Florida Family Retreat Has Changed Lives for Decades… and It’s Needed Now More than Ever!
Did you know that in 1992 the state of Florida hosted one of the very first Joni and Friends Family Retreats?
So rewind to the early 90s… here are Mike and Mary packing up their family of seven—including their daughter, Jessica, who lives with profound disabilities—and heading off to see what Family Retreat was all about.
Family Retreat was like nothing they ever imagined.
They will never forget that first Family Retreat. It was small, intimate, and personal. And Joni Eareckson Tada herself led the singing!
The experience made a huge impact on Mike and Mary’s family, as they were able to connect with other families walking the same path of disability and suffering. Their older son connected with other “typical” siblings, and their youngest son (who once thought he could catch his sister’s disability) was changed forever. A generous hug from Joni certainly helped!
“It was transformative. We are forever grateful,” says Mike.
Fast-forward three decades!
Over the last 32 years since that first retreat, Mike joined the Joni and Friends International Board of Directors and even served solo at other Family Retreats. But, getting to Family Retreat as a family with all of Jessica’s supplies and equipment has often been daunting. Nothing is easy for families struggling with disability.
Sadly, Mike and Mary could not attend Family Retreat as a family for many years. But that changed when Joni and Friends Florida hosted the first local Family Retreat in almost 15 years!
Mike and Mary were able to bring Jessica to a Family Retreat again, and their whole family was overjoyed! Mike put it this way:
“How glad we were to attend the first Family Retreat for the new Florida area ministry of Joni and Friends! Our experience had come full circle! It’s so exciting to see further growth and maturity in the ministry. When we arrived and dropped the ramp for Jessica to depart our van, two volunteers immediately whisked her off! Mark and Kathleen were ready and waiting to serve her—and her mom and dad!
We found rest, care, encouragement, and fellowship as these two volunteers accompanied Jessica throughout the day and leaned into her care—which is rather complicated—with courage and grace. The speaker for the week led us into the Scriptures with hope and godly encouragement for our journey.”
“I cannot tell you how valuable such times are for families like ours. The cadre of volunteers and the local staff poured themselves out for the sake of families desperately needing rest, hope, fellowship, and more rest. Yes, there were times when Mary and I enjoyed a nap in our comfortable room while Jessica was off having a great time.
Family Retreat is indispensable for families living with chronic disability. To be ‘normal’ for a week with new friends is a freeing thing indeed. And God gets all the glory! Families like ours begin to count down the months and weeks until we can once again gather for the blessing of Family Retreat.”
A Pressing Need in Florida
The retreat that Mike and Mary attended in June served twenty families. But think about this…
In the state of Florida, one in four people has a disability. That makes an estimate 5.5 million people who need a Christian community, rest, and biblical encouragement.
So as you rejoice with Mike, Mary, and their family—who waited so long to return to a community of Christ-centered belonging—will you provide biblical, Gospel-centered care to other struggling families across the state of Florida?
Support Joni and Friends Florida
You can change lives right now by giving to Joni and Friends! Learn more about Joni and Friends Florida.
