Joni and Friends

Today marks the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Our founder, Joni Eareckson Tada, helped develop the first draft of the ADA when she sat on the National Council on Disability under President Ronald Reagan. Listen to Joni's insights on what this piece of landmark legislation has accomplished, as well as the spiritual work that remains to be done. #ADA #Disability #AmericansWithDisabilitiesAct

Today is National Intern Day and our founder, Joni Eareckson Tada, wants to give a shout out to the 2,067 amazing individuals who have come, and are currently going through, our Joni and Friends Internship Program. Their excitement for disability ministry is inspiring. They roll up their sleeves and learn what the Bible says about disabilities; they serve at Family Retreats, volunteer in local churches among kids with disabilities, work with our offices, and travel to countries around the world to serve the disability community. Joni and Friends is grateful to have a small part in equipping interns for a lifetime of effective outreach. #NationalInternDay #JoniAndFriends #JoniAndFriendsInterns

How can we multiply ministry to the 1.3 billion people with disabilities living in our world today? Joni and Friends has adopted a new Area Teams model! We're partnering with incredible volunteers who have a heart to glorify God and mobilize the global church to evangelize, disciple, and serve people living with disability. Together we are answering the call in Luke 14:21, 23 to, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame... so that my house will be full." Will you join us?

Who doesn't love when dreams come true? For Charlotte, who has cerebral palsy and a variety of cognitive, emotional, and physical disabilities, her dream began all the way back in the 1980s when she heard Joni share her testimony of God's grace at a banquet in Kansas. Hearing Joni share about the joy of knowing Jesus and the hope of heaven captivated Charlotte's heart, kickstarting her dream to one day attend a Family Retreat. For many years, Charlotte has considered Joni "one of her greatest heroes," listening to her radio programs, watching her YouTube videos, and having the helper at her residential home pull up the Joni and Friends social media posts. She has even sent Joni a card every July for her wedding anniversary! In the summer of 2023, Charlotte's dream came true. She and her mom, Carma, arrived at our Missouri Family Retreat and had the best time ever. Charlotte was able to take part in so many activities, with the ultimate highlight of the week being the talent show. At Family Retreat, Charlotte and Carma's faith in Jesus was strengthened, especially during times of prayer, Bible teaching, and morning worship. Charlotte met other Christians with disabilities, and she and her mom were reminded them that they’re not alone. Joni and Friends is blessed to provide practical help and Gospel hope to the people we serve! Visit the comments to find out more about our Family Retreat program. #JoniAndFriendsUSA #FamilyRetreat #JoniEarecksonTada #Disability #DisabilityMinistry #Jesus

After getting married, Earle and Betty had difficulty conceiving a child. Betty recalls spending time in concentrated prayer at a women’s retreat, asking God to give them children. Soon afterward, she became pregnant with their daughter, Janelle.  When Janelle was 15 months old, God blessed Earle and Betty with twin boys, Nick and Kendall. The boys faced medical difficulties from the start. Because of their twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, Kendall received too much blood in utero while Nick didn’t receive enough. Nick also had the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around his neck. Because of medical complications, Nick and Kendall were born two months early. From the time the boys were babies, Earle and Betty could see that there was something atypical about Nick’s condition and development. At first doctors thought Nick was blind because his eyes had trouble tracking. Nick received a diagnosis of cerebral palsy around six months old. Nick’s diagnosis hit each of his parents hard. Earle felt pained and saddened while Betty struggled with disappointment and grief. Both parents had deep concerns for Nick but also worried for their other two children. When the twins were four years old, Betty attended a children’s pastors conference in Denver where Joni was the keynote speaker. Betty had an emotional conversation with Joni about their challenges with Nick’s disability. Joni invited Betty and her family to a Joni and Friends Family Retreat! Earle and Betty brought their family to their first Family Retreat in Wisconsin—and Joni and Ken came too! Earle, Betty, and their children all loved Family Retreat, enjoying respite and accessible activities in an accepting, Chris-centered environment.  Over the years, Earle, Betty, and their family have attended 14 Family Retreats. Now 33 years old, Nick always looks forward to Family Retreat. Last summer he got to scale the rock-climbing wall all the way to the top, thanks to the adaptive climbing equipment supplied by our Missouri volunteers. After experiencing a “little slice of heaven” at Family Retreat, Earle and Betty learned about the Joni and Friends Wheels for the World™ ministry. Feeling called to participate, Earle signed up to join an outreach team as a wheelchair mechanic. He also spoke at churches during the trip, sharing Nick’s story.  In addition to serving internationally with Wheels for the World, Earle serves as a wheelchair collection volunteer in his community. He recently collected his 200th used manual wheelchair, which will be restored by inmates in prison-based workshops and hand-delivered to people in need around the world! Joni and Friends is blessed to come alongside families like Earle and Betty's, and our ministry is even more blessed when they choose to serve! #Disability #Ministry #FamilyRetreat

