Family Retreats Provide Space to Celebrate Connection and God’s Love

Families living with disability often feel isolated and crave encouragement through community. The relentlessness of disability wears them down, and they rarely get a break. Raising a child with special needs impacts finances, marriage, relationships with other children, and relationships with the Lord. As a result, parents often feel defeated and unsupported.

But here’s some good news… Thanks to your faithful support, Joni and Friends® Missouri has helped more families struggling with disability than ever before.

Let us tell you about one special family…

Jeremy and Crystal were blessed with twins, William and Kaylee, who were born prematurely at 35 weeks. As the twins grew from infants to toddlers, Kaylee was developing typically. However, William was crawling, walking, and talking much later than expected. This led to an initial diagnosis of developmental delays. At age four, he was diagnosed with autism, ADD, and ADHD.

After William was diagnosed, says Crystal, “I felt relieved to have answers as to how God made our baby boy differently… that it wasn’t just in my head or that I was overthinking. But it was also a weight, and for a while almost a grieving period of knowing life is always going to be a little different.”

Jeremy said that when William was first diagnosed, he didn’t really accept it. He figured William would grow out of it. Sometimes, Jeremy would get upset with William’s delay in learning things and his emotional instability. At first, he wanted William to be the child he expected, not the child God made him to be. “But,” Jeremy says, “God has been helping me to see William’s strengths and personality and not just his challenges.”

Early on, Jeremy and Crystal’s family experienced challenges in their church as well as with school. Some people serving in the church’s childcare area didn’t always handle William well, and his preschool teacher didn’t accept his diagnosis. Crystal has worked tirelessly to advocate for her son and has been able to work with the principal, counselors, and teachers to get everyone aligned with what is best for William.

For Jeremy and Crystal, balancing their life and meeting both their children’s needs can be exhausting. That’s why coming to Family Retreat for the first time was such a blessing. Family Retreat allowed Jeremy and Crystal to experience encouragement, community, refreshment, and respite.

“Coming to Family Retreat gave me space to breathe,” says Crystal.

“I knew without a doubt that my children’s buddies understood their needs and were loving them so well. That kind of trust and peace is truly special, and it’s one of the biggest reasons we keep coming back.”

Crystal

Many families come to Family Retreat in desperate need of a break from day-to-day life.

But Family Retreat is more than a time of rest and fun; it’s a time when the entire family gets to connect with others and connect with Jesus. We proclaim the Gospel and share God’s Word in a variety of ways to draw everyone closer to Christ and strengthen families spiritually. When asked what keeps them coming back, Jeremy replied:

“One reason we keep coming back to Family Retreat is just the joy of the fellowship of believers who, despite the challenges everyone is going through with disability, still show such tremendous joy and peace. We also do not have to worry about where our kids are because of their buddies. The volunteers we’ve had each year just do such a fantastic job of taking care of both our kids. They communicate well and are so kind.”

Family Retreat has transformed Jeremy and Crystal’s family. It prepares them to go back into their world feeling encouraged. Family Retreat gives them a break from the rigors of life with disability and reenergizes them so they can encourage others, just as they have been encouraged.

“Family Retreat is an opportunity for our whole family to step away from the busyness of everyday life and spend meaningful time with our family in Christ—people who are walking through similar journeys. It’s a time where we find encouragement, refreshment, and renewal,” Jeremy says.

Families like Jeremy and Crystal’s are strengthened every year through the ministry of Joni and Friends and your love. But there are tens of thousands of children and families living with disability that still are desperate for the help and hope only found in Jesus. And today, you can help Joni and Friends work toward a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ!

Will you give even more families a transformational encounter with Jesus?

Your gift will support all our Christ-centered ministry—reaching families who desperately need encouragement, support, and renewal.

Thank you for your generosity, bringing the help and hope of Jesus to families struggling with disability.