Stretching Our Faith
The heart of this ministry is to build up overcomers, who are empowered by God to share the testimony of His grace and the power of His purpose in the midst of our trials.. In the decade that we have operated our Beautifully Flawed Retreats, we’ve seen over and over the incredible resilience of the human heart when it’s fostered in mercy, love and faith. It’s the stories that drive this organization to persist, overcoming even its own bounds, to keep doing the work of our core mission, vision and values. Sometimes the work takes years and other times, hours. We continue to be in wonder at the way God brings each unique person to the retreat experiences.
Four years ago, we were informed of a young teen who lost not only her leg, but her father, in a tragic accident on a family vacation. Through our Care Package Program, we were able to offer just a small comfort in the midst of horrifying tragedy. She held onto the retreat invitation until she was at a place where she could be open to being a part of it. This young lady and her story was woven into our heart strings and we have remembered her in our prayers over the years. On a whim, past the acceptance period, somehow her application came in, and it was like God saying, “I am making a way for her to be here.” I am so happy to share that this year, she’ll be walking into our 10th annual Beautifully Flawed Retreat for young women with limb loss and differences for the first time.
Another young man’s family reached out to us in April of this year, just 24-hours after an incident that resulted in the loss of his arm. Though our applications for our Forge Retreat had also just barely closed, it was an obvious “yes” to expand our resources to include this young man and welcome him into a new community.
In our most expanded year of the Beautifully Flawed and Forge Retreats yet, dozens of more stories like this make up the community we prepare to encourage and empower – a sepsis survivor and quad amputee, abandoned orphans, childhood cancer survivors and a victim of a drunk driver. As with every year, we grieve the loss of every kind of motorized accident and help those with congenital differences continue to grow their sense of community and physical freedom.
Growing our programs means overcoming the inherent hurdles of operating a ministry. Operating a faith-based model of “give first” often drives us to places of discomfort and tension (a “stretched faith”) – and it always leads to growth. We set a program record by offering 10 scholarships to retreat attendees this year in need of financial support to attend this powerful experience. We feel that a financial burden should never be a reason for someone not to come. Thanks to our community of support that continues to walk alongside us, we find the faith to see these things are possible. We’re still going, growing and giving, because we know that God is faithful to meet our needs,.
Our fundraising goal for our 2022 retreats is $40,000, and to date, we have raised 77% of our goal. We have just $9,385 left to fully fund these retreats. From staffing, housing, meals, activities and more, it’s our vision to shower our retreat attendees with a beautiful, life-changing experience without holding back on these resources. It’s our vision to create life-changing experiences that help attendees reframe their testimonies to one as an overcomer and it’s our partners and those that share our passion to serve that make this possible, Thank you!
As we continue to drive our 2022 Giving Campaign, we ask that you consider what it might look like to support the Beautifully Flawed Foundation. Not all of us are able to put on events, but that does not mean we cannot be a part of the work. Many hands make light work. So we press into the many hands who have believed in and embraced us over the years, and ask that you continue to help us to help others find their comeback story.
Mahalo to our 2022 Retreat Sponsors!
Make Incredible Things Happen
Help further our mission and programs that support young people living with limb difference or those who’ve experienced traumatic limb loss by making a tax-deductible donation.
