There is Hope Because Christ is on Your Side!
All throughout this month we’re looking back and celebrating all the miracles God did in 2021!
Despite the ongoing ramifications of a global pandemic, together we keep sharing the Gospel with families living with disabilities locally and internationally – delivering Christ-centered encouragement and practical help to special needs families worldwide!
Did you know that in developing nations, nearly 80% of children with disabilities will not live to adulthood? And right here in our country, 17.2 U.S. Veterans die by suicide every day. These statistics are staggering, and that’s why standing idly by and doing nothing is simply not an option.
Take a look at what Jesus did recently at our Warrior Getaway, a retreat specifically designed for combat Veterans struggling with the visible and invisible wounds of war.
Alex, his wife Silvia, and their beautiful family arrived at Warrior Getaway dealing with the far-reaching effects of Post Traumatic Stress that came as a result of Alex’s 15-plus years as a Moratory Affairs Specialist in the Army. Speaking plainly, it was Alex’s responsibility to honor fallen soldiers by recovering their remains on the battlefield and ensuring that they were brought back home for a proper burial.
In addition to serving in both Iraq and Kuwait, Alex’s unit was first on the scene at the Pentagon on the day of the 9/11 attacks.
“I was speechless when I got to the Pentagon,” Alex recalls. “It was a scene of destruction like a real-life horror movie. I have no words to explain it. When I first came to Warrior Getaway, I couldn’t even talk about it. But now I can tell my story – sometimes with tears – because Warrior Getaway gave me the tools and hope I need to survive.”
“Each and every mission I did for 15 and a half years will stick with me forever. In the Army, I had to learn how to shut down my emotions during duty, but once I got home, my emotions started showing up, and I couldn’t control it. I tried to commit suicide three times,” Alex admits. “But Warrior Getaway helped me overcome my demons.”
“I’m so proud of Alex,” beams Silvia as she recounts his growth and describes the candlelight vigil that takes place at our Pennsylvania Warrior Getaway, which happens each year on September 11th. “Seeing Alex holding that candle is an amazing sight that I will always cherish because it represents healing. Our whole family has grown spiritually and emotionally at Warrior Getaway. Here, we get closer to God.”
As we reflect on over 40 years of ministry here at Joni and Friends, it’s the precious faces of people we’ve reached for Jesus that come to mind. We remember the expressions of desperation and hopelessness as children were carried on a parent or grandparent’s back because they couldn’t walk and couldn’t afford a much-needed wheelchair.
Or the faces of people burdened with severe disabilities, lying alone in back bedrooms, hidden from view… faces of husbands and wives devastated by their loved one’s illness or injury … of mothers and fathers crying over their suffering child. We’ve cried with them. And we know you’ve cried and prayed for them, too.
Their faces and their stories compel us to forge ahead together – to finish the race well – because there are hundreds of thousands we still need to reach with the love and mercy of Jesus.
Thank you for your steadfast prayers and faithfulness that send hope and practical help to people living with disabilities through Warrior Getaways, Family Retreats, Wheels for the World and all the many other Joni and Friends programs. You are part of this kingdom legacy! Now, even more families and marriages will be strengthened and given eternal hope through hardships!
“I want other Warriors to go to Warrior Getaway,” says Alex. “Warrior Getaway shows me that with God, everything is possible. I want other Veterans to know they are not alone. There is hope. Christ is on your side.”
God’s clearly given us the vision to go out quickly…and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame…so that his house will be full. (Luke 14).
We won’t stop until the whole world knows that indeed – there is hope! Christ is on your side!
As we celebrate the faithfulness of Jesus as seen all throughout this last year, we’re so incredibly thankful for your steadfast prayers and faithful giving. God bless you!
Retreats & Getaways
A place where families living with disability find rest, hope, and community in the body of Christ.
