Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Jason's Story

Episode Transcription

AL: Ken, we're right in the middle of our Family Retreats and I know you and Joni have participated in more than a few...

KEN: Well, it is Family Retreat season and this is probably the most favorite time of the year for Joni and me.           

AL: ... Have there been any Family Retreats that have been especially memorable?

KEN: Well, we just went to one Family Retreat that was quite unusual. 

AL:  Ah, let me guess.  I’ll bet you it was the Warriors Getaway sponsored by Joni and Friends down in San Antonio. 

KEN:  Yes, Al, and do you know what is great about that?  It was just neat connecting with those guys and just thanking them for their service to this country.

AL:  Could we hear from one of them?

KEN:  I think we can.  His name is Jason.

AL:  Great, let’s go!

JASON:  I’m Major Jason Wagoner and was assigned to the Third Brigade of the 101st Airborne.  I was wounded on December 16th of 2007 when I stepped on an IUD.  It took my lower left leg and lots of shrapnel to the rest of my lower extremities.  I have a prosthetic now.  I’ll have scars, but I can still get around so coming to this retreat it was an opportunity for me.  That’s the way I look at it.  It was a fantastic opportunity that I didn’t know I was getting when I got here.  So, I consider myself new to being a Christian. Heard some words last night from Jonathan Sphinx and if it wasn’t for this opportunity I would have missed out on that and not knowing what I was missing.  He had a lot of great words of wisdom for us and I want to thank Joni and Friends for the opportunity to come here and hear those words.  I needed those things to help me in my next phase and take those next steps.  So, thank you very much for everything.

KEN:  Folks, could you please pray for Jason and the 10 other soldiers who came to Christ during that retreat?  What a blessing.  These are men and women who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms that we now enjoy.

JONI: I’m kind of excited, Ken, because we have another Warriors Getaway coming up real soon with lots of soldiers having fun and we are not going to “retreat” are we, it’s called a “getaway”!  May God bless the men and women who sacrifice so much for our freedom. God bless them.

 

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JONI AND FRIENDS

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