Helping Veterans and Their Families on Their Road to Healing

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

Ephesians 6:10-11

Jeremy, his wife Eltheya, and their daughter Ronin were blessed when they attended our New Mexico Warrior Getaway. Jeremy protected our freedoms for eight years in the Marines. He experienced trauma that only other Veterans can understand, leaving him with a lifetime of unwanted memories and the struggle to manage Post-Traumatic Stress.

“It’s a daily fight at times to manage old behavior and bring in the new behavior and the Word.”

Jeremy

And when Veterans find themselves on the battlefield of Post-Traumatic Stress, their spouses and children fight that battle right alongside them. Yet many of the secular programs available for Veterans are focused on helping the Veteran alone. Their families and those walking the PTSD journey alongside them are often excluded. But Jeremy and Eltheya noticed the Christ-centered, family focused difference of our Joni and Friends Warrior Getaway right away. And that difference is what made it so impactful.

At Warrior Getaway, we understand that the entire family needs the healing touch of Jesus. And according to Jeremy, that is why Warrior Getaway is so necessary and life changing.

Both Jeremy and Eltheya participated in therapeutic songwriting sessions during Warrior Getaway. Jeremy and the other Veterans worked with one group of professional songwriters, while Eltheya and the other Warrior wives worked with another. Each group processed through their emotions with others who truly understand the unique demands placed on their lives, and once their words were fashioned into poetry, that poetry was put to music.

The songwriting process itself was healing, but once the songs were complete, the Veterans and their wives could see deep into the hearts of each other and understand each other in ways that were simply impossible before.

At Warrior Getaway, wounds are healed and marriages are strengthened.

The road of healing from Post-Traumatic Stress looks different for every Veteran, and according to Jeremy, “it’s always a long one – but it doesn’t have to be. Through Warrior Getaway, I allowed God to reach down, grab my hand, and lead me and my family toward healing.”