Tragedy Turned Into Triumph!

By Joni and Friends|Published On: June 26, 2021|Categories: Ministry, Warrior Getaway|

“You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.”
Psalm 54:7

Almost 20 years in the Army and three combat deployments means that Andrew has seen and experienced trauma on a scale most of us will never be able to imagine. There are many coping mechanisms out there intended to help Veterans manage Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), and Andrew tried them. But despite his best efforts, nothing seemed to bring any relief. For a while Andrew attempted to medicate his war-induced PTS with alcohol, but he could never find that deep healing he so desperately needed.

Then Andrew attended a quilting class with his wife where he learned that making patriotic quilts helped calm his nerves and quiet his demons. And when Andrew attended our Nashville Warrior Getaway where he could gift his “Quilts of Valor” to other Veterans struggling with the same nightmares that once plagued him, his tragedy turned into triumph.

“Thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.”
2 Corinthians 2:14

“I’m grateful that Joni and Friends gave me the opportunity to come and share. I’ve always wanted God to use me as a light to the world,” explained Andrew. And at Warrior Getaway combat Veterans find that “under the comfort of a quilt is the stepping-stone to battle the demons we have.”

To some, a quilt might seem like a strange way to honor our military Veterans. But at Warrior Getaway, being wrapped in the comfort of a quilt made by the hands of someone who truly understands Post Traumatic Stress and the harsh reality of war can be a powerful transformative experience.

“When I awarded my first quilt to a 92-year-old WWII Veteran, that was the first time I felt anything.”

Now known as the “Combat Quilter,” Andrew awards Quilts of Valor to Veterans wrestling with the same demons that have haunted him.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

At Warrior Getaway, these Quilts of Valor preach the Gospel loud and clear – bringing today’s heroes into the healing arms of Jesus and thanking them for their service in long-lasting ways.