Belonging and Encouragement is Found at Family Retreat

Jim and Sandy know the personal impact of disability through their adult twin sons, Mike and Mark, who have Down syndrome. When Mike and Mark were born, Sandy and Jim discovered that resources were scarce for families raising children with Down syndrome. They faced anxiety because of uncertain prognoses and other challenges that sometimes seemed overwhelming.

As Christ-followers, Jim and Sandy trusted God with their lives—and the lives of their sons, getting involved with Special Olympics and other organizations that serve the disability community. But when Sandy and Jim found Joni and Friends, they knew it was something life changing… a true extended family and a place in the body of Christ.

The Family Retreat Experience

When they come to Family Retreat, Jim, Sandy, Mike, and Mark are not only blessed… they bless the community in return. Jim and Sandy enjoy attending sessions with other couples who know what living with disability is like.

While their parents get biblical encouragement for their marriage, and the whole family, Mike and Mark have a blast going to Bible studies and participating in activities from arts and crafts to afternoons at the pool—all in the care of trained volunteers.

By the time their first Family Retreat experience ended, Jim, Sandy, Mike, and Mark were refreshed and excited to become more involved with Joni and Friends throughout the year.

Making a Difference for Other Families…

Today Sandy serves on the local board of Joni and Friends Alabama. She has quickly become a faithful volunteer with the ministry. She and Jim share a determination to help other families navigating Down syndrome find hope and joy. Sandy, Jim, Mike, and Mark all love being part of the Joni and Friends family!

You can make a difference too!

“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”  

Hebrews 10:24      

When you support Joni and Friends Alabama, you can bless families living with disability here at home and around the world. You can make it possible for families like Sandy, Jim, Mike, and Mark to experience belonging and encouragement at Family Retreat. Your generosity can also give the gift of a wheelchair (and the Gospel) to children and families in developing countries through Wheels for the World™.

Together we can make the Joni and Friends vision a reality: a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ.