At Family Retreat Special Needs Families Find Respite and Belonging

Taking the First Step

At two-and-a-half years old, Jacqui’s son, Kobe, struggled with speech and communication, and demonstrated unexpected behaviors. Jacqui had Kobe evaluated for autism.

“The moment Kobe was diagnosed with autism, I felt so lost and unloved. I was processing his diagnosis and going through a divorce. I felt that I wasn’t capable of handling any of it. But God was never not in control, and he put people in my life to build me up,”

Jacqui

When one of Jacqui’s friends suggested that she bring Kobe to Family Retreat, she hesitated. So much could go wrong…

“What if he runs away, has a tantrum, or flops on the floor and refuses to get up?”

These kinds of questions kept Jacqui and Kobe at home many times before, feeling isolated and discouraged. But during the first evening of Family Retreat, Jacqui discovered that she and Kobe had truly found a place of safety and belonging.

Finding Family

Mealtimes and routines play a key role in Kobe’s stability, so eating in an unfamiliar environment can cause him challenges. At the first Family Retreat dinner, Kobe refused to eat. Jacqui felt a wave of panic and took Kobe to the salad bar hoping to find something he would like. As soon as she made the plate, Kobe slapped the dish out of her hand. Salad went flying, and the dish clanged on the floor.

“I felt so close to Jesus. I was new in my walk with the Lord, but I felt his unconditional, clear love in the dirty, swampy, murkiness of my life. It was beautiful.”

Jacqui

A Lasting Community

At Family Retreat Jacqui connected with other moms who understood the unique challenges of parenting a child with a disability. While Kobe spent time with his buddy, Jacqui got the precious gift of respite, catching up on much-needed sleep and feeling her heart renew as her son basked in the experience of true inclusion and belonging.

Since their first Family Retreat experience, Jacqui and Kobe have remained part of our Joni and Friends New England community, and they’ve become active in their own church community. When they come to Family Retreat now, they come with joy—with no trace of the old fear and trepidation. And now Jacqui celebrates that her experience with Kobe’s disability has paved the way for her to know and love Christ. She says:

“If it wasn’t for my son with autism, I wouldn’t know Christ…. I wouldn’t have as much grace, patience, and empathy for people struggling if we didn’t walk it first.”

Jacqui now works at her church where she serves and encourages other families living with disability.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

2 Corinthians 1:3–4

You can partner with Joni and Friends to serve more families like Jacqui and Kobe, sharing the love of Christ and the ultimate belonging that comes from him.