Family Retreat 2015 (All Things Are Possible)

Joni and Friends Jackson had their Family Retreat this past week. About half of the STMs (short-term missionaries) were from my church-group, and we had such an amazing time.

Every year, each STM is paired with a prayer-partner for the week. I will go ahead and tell you this: those relationships last. They don’t just last the week out. (I am still very close friends with the girl whom was my partner last year, even though I haven't seen her in over a year.)  My partner this year was Claire. She just happened to be the cousin of one of my guy-friends from our church, so we had already met/had a connection. Claire was paired with another STM, Ashlyn, and together, they worked with a girl named Gracie, who was neither a camper nor a sibling, but I wont go into details on that.

Most of my friends were paired with campers (kids/adults with special needs) or a sibling of a child with special needs. My sister was a buddy to a sweet, sweet girl named Caroline, and through her, I became friends with Caroline's sister, Emily. Caroline was a sibling; Emily was a camper. Their sweet parents (which I won't name for privacy reasons) were amazing as well. Their dad was a laugh a minute, as were his daughters, and their sweet, sweet momma was just an angel. Leaving them was devastating for us girls, for sure.

I didn't have a "camper". I was paired with Meg, who jumped on this crazy circus just two weeks ago--the week before camp was due to start. Meg is an intern at Camp McDowell, which is where our retreat was, so she already knew her way around the place. (So she was just as much my helper as I was hers!) She has an identical twin sister (who wasn't there).

Meg was diagnosed with CP (cerebral palsy) when she was a baby, and is now in a wheelchair, but she is extremely independent (especially with her motor chair) so basically, my job was to show her how our retreats work, to be a friend, and basically to tell her about Joni and Friends and answer her questions about the ministry. We had an amazing time together, even though we were really only together for the first and second days. [Starting on day two, Meg and I basically only saw each other at meals. She followed a different group each day to get the feel for things, and I became a "floater", which I will explain momentarily.]

There were four groups: Kids (which were basically 2-11), and then Youth and Young Adults sort of varied.  Youth was originally teens in Jr. and Sr. Highschool/ that age, and Young Adult was college-age. However, last year, those two groups were really uneven, so this year the names of the groups stayed the same, but they were largely mixed in ages.  And then there was the Adult group. ---The youth, young-adult, and adult groups I am referring to here were for those with special needs. The kids' group included both those with special needs and those that were siblings of someone with special needs. '

The parents/caretaker of the campers had each morning to themselves. We had speakers that came to talk to them, and then there were activities in which they could participate afterward, or they could just take the morning to be with each other. That's the beauty of these camps; they are so flexible. The parents had freedom to do whatever they needed to do to relax and rest without the worry of making sure the kids were taken care of.

On that note, it was the STMs' jobs to see to the kiddos! This is what makes the week so totally worth all the exhaustion. It's not an easy week, but it is so completely worth it. Most of my friends had campers. A few (including my sister, which I mentioned earlier) had siblings, but most of my friends who were there were buddied up with campers. The STMs eat breakfast with the families, then take the kids for the day. There is VBS in the morning, and then after lunch, there are recreational activities available for the kids. Swimming, hiking, boating, Frisbee, basketball, fishing, shooting, slip-n-sliding, and just chilling out were all available. That lasts from 1:00-3:00 pm. Then, at 3:00, the STMs get a [much needed] time to just rest for a bit. The campers are all returned to their families until dinner at 5:00 so the STMs can get together and hang out, or just take a nap. The STMs are free for the two hours.

Every evening held a new activity. The first evening we had an ice-cream social. The STMs and the Camper families all hung out together and just had time to fellowship and get to know each other. The second night, we had a square dance. We danced the night away…until bedtime at 10:00… *laughs*. It was a lot of fun to learn. The third evening (Wednesday) was a date-night for the parents. The kids/campers watched a movie/drew pictures/played outside while the parent(s) had a date-night. (Or, in the case of the single parents, had time to fellowship with each other.)

 Our Theme for the week was "All Things Possible" based off the verse that says "With man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible." The last night, which was Thursday, we had a talent-show. That verse rings so true with some of the talent shown that night. (I am in the process of getting together some clips from this, and will [hopefully] be able to post some of them at a later time).  Each STM worked with their camper to come up with something to show. Some danced, some drew a picture, some quoted scripture, some sang. Every single thing was unique, just like each individual that came to camp. That's another beautiful thing about camp; there is no stereotyping going on. Often times, we tend to label disabilities as something terrible and we don’t take the time to see the individual. We see the broken parts, but we never even look at the person beneath them. The talent show is designed to break through that way of thinking. Their disability is pushed aside and they walk [or roll :-) ] out on stage. It's their time to shine. They have a chance to stand up and be who they are. They are known for their ability, not their disability.

There was not a single dry eye the night of the talent show. Not one.

JAF Family Retreat at Camp McDowell (known to many as Family Camp) is an amazing week. Though it is exhausting in (almost) every way possible: Mentally, physically, emotionally, it is absolutely spiritually rejuvenating. Leaning only on your own strength throughout the week is not an option. There is absolutely no possible way to make it through that week without prayer on your own part, and on the parts of others.

While some might say it's too hard, it isn't. If it IS too hard, then you aren't leaning on God's strength to make it through. These families do this all day long, every single day. Most of us can barely take a week of it. Something becomes evident when you are thrown into the worlds that these people live in. They are strong. We may see them as people who only do it because they have to, but I have witnessed this week sacrificial love.

 These families didn't "have to". They love their children and they want to. I met families this week who chose this life. I met a grandmother whose grandchildren--from two different families--were left with her, and she doesn't know when--or if--their parents will return. She could hand those kids over into foster care, but she choses not to. I met a couple who recently adopted a little girl with autism. I met a mother who was told she should have an abortion because her daughter would never be able to communicate, and now, that girl can laugh, she can play, she can talk. The only thing that she can't do is walk, and she gets along perfectly well in her hot-pink chair. I know a family who has a son with (I think) CP who is also blind. He loves to laugh. He smiles. He loves water, and loves being in the pool. He loves music. He loves hearing his grandfather whistle, and I'm telling you, that in itself…that beautiful relationship, will make you cry.

There were so many times throughout the week where I just had to stop for a moment, step back, and just breathe a moment. I can't even begin to elaborate. The smiles, the laughter, the joy that filled the whole camp is just something that unless you are literally there, and unless you can literally experience for yourself, you will just never even begin to understand. The Love that goes around in that camp is phenomenal. The love and friendship that is shared and passed on is abundant and overflowing.

God is just so, so, so good, and I simply cannot even begin to elaborate on that. I know that I left home on Sunday expecting to serve. I left on Friday, knowing that I was served far more than I served. Those families taught me so much, and though I am exhausted and still processing everything that happened this week, if I were asked to do it again next week, I would [wash all my laundry and sleep for the rest of the weekend] gladly jump right back in the car and absolutely do it again.

When I turn eighteen in a year and a quarter, I plan to do an internship with Joni and Friends. They have such an amazing ministry, and I so want to be able to be a part of it. My motives are partly self-centered, I am sure, but I do love the ministry, and, come on… No one does anything without a partially selfish motive. Those families touch my lives just as much--if not more--that I do theirs. I'm going to leave you guys on that note and go relax a bet…and maybe watch a Doctor Who with my sis...