I spent a few hours at the Joni and Friends Family retreat on Wednesday. What an inspiring afternoon. This week long retreat is for families who have special needs children. The founder of the camp is Joni Eareckson Tada who was disabled in a diving accident in 1967. Families who attend the camp are able to enjoy a week of relaxation while not having to worry about their child - 24/7. Short term missionaries (STM’s) are assigned to each family who attends. These STM’s supply care and show the love of God to these special children. I was able to talk with many of the STM’s. Greg Trapp, one of our EVC elders, and his wife Irene are serving there this week. While speaking with one of the families attending, the dad told me how blessed he was to be able to have some “down time” and not feel guilty.
I talked with many of the campers but one in particular really blessed me. Her name is Sarah. Sarah is about 4 feet tall. One of her arms is longer than the other and both of her hands are twisted in toward her elbows. She has many physical issues to deal with and her speech is slurred. Her mind is very sharp. Her enthusiasm is quite contagious. After talking with her for a few minutes she told me that she had been coming to Joni Camp for 16 years. I was shocked because she barely looked 16. She told me she was 26. And then with passionate enthusiasm she said, “I am a prayer warrior”. She told me how she visited nursing homes near her house and prayed regularly for the elderly who resided there. Sarah said, “I really have compassion on those people. They are so lonely. But God uses me to be their friend and to pray for them”.
Then she asked me, “Can I pray for your church?”
“Absolutely”, I replied.
She explained to me that this would not be a one time prayer. She let me know that she would be praying everyday for Evergreen Valley Church.
What happened next was a real God thing. She began praying and praying and praying. In the prayer circle with me and Sarah were: Greg, Marv, Sarah’s STM and someone else Sarah had invited in. There we were, holding hands, all huddled up in a sanctuary of God’s presence. We were being led there by a four foot girl in a disabled body. The more she prayed, the more blessed I felt. After about 15 minutes she was rapping up her prayer session. She didn’t say the usual, “In Jesus Name I pray” but she started laughing. It was as if the Holy Spirit was filling her heart with the joy of Jesus and it was spilling out of her in unashamed laughter! And finally she shouted, “I love Jesus!” And that was it. The prayer was over. The blessing accomplished!
I have had a lot of people pray for me over the years, but no one prayed more beautifully and blessed me more wonderfully than little Sarah.
Someone said, “Souls who find their joy in God can never be disabled.” I saw that in Sarah. I saw God in her life, and in her prayer, and through her laughter, and it was a joy to behold.

Here’s another blessing: EVC is going to be just fine. Sarah is praying for us everyday!

You pray too!
Pastor Tim

To find out more about Joni and Friends Family Camp visit http://www.joniandfriends.org/index.php