The Blessings of Bootcamp
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an intern at Joni and Friends? Our corporate intern, Grace Shaffer, gives you an inside look at our California Ministry & Missions Bootcamp!
When young willing hearts from across the country get together to serve the disability community, God is bound to do great things.
This July, Joni and Friends eagerly welcomed ten interns as they embarked on the Bootcamp Internship. While many of these young adults possess different levels of experience and educational expertise, each intern exhibits Christ’s heart to serve. From Kyleigh’s motherly affection to Jaycee’s vivaciousness, these bright personalities specially contribute to the team.
Three days after their arrival, the interns were sent to serve families at the Joni and Friends Murrieta Family Retreat. Though the week in the sweltering heat proved to be both challenging and exhausting, the interns rolled up their sleeves and discovered a renewed passion in serving the disability community.
“I got to know every single camper which was amazing,” Kyleigh beamed, reminiscing over the connections made throughout the week. “Getting to know campers outside of my own was so rewarding. It was so fun watching parents with their kids and loving them right where they were.”
Returning to the corporate office, the interns spent the week eagerly participating in Beyond Suffering training. They learned about disability awareness and how to plant disability ministries in their own churches.
Ultimately, they observed that disability ministry starts with building relationships and making genuine connections with the people they interact with—a concept best modeled by Joni herself. Joni personally arranged to have lunch with the interns, and they were blessed with the opportunity to laugh with her joyful spirit and to get to know the woman who started it all.
Samantha, an intern from Arizona, summarizes, “I feel like I’ve learned so much. I didn’t think I was going to be this impacted. It’s made me reevaluate so much. My biggest takeaway is we’ve got a lot of work to do—advocating n’ such. It’s given me the motivation to reach even farther and to love the friends of mine who have a disability.”
Now, the interns anticipate the greatest thing God is going to do as they serve those affected by disability in the Dominican Republic. Will you please join us in prayer as these interns train teachers, encourage churches, and show the love of Christ to the people abroad?
