A Sanctuary of Love: Where Families Finally Feel Seen and Heard
Ty, Rachel, and their four children pulled into Family Retreat in Nashville with a fully-loaded U-Haul in tow—sometimes a necessity for traveling with a child who has complex medical needs. Ty climbed out of the driver’s seat, stretching his back from the long drive from Indiana while Rachel checked her phone for the week’s schedule.
Behind Ty and Rachel, their four kids waited patiently:
18-year-old Avonlea, radiant in her wheelchair, nonverbal but alert with eyes sparkling…
16-year-old Novelle, standing close by, scanning the new environment with hopeful anticipation…
Clinton and Halcyon, already eyeing the country landscape with curiosity…
Avonlea was born with cerebral palsy. She is quadriplegic and nonverbal, and her care is a full-time, full-family job.
Like many families living with disability, Ty, Rachel, and their children have learned to function as a coordinated unit, each person filling a role to support Avonlea and one another. But the weight of constant advocacy, ongoing physical care, and occasional social misunderstanding can grow heavy.
This is why when Novelle came across something called a Joni and Friends Family Retreat online, she couldn’t let it go.
She approached her parents with an attitude of: “We have to try this.” And so they did!
Right from the start, Family Retreat felt different…
From enthusiastic and personalized opening greetings to friendly help unloading the U-Haul, to the lack of sideways glances and awkward pauses, Ty, Rachel, and their children immediately found themselves at ease.
By mid-week, Rachel felt lighter.
“I took a nap for the first time in I don’t know how long! And my heart rate is actually lower. That hardly ever happens,” she said.
For caregivers like Rachel, this kind of rest provides holy restoration. It’s not just about sleep—it’s about finally exhaling, trusting God. It’s about trusting that your child is being cared for by someone who sees her not as a burden but as a blessing, a whole person created in the image of God.
Avonlea’s volunteer for the week enjoyed discovering her unique forms of communication—her eye movements, her favorite sounds, the little grins that said, “yes, I’m enjoying this.”
As the week came to a close, families gathered for a time of reflection. One by one, people shared how the retreat had impacted them. Then Novelle stood up. She shared how this week was the first time they didn’t have to explain anything about their family.
“No one asked us what was ‘wrong.’ We were just… us. And we belonged,” said Novelle.
In her words, Novelle captured the heartbeat of Family Retreat. For families who spend years navigating a litany of daily hurdles in a world not designed for their support—this place becomes sacred ground. A place where hope is not a wish, but a shared reality. A place where dignity isn’t earned, but recognized.
A place where they don’t have to work to fit in because they already belong.
By the time Ty and Rachel’s family began packing the U-Haul to head back home, their burdens hadn’t disappeared—but they were lighter. The exhaustion of daily caregiving, the isolation and the ache of regularly being “different” had been met by the gentle nearness of God, tangibly and personally. Through every meal served, every volunteer smile, every moment of rest, and every whispered prayer, they experienced the love of Jesus.
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