Serving with Love: Bringing the Hands and Feet of Jesus to Families in Need
Pal and Julie have been married for nineteen years and have a wonderful sixteen-year-old son named Brady, who has cerebral palsy. Their family was brought closer to each other and closer to Jesus through Family Retreat.
“One of the wonderful things about Family Retreat is that everyone there understands us. We don’t have to worry about how people are going to react to Brady.”
Julie
Living with cerebral palsy and being his first time at a retreat like this, Brady was a little fearful of trying any of the activities. At first, he would only ride around in our accessible four-wheel trailer and watch everyone else participate. While he loved observing others, eventually—after a little patient coaxing—Brady was lifted by a scissor lift to the top of our forty-five-foot waterslide and rode down it with Pal! Filled with a newfound confidence, he next went on our giant swing.
Throughout the week, Brady participated in karaoke, the petting zoo, small group discussions, worship, and our accessible zipline. He even conquered his fear of horses and rode a horse with the help of three volunteers and an adapted saddle to keep him feeling safe. Brady gained a whole new perspective on his abilities during Family Retreat! And his parents were amazed that he was able to experience all these activities they thought were impossible.
Julie and Pal had an extraordinary experience at Family Retreat, too. They received some much-needed respite and found a supportive, Christ-centered community of people who love, accept, and celebrate them.
“Family Retreat is a restful time where everyone helps each other, and no one is judgmental. Brady talks about it all year long!”
Julie
Having the opportunity to spend time with other parents in the men’s and women’s groups gave Pal and Julie time to connect and socialize—something they don’t get to enjoy often due to Brady’s 24/7 caregiving needs. The connections they made at Family Retreat are life-giving!
And those connections go beyond Family Retreat. We were able to serve Pal, Julie, and Brady again during our Family Project Day this year. Volunteers joined us as we helped weed and clean up their yard. The love of God became tangible that day as our Joni and Friends team worked together to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Thank you for being part of our team!
We’re thanking God for life transformations like Pal, Julie, and Brady’s. And I praise him for spreading Gospel hope all around the world through our many Christ-centered programs. But our hearts ache over the thousands of disabled children and families still desperate for help and hope in Jesus.
Would you let Jesus work through you today to reach these precious families with the power of God’s unfailing love?
We are depending upon the generosity of friends like you to help us reach even more people struggling with disability. We invite you to give boldly in faith and help us reach our goal to share God’s love with more families like Brady’s. Your gift will support all our Joni and Friends ministry, reaching vulnerable people who otherwise may never hear the Good News of Jesus!
Thank you for bringing the help and hope of Christ to families struggling under the strain of disability. God bless you and your family always!
Support Joni and Friends New Mexico
Your gift to Joni and Friends will promote Christ-centered friendships and create spaces of true belonging for people living with disability. Learn more about Joni and Friends New Mexico.