Our Joni and Friends interns in Uganda have been hard at work sharing God’s love and offering hope to those living with disability. This local internship consists of 3 key aspects. Training: Learning about disability and suffering from a biblical perspective through the Joni and Friends Beyond Suffering curriculum. Hands-on ministry: Serving at a Family Retreat, the Kampala School for the Physically Handicapped, and with Hope Speaks and Father’s Heart Mobility Ministry. Assisting with education, therapy, recreation, and providing wheelchairs to those in need. Mentoring: Being discipled in servant leadership and learning to integrate disability ministry into your life’s calling. You can bring hope and love to people impacted by disability by interning with Joni and Friends. Visit the link in the comments to apply today! #Internship #Uganda #JoniAndFriends #Disability #BeyondSuffering #Ministry

Maria and her eighteen-year-old daughter, Rosemery, live in the high-desert city of Arequipa in southern Peru. Because of her multiple disabilities, including severe scoliosis, Rosemery is both nonverbal and unable to walk. With no access to proper mobility equipment for her daughter, extended family support, or community help, Maria has always carried Rosemery wherever they go, held in place on her back by a cloth wrap. In low and middle-income countries, most people who need wheelchairs—like Rosemery and Maria—must do without. This lack of mobility equipment, and other critical support, leaves parents and caregivers like Maria little choice but to compensate by manually transporting their children, despite the toll on takes on their own bodies. Our Joni and Friends Wheels for the World™ team—including staff from our Georgia Area Ministry Office—met Maria and Rosemery when they arrived at our wheelchair distribution outreach held at a church in Arequipa. As usual, Maria carried Rosemery on her back.  When Rosemery saw the pediatric wheelchair chosen to fit her, her grin revealed her excitement to try it out. Because of the curve in her back from pronounced scoliosis, Rosemery and Maria had to wait for our mechanics to modify Rosemery’s wheelchair to prevent sliding and maximize comfort. At the same time the team created a seat pad to prevent potential pressure sores. As they waited for adjustments to the wheelchair, Maria and Rosemery talked with local volunteers from the church that hosted the outreach. After receiving a Bible and hearing the Gospel, they spent time in prayer lifting their specific needs up to God. As they left the outreach site, Maria and Rosemery had gained the dignity that a wheelchair provides, as well as connection to a church community for ongoing support and encouragement in Christ.  Learn more about Rosemery and our Wheels for the World program: https://lnkd.in/e8EjstSK #Disability #Hope #Wheelchairs

In 2010, on a mission to help Afghani women escape war-torn Afghanistan, American soldier Natacha was wounded in combat. After the attack, Natacha was informed that unless she had an amputation, an infection in her left arm would quickly take her life. As she sat in a hospital bed, she repeated the comforting promises from Isaiah 41:9-10: "‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." From that moment on, Natacha knew that God would ALWAYS be with her! Despite that comfort, Natacha still faced many challenges as a wounded Veteran with traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and Chiari malformation, which is a brain condition that can cause pain, muscular weakness, and sensory sensitivity. On top of it all, she is a single mother to a daughter with ADHD and a son with autism. But in the midst of all these circumstances, the Lord brought Joni and Friends alongside her. Natacha first became connected with Joni and Friends through her son, Jason. As Jason struggled to form relationships, Natacha and her family went to Family Retreat hoping to find a place of belonging—and boy did they find it! Natacha says it was even more than that—through Joni and Friends, she explains, “We found an anchor for our soul.” For the past five years, Natacha has attended our North Carolina Family Retreats, Warrior Getaways, and Single Parent Getaways. She characterizes each of them, especially the Single Parent Getaway, as “a chance to breathe deep, relax, and connect to authentic community.” Joni and Friends is blessed to walk alongside amazing people like Natacha and her family. #JoniAndFriendsUSA #WarriorGetaway #FamilyRetreat #Thankful #SingleParent #SingleParentGetaway #Support

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