Volunteers Share the Hope of Jesus at Family Retreat
“The hardest thing about disability is the loneliness. We always stay home because it’s too hard to go out, even just to the store.”
Reyna
Reyna is a single mom raising four children alone. Her two oldest, Belen (19) and Leo (17), have a rare genetic disorder that impacts every aspect of their lives. Belen and Leo have complicated caregiving routines that start at 4 am each day.
“I’ve been doing this daily for 19 years,” says Reyna.
Nineteen years.
“I help feed Belen and Leo and change them. I’ve been doing this my whole life,” says Yahir, their 10-year-old brother.
“I don’t want to take Yahir’s childhood from him, but I need his help,” says Reyna. And between all the medical appointments, therapies, feeding issues, and toileting routines, Reyna needs a lot of help.
While she and Yahir tend to Belen and Leo, she must also look after Mia Victoria, her 10-month-old baby, whose father left Reyna while she was pregnant. “It’s exhausting,” she says.
But ever since Reyna and her children came to a Joni and Friends Family Retreat, she’s experienced a change.
“I don’t feel lonely anymore. I feel great! The friendships we made through Joni and Friends are a huge gift from God!
Family Retreat gives me rest and refreshes me so I can go on physically, mentally, and emotionally. And the spiritual part of Family Retreat gives me strength. Here, God teaches me how to be calm despite the storm that surrounds me. At Family Retreat, God shows me that I am not alone.”
Reyna
Yahir enjoys Family Retreat, too!
He says: “At home we don’t get visits from people, and we don’t get any help. But at Family Retreat we have friends! Belen and Leo can’t do fun stuff at home, but here they laugh and do everything! Leo and Belen are leaving Family Retreat happy.
It’s hard when I’m at school. People always ask about my brother and sister. It’s hard for me to concentrate and sometimes I feel like there’s no hope. But here I feel like I fit in. Here we know what it feels like to have hope and happiness. At Family Retreat, I have fun and make new friends, too!”
Yahir
Reyna has a message for all the Joni and Friends volunteers: “I see Jesus shining his light through you!”
Jesus can shine his light through you, too. Please pray about sponsoring a family with disability, making it possible for them to attend Family Retreat.
Sponsor a Family
Your generous gift today will send a family living with disability to Family Retreat!
