JAF and Me

     Four years ago today, I attended my first Joni and Friends Family Retreat at Twin Rocks. I had watched a short video on Facebook about camp two weeks before camp was going to start. I thought it looked like a great oppurtunity so I signed up. Little did I know what I had signed up for .

      The first day of training was terrifying. I was homesick, was catching a cold and I didn't really know anybody. It was such a hard week. For almost the first year after camp I didn't really talk about camp, simply because I was trying to process the whole thing. 

        The May before my second year I finally decided that I really did enjoy myself and that I wanted to go back.  I didn't want to go alone this time, so I brought along all of my brothers and several friends from church. By this point I was in love with the ministry and here's why. At Joni camp I was pushed beyond myself phsycally, emotionally and spiritually. I was shown where my love for people had fallen short. I have always had a love for the disability community, but now I love them way more then I did. Some of my greatest friendships happened at camp, everyone from the other STMs to the Families to the Leadership. My life has been so blessed by Joni and Friends that is has become an important part of my life and year. If some summer in the future it didn't work out for me to attend at least one family retreat it will be a very sad year. 

       I am very happy to report that my camper from my first camp and I are very good friends now despite a rough week at camp! I was able to serve her family again last year by being her sisters STM (short term missionary). Over the last four years I have attended seven Joni and Friends Family Retreats in two states. I absolutely love it! www.joniandfriends.org