Joni and Friends

What a privilege it is to invest in future generations of Christ-followers through our Joni and Friends Internship Program! Our interns are changing lives as they live out the Gospel by serving and advocating for people living with disabilities. “The most important thing God taught me [through my internship] was to go out and bring in everyone (Luke 14), to step out of my comfort zone, share the Gospel, and help those in need.” - Huntington (Former Intern) At Joni and Friends, we aim to leave a legacy of passionate Christ-followers who advocate for the least, the lost, and the downtrodden. We invite you to answer the call of Jesus to “Go out quickly…and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame…so that my house will be full.” (Luke 14:21, 23) Serve with us as a Joni and Friends Intern! https://lnkd.in/e8nXfTTq #JoniAndFriends #Internships #Disability #Ministry #Missions

What is our Warrior Getaway program all about? It's designed to serve our brave American servicemen and women who have visible or invisible injuries as a result of their service to our country. The thing that sets Warrior Getaways apart from other Veteran services is the fact that it serves the entire family, creating a safe haven to relax, connect, and heal. Veterans, along with their families, enjoy a time surrounded by Christian community and forge long-lasting friendships built on shared experiences and the truth of the Gospel. Would you or someone you know benefit from attending a Joni and Friends Warrior Getaway? Check out our schedule of upcoming events: https://lnkd.in/eQ-qZ-wV #Veterans #Getaways #Healing #Faith #Military

For parents Wendy and Earl, and their daughters, 22-year-old Bailey and 19-year-old Dara, living with disability as a family sometimes saps their strength. Bailey has a genetic disorder that makes her unable to speak, limits walking, and causes difficulties with feeding.  But the challenges that come with Bailey’s disability can’t steal her smile. And with Bailey’s joyful temperament—and God’s provision of belonging through the Joni and Friends community—her family has a healthy dose of cheerfulness! Why does Bailey enjoy Joni and Friends Family Retreat? Bailey loves to be active. She especially enjoys swimming and anything in the arts and crafts department. What Bailey does NOT enjoy is being left out and just sitting and watching others do something. She wants to participate! And at Family Retreat, all the activities she loves are made accessible. At Family Retreat, Bailey has been paired with two volunteers—one old enough to cover her physical needs, and another lively enough to keep up with her high energy! In the morning, Bailey needs assistance getting ready for the day. But once she’s ready with her hair pulled back out of her way, she is off to the races!  Between her two volunteers and a medical stroller to allow for breaks from walking, Bailey can take part in all the fun: worship, the petting zoo, dance parties, the talent show, and relaxing moments with friends. Beyond Family Retreat, Bailey’s family has found respite, connection, and enduring community through Joni and Friends. Last year, Wendy and Earl attended the Ohio Marriage Getaway while Bailey participated in the first-ever Joni and Friends Ohio Overnight Respite.  Bailey, along with nine other young adults with disabilities, enjoyed a wonderful weekend of fun and activities while their parents or caregivers enjoyed respite. During Marriage Getaway, Wendy and Earl relaxed and reconnected with one another. At the same time, Bailey had a blast at Overnight Respite! After the respite event, both staff and volunteers commented on how much they enjoyed getting to spend dedicated time with the young adults and to discover how gifted, talented, and fun they were!  With every Joni and Friends event—from Family Retreat to Marriage Getaway to Overnight Respite—people with disabilities find new hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. And while disability can be hard, the love and joy found in the family of God brings an immediate and eternal source of cheerfulness, peace, and joyful praise. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gf2k4dJt #Disability #Faith #Respite #Marriage #Family

Twenty-eight-year-old Da Wen lives in Chicago with his mom Li Ping, and his dad Rin Xin. Da Wen has cerebral palsy, and loves connecting with others and serving as an advocate for and within the disability community. Through the Pui Tak Center, a Chinese Christian community center, Da Wen’s family—like others in their community—learned about Joni and Friends. Seeking places to connect and belong within American society, families living with disability like Da Wen’s encounter the love of Christ when they come to Family Retreat. With the help of volunteers from the Pui Tak Center, who provide translation equipment and in-person, real-time interpretation services at our Family Retreat in Indiana, Joni and Friends serves many Chinese families, reaching them in both Cantonese and Mandarin. With language barriers removed, families from a variety of cultural backgrounds who live with a broad range of disabilities enjoy Family Retreat, from outdoor activities to deep fellowship and hearing the Gospel, some for the first time. “My experience at Family Retreat has been cool! I’ve been experiencing God’s love through my buddies, and I’ve been making other people smile, too!” says Da Wen. Da Wen treasures Family Retreat memories and friendships so much that his staple talent show entry each year is a slideshow of the week’s highlights—inner tubing, worship, and plenty of fun, accessible activities. But he especially appreciates the volunteers who have served him and his parents at Family Retreat. He keeps pictures of every volunteer he’s connected with over the years—and remembers to text them personally on holidays and birthdays!  Read more of Da Wen's story: https://lnkd.in/gVFirck6

