For the families, it's kind of like a cruise, but on land~ all of the activities are planned out, they just show up and enjoy the food and festivities without having to plan all the parts of vacation in addition caring for a loved one's special needs. Sometimes the camper is a child with mental or physical challenges, and others are adults with disabilities resulting from an accident or disease.
I tried find images that could best tell the "story" of the week~ to see more (and get a better sense of what Joni & Friends Family Retreat is all about) click on this link: Circle of Life Photography on Facebook
Below, staff members wash and bless the Short Term Missionary's hands to go and serve:
Families are greeted with their choice of a "loud" or "soft" greeting upon arrival:
JAF Retreat Program Director, Sib Charles, started off the retreat popping out of the storybook:
Much to the surprise of Program Manager, Joan Barton :-)
Happy times like these abound~ water fun during the hot days~
and much patience and humor from the Short Term Missionaries!
Almost everyone is able to enjoy the water tubes down the hill~ the smiles from children
who spend most of their time in wheelchairs is just priceless:
The talent show is a huge hit~ everyone is involved and has a blast. From musicians to skits and everything in between, it is a memorable night~ below the girls do a skit to the song "Car Wash":
Another talent show wonder: this young boy below is a true miracle~ for a child with many challenges including speech, he clearly sang the verses to "How Great Thou Art," which his father sang to him every night in the NICU. Needless to say, there we few dry eyes in the house!
Finding the hangouts of young campers and seeing their joyful faces was a fun part of my week~
one of many touching stories was a young mother, who at the end of the week spoke in front of the camp about how her family had been blessed by attending the JAF Retreat~ she was just amazed at the outpouring of patience and love for her child, that no one blinked an eye when her child ran onstage during worship~ and, in her words, "you actually LIKE my child!" Everyone laughed, but at the same time everyone 'got it'~ it's challenging living in a world that expects perfection and has little patience when things don't go according to plan. Here, everyone fits in.
Making friends~ even with social challenges, strong bonds between campers and their Short Term Missionaries are formed by the end of the week:
If these pictures leave you wishing you could find out more about attending or serving
at a Joni & Friends Family Retreat, please click on this link:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/family-retreats/for-families/
Trust me, your life will never be the same!!
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