Jay and Katherine Wolf are the founders of Hope Heals. Hope Heals is a non-profit that strives to disrupt the myth that joy can only be found in a pain-free life.

In the summer of 2022, our family was invited to attend Hope Heals Family Camp.
This five-day camp serves families impacted by disabilities, each day filled with activities, speakers, worship, and community at no cost for families.

I was a bit nervous heading into the week, because I didn’t know what to expect or know anyone else who would be there. We loaded up the van and drove four hours to Alabama and were welcomed by strangers holding signs with our names on it, welcoming us to camp.

I’ll never forget that sign…It read,

“You were meant to be here.”

Do you and I truly believe there is a space where we are meant to be?

Silently, I remember thinking, “Are we?”

Hope Heals is truly five days of one-on-one care companions for each child. They care for them, love them, play with them, and simply make them feel special. As parents, it creates the space you need to step away, rest, and connect as a couple. I don’t know if you have ever been afforded time like this, but for me it can feel overwhelming when there is no agenda. The only agenda is to be. To heal. To soak it in.

But what I would later learn, is that BEING and rest is how we heal.

No agenda or program promises healing like, resting and being.
I must admit that fears crept in.

Where is my mind going to go when given the space to roam?

What emotions will spill over when I have time to process?

Will Ryan and I even be able to talk about deeper conversations when given this time?

The first two days I couldn’t relax. I really struggled with feeling that my kids are too much and a burden for others. I wasn’t allowing myself to be served by their volunteers and definitely wasn’t trusting that the care companions truly wanted to be with my kids. On day two, an old friend who was serving with their family came up to me at dinner and said, “I’m watching you. Sit down and let us serve you. You aren’t here to serve others or make it easier for us. You are here to be served and trust us.” It’s like she saw straight through me.

It was the reminder we all need.

You have to be able to first receive help, before you can offer help.

From that moment on, I laid it down. I started to embrace others serving me dinner, watching my kids. I wasn’t in control of the timeline and instead of rushing to fill every moment, I was able to embrace time with no agenda. (what is this life?)

I felt refreshed by simply sitting on the porch with other families and leaning into the experience.

Honestly, it was my first experience where I didn’t feel judged about our parenting style with the kids. Meltdowns around camp were common and I found that here, no one blinks an eye at my son being overwhelmed, or the amount of equipment we had to pack for our child that sleeps on a Bipap.

Because I needed the reminder, that my kids are not a burden or a problem to solve. They are beings that others love and want to love.

Our son Miller is an extremely picky eater and I had to prepare separate meals for him in the microwave the entire week. Not once did anyone say anything to me about my child’s limited pallet or a way to “fix it.” Instead, one of the volunteers looked at me on day three and asked if she could run to the grocery store for us and get more Dino nuggets. Most any other time, I would have said no and then use my free time to drive to the store. But, my friend’s words echoed in my head, “let people serve you.” So I looked at the volunteer and said, “that would be great.” Two hours later, I had a note on the refrigerator that read, “Miller’s dinner.” I cried.

My no, allowed another to serve. And served out of her love for my son.

During the day, Ryan and I attended sessions centered on how to celebrate joy andsuffering? What does it look like when life takes a left turn? And, How can you experience healing?

We dove head first into the experience by sharing in small group time, meeting with other couples one on one and learning from their experience.

Suffering doesn't happen in isolation and neither does healing.

By day four, my experience had turned 180 degrees from when I first arrived. I came scared, hesitant, and controlling. I was leaving completely open to what was next for our family. I was leaving hopeful. Hopeful that because I was served, I could then serve.

Katherine kept sharing about how Hope Heals Camp shouldn’t feel like an isolated experience. How we were healing with families and talking about suffering should be happening at camp JUST as much as it was happening back in our own communities. I knew I was prepared to leave Hope Heals Camp. I felt encouraged to leave and dive into my own community to help others begin the process of healing by creating a space in our own community for families impacted by disabilities.

Katherine and Jay could easily want to keep the experience to themselves and camp, but they truly want families to leave feeling renewed in order to go back to their own communities and live out the good, hard life. Thank you Katherine and Jay for serving us.

On day five, I remember saying to Ryan, “I feel commissioned to create spaces of belonging in our community.” What had started in my mind as a far away goal to serve other families, became abundantly clear that I, too, could create spaces of belonging in Gainesville, Ga. It was then that I took the ministry of Love Your Story seriously, believing that families could leave Molly’s House feeling hopeful, full, and known.

We are called to take the mission of creating spaces of belonging seriously.

That summer, through Love Your Story we served our first family and now two years later we are on family 34! I am so glad that I had the experience of Hope Heals Camp (and continue to be blessed by the ministry). I am grateful that I was able to let myself experience healing.

But, even more so,

I am thankful that after leaving Hope Heals Camp, I felt commissioned and challenged to carry the torch of belonging back to my own community.

-Abby

Why I Was Ready to Leave Hope Heals Camp