Inspirational People
ryan haack- how to survive being stared at
Sometime ago, I came across a blog by Ryan Haack entitled, “Ryan Does Stuff.” I love Ryan’s perspective on life and knew that his writing would encourage many others. So, let me introduce to you, Ryan Haack and share his blog that first caught my attention: I’m Ryan. I’m a husband, a father, a pastor, and a writer. One thing you should know is that I was born with one full arm. A couple years ago I “broke the hell out of” the shorter one (doctor’s words), so now I have a long scar that leads ...[Read more]
chrissy- it could happen to you
I met a friend of mine, Catherine and her daughter, Chrissy through Joni and Friends Family Retreats. Catherine is taking an online class and her classroom discussions are done via conversations online. The whole class can read and respond to anything another has said. Everyone responds to whatever topic is posted by an individual in the class. The topic of one particular discussion was Disability. Catherine shared with me where the conversation went and how she handled it. Her heart-felt ...[Read more]
jonathan- a little extra
In February of 2010 on Season 9 of American Idol, it was hard to miss a young, 16 year old contestant with an incredible spark. But the moments when that spark really lit up was when Maddy Curtis spoke about her family. Maddy is from a family of 12 and has 4 brothers with Down Syndrome! “Those four boys bring out the best in every person they meet. They see the world in colors, and we need to see the world that way," Maddy said in an interview on the show. Her mom first told her about the ...[Read more]
Lives Changed
through christina- a special mother is born
A beautiful reader submitted story about God's plan to use a daughter with Down Syndrome to opened the eyes of this mother's heart. Submitted by Leticia a special mother is born “God would never send us a special child,” I mused, caressing my ...[Read more]
jean-more than I could imagine
A dear friend recently sent an email, sharing with me how her week serving at a Family Retreat had touched and changed her life. I asked Jean if I could share her experience with our readers because it shows how deeply someone can be affected by a ...[Read more]
The Family That No One Expected
After spending 35 days in Ghana, it’s been difficult trying to figure out how to get my thoughts and feelings written into stories. Each night while in Africa, I would try to journal about our days activities but with all that we were experiencing, ...[Read more]
Kara’s Corner
Peru- Loving Families Touched by Disability
As I sit and reflect on our trip to Peru, I am once again amazed at the way we saw God move among us, answering prayers, changing hearts, providing all that we could ever ask for and more. This is something that never seems to grow old, never loses ...[Read more]
First Family Retreat Coming to Peru!
I have recently been asked to join a Joni and Friends team for our very first Family Retreat in Peru this April. I will be responsible for training the volunteers and overseeing many of the activities. All of the work that I do with Joni and Friends ...[Read more]
Leadership…
Being in leadership and training volunteers is a role that must be taken seriously. It takes lots of time, energy, dedication AND... Fun!!! Lots of ...[Read more]
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