Celebrate disability as a unique ability.
I met a friend of mine, Catherine and her daughter, Chrissy through Joni and Friends Family Retreats. Catherine is taking an online class and her classroom discussions are done via conversations online. The whole class can read and respond to … [Read more...]
“Have you met Rebekah?” asked one of the campers to another. “Oh my gosh, have you seen her smile?” was the reply. During the first 24 hours of our Joni and Friends Family Retreat in Oregon this past August, the whispers … [Read more...]
Cars began arriving to the cheers of the awaiting crowd of volunteers, also known as Short Term Missionaries or STMs. Each family who drove into the conference center was coming for five days of rest, refreshment and restoration. Each person who had … [Read more...]
A dear friend recently sent an email, sharing with me how her week serving at a Family Retreat had touched and changed her life. I asked Jean if I could share her experience with our readers because it shows how deeply someone can be affected by a … [Read more...]
After spending 35 days in Ghana, it’s been difficult trying to figure out how to get my thoughts and feelings written into stories. Each night while in Africa, I would try to journal about our days activities but with all that we were … [Read more...]
Like any other expectant parents, in the early morning hours of that April Spring day in 1983, Kathy and Terry were eagerly waiting the birth of their first child. In a very brief moment, their lives were changed forever. Little Sarah was born with … [Read more...]
Story Submitted by Dorothy "Congratulations, it's a beautiful, healthy, baby girl!" My parents held me with pride on that November day in 1957. Only a short 8 months later, their little girl was barely hanging onto life, her body being … [Read more...]
My job at Joni and Friends Family Retreat is to coordinate the volunteers (Short Term Missionaries, STMs) and oversee many of the activities. On the second to last day at camp in June of 2008, it was crazy hair day and a young teenager girl, … [Read more...]
When Joey came to our Joni and Friends Family Retreat, people were just drawn to him. He had this inexplicable joy, a quick and frequent smile, a deep and understanding heart. He came into our lives for a very short time and we feel so very … [Read more...]
When our families come to Joni and Friends camp, they are given a buddy for each person with a disability. That buddy is called a, Short Term Missionary or STM for short. The second time Justin, his mother and sister came, we partnered Justin … [Read more...]
Kara is a awesome writer and lover of people. [Read More …]
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