Meet Melena – Our Faithful Volunteer!

By |Published On: April 17, 2018|Categories: Uncategorized|

Meet Melena, a mom of an adult son on the autism spectrum and a passionate Joni and Friends volunteer! Melena has volunteered at Joni and Friends New England since 2005 in many different capacities. When she first heard about our Family Retreats, she jumped at the chance to lead a team of youth from her church to volunteer in 2006. Since then, she’s led 12 teams of teens and young adults from her church to serve as Short Term Missionaries (STMs).

As one of our devoted and faithful volunteers in the New England area, Melena has taken on many titles while serving at Joni and Friends, including STM, Moms Group Leader, Bible Program Assistant Leader, and STM Leader. And if that wasn’t enough, she’s served on the Leadership Planning Team, the Recreation Team, and is now currently serving in the New England Church Engagement leadership on their Equipping Team!

One moment Melena will never forget was the first time she sang during worship time at Family Retreat. As she looked around, she became very emotional when she saw the full body of Christ in what she referred to as “unadulterated worship.” She remembers thinking, “God sees us all the same – everyone here is praising Jesus!” That moment created a newfound awareness that has influenced her as she’s recruited STMs and has inspired her church’s leadership to become more inclusive of people affected by disability.

Melena truly understands our mission to share the Gospel – not only in her community but across the globe. That’s why when she serves as an STM at Family Retreat, she strives to help open people’s eyes to the world around them – to things they would never see otherwise. When asked what she’d say to someone considering serving at Joni and Friends, she shared that Family Retreat is “simply the best week of your life and will change your awareness, compassion, and desire to bring people affected by disabilities closer to Jesus!”

If you’d like to send Melena a note of appreciation, be sure to leave a comment below. Thank you, Melena, we are so thankful for your faithful service at Joni and Friends!

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