A Life of Service: How Volunteers Are Spreading God’s Love and Hope in the Disability Community
Our Joni’s House East St. Louis team first met Joni Oberhauser, her husband Mark, and their children through their pastor. Already deeply committed to the community of East St. Louis and to disability ministry, the Oberhausers stepped out with enthusiasm to support the Joni and Friends vision: a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ.
Disability Is Personal to the Oberhausers
Already parents of five, in 2010 Joni and Mark felt called by God to adopt a child from Ukraine. Before meeting their son Isaac, they knew he was blind and had developmental delays. Isaac came home at age two-and-a-half and soon doctors expanded upon his diagnoses.
Joni and Mark learned that Isaac had septo-optic dysplasia, periventricular leaukomalacia, atrophy of both optic nerves, a seizure disorder, growth deficiency, and failure to thrive. In essence, Isaac will always have the cognitive capacity of an infant, wear diapers, and suffer from seizures. But through all the challenges with Isaac’s health and disabilities, Joni and Mark see the hand of God at work. As Joni says:
“Becoming a special needs mom through adoption is accomplishing God’s intentional work of making me dependent on him. I like to call it ‘his beautiful rescue.’”
A Ministry of Prayer
Now parents of seven beloved children, Joni and Mark Oberhauser have learned to lean on God daily as they navigate disability. Drawing on grace, the family generously pours the love of Jesus into the community around them. Joni has built a team of prayer partners who diligently intercede for people with disabilities in the East St. Louis area, and for the ministry of Joni and Friends.
In addition to leading the our local prayer team, Joni and Mark helped lead the first Marriage Getaway hosted by Joni’s House East St. Louis! She shares what these opportunities have meant to her and Mark:
“Joining the Joni’s House East St. Louis prayer fellowship is a perfect expression of dependency—only God can give Joni’s House, the participants, and the surrounding communities what is needed for salvation, encouragement, healing, serving souls, and exalting Christ!
We pray and seek God first, so we know the way to go, have the strength to follow, and then watch him bear the fruit. Dependency on God is freedom, and seeking him with others on behalf of Joni’s House and the ministry he is doing there is a joy.”
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
Volunteer with Joni and Friends
You can discover joy and deep purpose by volunteering with Joni and Friends, at home and around the world.
