From a Dad’s Heart

Jim and Lisa Hanks heard about Joni and Friends Family Retreat and were skeptical at first. “That’s a great ministry,” they thought, “But not for us. We have too many special needs.” Knowing firsthand how families with disabilities struggle, Jim decided to be a Short Term Missionary and serve another family just like his for a week. In the process, he realized Family Retreat was exactly what his own family needed. He came home and told Lisa and the kids, “We’re goin’ to Family Retreat!It’s the best thing ever!” “My wife Lisa and I stay pretty run down all year long. Our son’s care is consuming and takes all day, every day. When we’re here, the Lord meets needs we didn’t even know we had because we’re running so hard all year. “We’ve been coming to Family Retreat for five years now. Each year I come away with a renewed dedication to keep our family going in the right direction together. Here, around so many other families like ours, I draw wisdom from the older guys and teach the younger ones what I’ve been through. “It’s safe to let our guard down here. Men like me can talk about things we aren’t able to share the rest of the year. Family Retreat is one of the only places we go as a family where we’re not sticking out of the crowd. We fit here. That makes us feel more loved and accepted than anyplace else we go. “At Family Retreatthere’s great Bible teaching, worship, fellowship and activities. These things all deposit God’s grace and strength into us. When we come to Family Retreat,we don’t just stop the drudgery – we stop and replace it with things that strengthen us for the rest of the year. Family Retreat empowers me as a husband and a father to lead my family God’s way.”