In-Person Family Retreats Are Back!

By Joni and Friends|Published On: November 21, 2020|Categories: Family Retreats, Inspiration, Stories|

When retreat centers started opening up again, we were ready, and so were the special needs families we serve!

During our two weeks of in-person Family Retreats in Oregon, families impacted by disability found renewed hope and new life after months of social isolation.

The Happy Grams were flowing all week, sharing God’s love and Christ-centered encouragement with every family member there, and giving everyone the freedom to express their faith in Jesus. These notes full of Bible verses and words of affirmation will continue to put smiles on the faces of moms, dads, and children for many months to come, reminding everyone that no matter what our circumstances, God is always by our side!

The parents of children with disabilities received much needed time to reconnect as spouses, strengthening them for the day to day challenges surrounding 24-hour caregiving. Not only did they experience God’s unconditional love for their special–needs children, they also renewed their commitment to one another after years – and for some, decades – of struggles. Marriages on the brink of divorce are renewed at Family Retreat!

“Behold, I am making all things new.”
Revelation 21:5

Family Retreat brings about new hearts and new perspectives, too! Colleen, a young lady with Down syndrome, loved her time at Family Retreat. Horseback riding, connecting with friends, and learning about Jesus were highlights for her and her whole family. But it was her mother, Merry, who received a true miracle of transformation that week.

“I was blown away by Family Retreat,” Merry explained.

And when she witnessed everyone there loving her daughter exactly the way God created her, Merry began to see Colleen’s infinite worth, as well. At Family Retreat, Merry began to see past the bitterness in her heart and now loves her sweet daughter as never before. Families like Colleen’s get closer to Jesus and so much closer to each other at Family Retreat!

“Life is hard,” confessed the sibling of a child with disability. “It’s full of incredible frustration and grief. I wonder if strangers will always hate me and my family.”

Those words are so heartbreaking and such a heavy burden to carry.

But after a week of Family Retreat, that sibling was able to declare, “Life is priceless. Life is beautiful.” At Family Retreat, families find new hope through their hardships!