Our Ministries
News, Stories, Inspiration
Thriving with Invisible Chronic Illness
“I used to say to God, ‘Why me? Why did this happen to me?’ as most people do, but now I have changed that to ‘Why did he choose this for my life to live out his purpose? Why am I special?’” Kimberli West was young and always on the go until unexpected illness completely…
Why God is a Gardener
Depending which verse you read, God might be described as a mighty fortress, a hen, a shepherd, or a judge (just to name a few). Does God have an identity crisis? Of course not! Each verse is revealing something different about God’s character. To those under attack he is a fortress; to those who are…
10,000 Reasons to Praise God!
If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God… so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:11 Sharing hope through hardship. It’s been the message of my life ever since Christ rescued me with his heart-transforming hope after I broke my neck.…
A Few Words for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month
It’s been two years since we first sat down with Tracey for an inside look at Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). As August is SMA Awareness Month, we asked if she would be willing to share with us again. How has your work at Joni and Friends affected your perspective on your disability? Working at Joni…
A Deeper Healing
“God has taught me that he wants to display his power in my life in far more glorious ways than if I were to jump out of this wheelchair.” Today marks an extraordinary anniversary for Joni Eareckson Tada: 53 years since she took a dive that redirected the course of her life. Becoming a quadriplegic…
Fifty-Three Years on the Path of Life
On this day, 53 years ago, I made a spur-of-the-minute decision to go swimming with my sister Kathy. And that day, a foolish dive changed the entire course of my life. At first, it seemed that the dive that broke my neck set me on a path towards death. Even if I ever make it…
Purposeful Ministry During Medical Crises
It’s the call no one wants to receive. “The tests came back positive.” “The car was T-boned… they don’t know if he’ll make it.” Or, as it happened 53 years ago for Joni Eareckson Tada, “She severed her spinal column. She’ll never walk again.” This kind of news can send any family into a tailspin.…
Quiet Witness
In 1991 we were training as missionaries in Johannesburg when I fell pregnant with our second child. I had a wonderful pregnancy but a very difficult labour. A beautiful little girl was born to us, and we named her Sarah, which means princess. Sarah didn’t cry like a ‘normal’ healthy baby but instead whimpered, so…
Happy 30 Years to the ADA!
As a member of the National Council on Disability, I was thrilled to see the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act back in 1990. I remember sitting in my wheelchair on the White House lawn, watching President George H.W. Bush sign the ADA into law and thinking of all the possibilities for people like…
