Bringing God’s Love to the Bay!
This summer our Bay Area Family Retreat was different due to the pandemic. Unable to hold an in-person Family Retreat, God gave us the idea to host Family Retreat at Home… and we are overjoyed at the way special needs families responded to this very special outreach.
Will and Elizabeth’s family is the perfect example of how Family Retreat at Home gives hope to the otherwise hopeless – right in their very own living rooms! Will and Elizabeth have six children, two with disabilities. Their daughter, Charity (age 14) and son, Neko (age 10) both have Down syndrome.
Charity has many health problems that have caused her to stay in the hospital for months at a time. She is currently stable but has constant doctor appointments and needs someone to be with her every minute of the day.
“My husband and I rarely have time for ourselves, and our other kids can see the strain on our relationship,” confessed Elizabeth. Although Neko has fewer health issues than Charity, he still sees a variety of specialists for ongoing medical needs. He struggles with making connections and though he longs to be with people and play with friends, Neko has a harder time knowing how to interact socially.
With tears welling up in her eyes Elizabeth said, “I’m so tired of feeling tired, and now with having to practice social distancing we feel more alone than ever before.”
“God places the lonely in families.
Psalm 68:6
She went on to say, “When we were invited to participate in Family Retreat at Home we weren’t sure what to expect, but from the first get-together Monday evening until the Friday morning wrap-up we were completely blessed and delighted to connect with our Joni and Friends family. There were familiar faces and a few new ones, who by the end of the week felt like our dear friends.”
“We continue to log on to our computer to re-watch the Talent Show, Stomp Dance-Off, and the Moovn’ and Groovn’ workout,” explained Elizabeth. “Charity and Neko have big smiles when they see their friends on the computer screen. God reminded us that we are not alone, and that there are countless other families who can relate to how we are feeling. We are comforted knowing that Joni and Friends is still with us, albeit in a slightly different way. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who supports this amazing ministry.
Help Us Move Ministry Forward!
Family Retreat at Home has brought hope to countless families impacted by disability during the hardships of COVID-19… in the San Francisco Bay Area and all across the country. Your gift to our Bay Area Office will ensure that ministry will continue and lives will be changed!
