Family Retreat: Where Families Facing Disability Find Love and Belonging
“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”
Luke 2:19
God uses life experiences to impact peoples’ hearts in wondrous ways. God has used disability to do a work in the hearts of Scott, Christina, and their family. Scott and Christina have five children—two are adopted. They adopted Josiah from Liberia, West Africa, when he was two and a half months old. At that time, Scott and Christian were unaware of Josiah’s cerebral palsy. When they discovered Josiah’s diagnosis, doctors told them he would not be able to walk or talk. That started a torrent of therapy sessions, medical appointments, and evaluations. By the time Josiah was in kindergarten, he was using a wheelchair. Mainly, he communicated through facial expressions and sounds that his family learned to understand.
Josiah’s teen years brought a whole new set of medical challenges. It didn’t take long for the isolation and loneliness of disability to completely overwhelm Josiah and his parents. Josiah had a circle of friends as a child, but once his disabilities increased—now needing a power chair and more extensive hospital stays—his access to friends was limited. And it became very apparent to Josiah that his friends stopped reaching out to him. Oh, just hearing that makes our hearts ache…
Praise God that Christina and Josiah came to Family Retreat in 2023. They had an amazing time! When they came home and couldn’t stop talking about it, Scott knew that he had to join them next time, and that’s exactly what happened in 2024!
Scott says, “Josiah had never been surrounded by kids who had challenges like his before. At Family Retreat he was able to do new things with other teens. And he was free to be himself without Mom and Dad there all the time. Josiah feels freedom at Family Retreat like no other place.”
Scott, Christina, and Josiah feel valued and loved at Family Retreat.
Christina says, “Everywhere we go we look different and stand out like a sore thumb! But at Family Retreat, we all understand each other and have an instant bond. There is no place where we’ve felt safer and more encouraged. We only wish it was longer than four days!”
Joni and Friends Family Retreat brings hope, community, and spiritual and physical refreshment to families like Josiah’s every year. Imagine how many memories his parents and he treasure up and ponder in their hearts!
Would you let Jesus work through you today to reach more families struggling with disability?
We’re depending upon the generosity of friends like you to support our ministry, sharing God’s unfailing love with vulnerable people who otherwise may never hear the Good News of Jesus!
Thank you for prayerfully considering this special request, and for sharing the help and hope of Jesus with families like Josiah’s here at home and all around the world. God bless you and your family always!
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