Evan’s Family Found Rest and Joy At Family Retreat
“We were so lonely, I was broken, feeling unwanted, unseen, head hung low with no one to share with, no one who got us, no one like us,” said Nancy.
Families living with disability too often face isolation and loneliness. Just ask Nancy. She and her husband Bart have a son named Evan. Because of a disability, Evan needs hands-on help for most daily routines. And though the family went to church, they struggled to make friends and feel like they truly belonged.
How does Joni and Friends make a difference?
Nancy was listening to the radio one day and heard about a ministry that shared the Gospel and supported families living with disability. She learned about Joni and Friends Family Retreat and thought this could be what her family needed. They applied for the closest retreat to the Sacramento area and were accepted!
“Arriving at Family Retreat for the first time, we were enveloped in love and support, not just any love, but the love of Jesus, and support.”
Nancy
Nancy and her family found exactly what they needed at Family Retreat. For once they felt understood and enjoyed being with people who didn’t think Evan needed to be “fixed.” They found rest and joy within a community that recognized and welcomed Evan’s gifts and talents, and his desire to worship and grow in his relationship with Christ.
“We connected, we read Scripture, prayed, laughed and cried together… We left retreat different people. We held our heads up high knowing that we could go out into our community and be used by God, that our child was an instrument unto God.”
Nancy
Joni and Friends Family Retreat provides what families navigating disability need:
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Rest
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Inclusion
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Accessible activities
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Meaningful connection
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Encouragement
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Support for couples
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Support for siblings
What happens after Family Retreat?
Of course, Family Retreat can’t last all year. After retreat, families return home, back to daily routines and challenges. So how does Joni and Friends make a lasting difference for these families?
For Nancy, while she still spends her days giving care, she prioritizes community too. She now mentors other families who feel isolated, and has a strong group of mom friends who stay connected throughout the year.
Bart and Nancy also pray that God will make a way for every family living with disability to experience a Joni and Friends Family Retreat.
“Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”
Isaiah 43:19
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