International Family Retreats: God Uses You to Knit Families Back Together in Christ 

Like many fathers in Ghana, West Africa, Wilson carried a deep grudge against God for giving him a disabled son. In African culture, disability is a curse and a shame to a man’s family name. Wilson remained in his marriage and provided for his family, but he never held his son, Richard. He never helped his wife care for him. For 14 years, Wilson stoically turned his back on his little boy. But your support provided an International Family Retreat in Ghana, and Wilson attended with his family. There, Wilson and other dads of disabled children saw their children through God’s eyes for the first time. Joni and Friends’ book for dads, Another Kind of Courage, was used as a teaching guide in the man-to-man group. Encouraged by God’s word and the powerful testimonies of godly fathers of special needs children, Wilson’s hardness melted away. In its place, God brought forth a new love for his son. “I now see Richard as part of God’s plan,” Wilson said. Turning to his wife, Theresah, Wilson made a solemn promise: “From this moment on, you will never have to carry the burden of parenting Richard alone. We will live as husband and wife, joining hands to take care of this child. Through Richard, God will bless us even more!”