Going Above and Beyond in Missouri
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!”
Psalm 126:3
Tony and Kim have two beautiful children. Their 21-year-old son, Jonah, has autism, and his 13-year-old sister, Jaylee, has Down syndrome. Though their family lives with disability daily, they were only introduced to Joni and Friends Missouri a few short years ago.
Yet, when Tony and Kim experienced the love and encouragement of Joni and Friends Missouri, they truly felt supported in powerful and personal ways.
“It’s the first time any ministry reached out to us personally just to find out how we were doing.”
Kim
Through regular phone calls and prayer, Tony and Kim developed a wonderful relationship with our Joni and Friends Missouri team, and they were soon invited to participate in Family Retreat at Home.
Tony remembers how they all felt when they received a personal care package from us, welcoming them to Family Retreat at Home.
“When we opened the box, we could tell that a lot of love and intentionality went into it.”
And Kim exclaimed, “You guys thought of EVERYTHING!”
These special needs parents felt extra special because of the personal touch of their care package.
Family Retreat at Home meant a lot to Jaylee and Jonah, too. They loved the games, s’more kits, Bible stories, and talent show. Jonah connected with the daily teaching times throughout the week, and Jaylee especially loved the Bible stories!
For Tony and Kim, the ladies’ group, men’s group, and marriage group ministered to their hearts during a very trying time of life.
“Family Retreat at Home was the Zoom call we looked forward to every day,” shared Tony.
And Kim’s heart was deeply touched when she thought about how much work went into making Family Retreat at Home special for all the families.
“It was obvious it was done out of a heart of love for us that went above and beyond. God used this to meet a need we’d been craving.”
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!”
Psalm 126:3
Our support of this special family didn’t stop when Family Retreat at Home was over. Tony and Kim are now members of our online marriage enrichment group that meets twice a month, and their whole family is refreshed and rejuvenated through our monthly Family Fun Nights. These events don’t just give families a fun evening together, as important as that is. They point each member of the family to Jesus and provide the strength needed to face each new day!
For Kim, the bonds she’s building through Joni and Friends are important, “I feel like we’re making real friends through our times together. We look forward to every time we can see each other.”
These friendships between families impacted by disability would have never been possible without the common denominators of Joni and Friends Missouri and Jesus!
Support Joni and Friends Missouri
Join in on all that God is doing through Joni and Friends Missouri! You make it possible to reach more families living under the strain of disability and allows them to experience the miraculous power of Jesus! Your support holds special needs families together!