Five-year-old Matias and his parents, Patricia and Joel, live in the Dominican Republic. Before Matias was born, both Patricia and Joel had settled careers, and planned to work once they had children. When they learned they were pregnant, they were thrilled! But everything changed when doctors gave them the news: their son would be born with a spinal cord disability. Grief and fear overtook the joy they first experienced when they’d found out about the pregnancy. They found themselves asking… “Why would God allow this to happen? How could this be part of his plan for our family?”  Patricia and Joel’s dream for what their family would look like was dashed. Still God stirred in their hearts, preparing them for the blessing Matias would be in their lives.  Instead of furthering her career, Patricia became her son’s primary caregiver. Matias' school could only provide an oversized wheelchair for him to use—which offered little mobility—so he often had to sit on the sidelines watching his peers.  Matias’s parents looked for ways to teach their son about God’s power, wisdom, and goodness whenever he asked difficult questions. At the same time, they ached for their son to experience belonging and inclusion.  Patricia prayed often for God to provide her son with the wheelchair he needed.  God answered her many prayers through our Joni and Friends Wheels for the World distribution in the Dominican Republic. Now that Matias has a custom-fitted wheelchair, he and his family can explore new horizons. They can shift energy to doing what they love, like making music. In his wheelchair, Matias can more easily work on learning guitar so he can play along with his mother and father. And one day he dreams of becoming a drummer in a Merengue band. His wheelchair will make it possible for him to follow his dreams. Best of all, through our Wheels for the World outreach, Matias and his parents saw God’s goodness in a new and tangible way. Get to know Matias: https://lnkd.in/gsQm-rua #Disability #Christian #Faith #Wheelchair

There is no denying the importance of community. But for families living with disability, who often need the most support, welcoming community can be hard to find. Just ask Cindy, Charles, and their children Lena and Cyrus (lovingly nicknamed Zippy). Zippy was at 21 weeks’ gestation and the diagnosis came as a shock: a rare muscular-skeletal disorder known as arthrogryposis. Affecting only 0.03% of babies, the condition causes chronic pain, difficulty breathing, and struggles with mobility. When Zippy came home from the hospital, he began an intense regimen of therapies while the family struggled to adjust to the new normal. The isolation caused by the pandemic created even deeper feelings of loneliness because they were unable to see any of their family members or friends.  Seeking connection at a disability resource fair, Cindy and Charles met a member of the Joni and Friends team—a volunteer who offered to care for Zippy while his parents walked around to meet people. For Charles, this simple gesture spoke volumes. When Joni and Friends offered them a scholarship to attend Family Retreat, they eagerly took a leap of faith… When they arrived at Family Retreat for the first time, Cindy and Charles were shocked by the excitement and warmth of the welcome they received. For the first time in years, Cindy and Charles felt like they could relate to people again. Building relationships, Cindy and Charles received wisdom and encouragement from other parents walking similar paths. They had found their community! Of course, Family Retreat didn’t just impact Charles and Cindy. It also deeply affected two-year-old Zippy and four-year-old Lena. “By the end of the week, they had made so many friends!” says Cindy. When families receive hope through the body of Christ at Family Retreat, the impact lasts, and multiplies. As Charles says: “There is so much hope in seeing families who have not just survived, but who have found life and are thriving together. We were reminded that it’s not about just having children, it’s teaching them to understand that they can transform the world around them.”  Read how one special needs family found community and hope: https://lnkd.in/gNb53_Ap #Faith #Christian #Inspiration #Disability

On a recent Wheels for the World outreach in Jordan, our team met 14-year-old Hadi and his dad. Living with cerebral palsy and autism, Hadi has a wide, warm smile. And though his dad struggled to carry Hadi into the wheelchair distribution site, the deep love between father and son showed through with heartwarming clarity. Through all the hardships that come with Hadi’s disability, his father adores him, tenderly seeing to his needs. Still, the family couldn’t access the kind of wheelchair Hadi needed to get out of the house. When they arrived at our wheelchair distribution site, it was clear that a wheelchair would completely transform Hadi’s—and his father’s—situation. As Hadi got seated and custom-fitted in his new wheelchair, fresh possibilities and freedom immediately emerged for him and his entire family. He can leave his house and enjoy being part of his community—and his father no longer needs to carry him. Hadi and his father love being outside. Now, with his wheelchair, they can enjoy long, refreshing walks together. Around the world, the majority of people who need mobility-assistive devices like wheelchairs have to do without. And in regions where violent conflict rips apart lives and families, the critical needs of the vulnerable—especially people with disabilities—far too often go unmet. In places like the war-torn West Bank, or Jordan, many refugee families from Syria, Iraq, and other countries struggle for adequate shelter, supplies, and nourishment. This is where the needs of people with disabilities reach urgent and overwhelming levels. Amid the trauma and deprivation that radiate from conflict zones, people desperately need help and hope. Find out how you can bring critical help and hope to families living with disability: https://lnkd.in/euFBb8m7 #Faith #Mobility #Wheelchair #WestBank #Disability

For Bob and Ann Wescott, there's nothing like a Joni and Friends Family Retreat. They recently attended with their son, Joshua, who lives with disability. At Family Retreat, Joshua spent plenty of time with his volunteer buddy, Kristy, which allowed Bob and Ann to rest and recharge. Continue reading how the Westcotts were blessed at Family Retreat, and how you can get involved: https://lnkd.in/eaKm3iAU

Joni and Friends is so grateful to everyone who helps us extend practical help and Gospel hope to people living with disability! Our Wheels for the World™ program volunteers find their faith deepened as they distribute wheelchairs and Bibles to individuals with disabilities around the globe. If you are interested in volunteering for our Wheels for the World program, learn more at https://lnkd.in/eiuMVc4a. #Mobility #Wheelchairs #Volunteer #Faith

We are thrilled to announce two new roles within our senior leadership team at Joni and Friends. Donna Lucas has been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer and Jason Holden to Chief Operating Officer. These C-suite level roles will help the ministry serve the growing physical and spiritual needs of people living with disabilities around the world. https://lnkd.in/eBmaxVVN Help us congratulate these incredible leaders in the comments below! Donna Lucas, Jason K. H. #Leadership #Nonprofit #MinistryGrowth