know they were wanted and valued.
Sandra cried as she explained, “It was shocking to see Joni and Friends do something like this.” Because before being connected to Joni and Friends, Sandra’s experience was that “people don’t invest in us.”
But Sandra and Dan were thrilled to learn that Joni and Friends loves serving families impacted by disability like the Riveras!
“In 19 years, I’ve never seen anything like this!” said Sandra. “Joni and Friends took time to reach out to us. They saw us. They got to know us and made us feel special.”
Dan went on to explain, “Joni and Friends made us feel loved and that we’re not alone.”
And in a season when already isolated families are being pushed even further into the margins of society due to coronavirus restrictions, Family Retreat at Home came at the perfect time.
No matter what is going on in our world, we will love and serve families by creatively engaging with them so they can find hope in their hardships through Jesus.
Hands-on ministry to special-needs families will continue all year long!
Sandra said it best, “You make us feel a little bit more connected to this world and a little bit more connected to being God’s children.”
And now, after Family Retreat at Home, Sandra is part of our Joni and Friends online support group, receiving the hope and encouragement she needs as a full-time caregiver to her sons – and getting that support every month of the year.
“I can’t believe God loves us so much to bring us into the Joni and Friends family!” declared Sandra.
We praise the Lord for showing the Rivera family – and thousands of other families like theirs – that they belong to the family of God!
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Help Joni and Friends show love to families living with disability.
