“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 15:5-6

Christopher Parkening plays the guitar like few people in this world are able. Whether on stage with the New York Philharmonic or in front of an audience of three, he can bring out the power and mystery behind those six strings. Not one note is out of place, out of sync. Whether strummed together or plucked separately, the strings all work in unison to create the desired melody or harmony.

Musical accord on the guitar doesn’t happen by chance. Only certain strings pressed down in particular combinations will produce the desired sound. Whether the guitar plays “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” or a Spanish dance, its beauty is heard when the strings are in proper relation to one another.

This is what it means to be in one accord.

CAMPO LARGO, Brazil, August 19, 2024 — Exactly one year after breaking ground on a new state-of-the-art disability center in Campo Largo, the international ministry Joni and Friends celebrated the grand opening of Joni’s House Brazil on August 2.

Located in the state of Paraná, which is home to roughly 2.2 million people living with disability, Joni’s House Brazil is the newest location for the ministry’s Joni’s House programs. Joni’s House is raising the standard of care for people with disabilities as the program meets the critical needs of the local community. The center in Brazil offers spiritual counseling, medical care, job training, and more.

Joni’s House Brazil provides disability services in partnership with First Baptist Church of Curitiba, a prominent local church, and nearby Hospital do Rocio, which performs approximately 90% of care for patients within Brazil’s nationalized healthcare system. Joni and Friends is also partnering with the local government social organization Associação Batista de Ação Social de Curitiba. Through these strategic partnerships, the new disability center is estimated to serve 800 individuals in 2025.  

The campus houses a building dedicated to programs and services, a wheelchair storage repository, and a residential space for families seeking care at Hospital do Rocio who cannot afford hotel rooms. Joni’s House Brazil will also serve as a hub for advocacy and awareness campaigns, aiming to break down barriers and promote understanding within the community. 

In a display of local support, the mayor of Campo Largo and Paraná’s Secretary of Health joined Joni and Friends executives at the ceremony.  

Joni and Friends Chief Operating Officer Jason Holden said Campo Largo is a vibrant community and Joni’s House Brazil will help care for its most vulnerable members.  

“As we open its doors, my heart swells with excitement for the future, envisioning a place where people can access vital resources, form meaningful connections, and experience the transformative power of the Gospel,” said Holden. “This is not just a building but a testament to the power of community and faith, marking the beginning of a journey that will positively impact lives for generations.” 

The grand opening culminated with the commissioning of the new director of Joni’s House Brazil, Teilor Paixao. 

Joni and Friends is honored to work alongside the local community of Campo Largo, providing life-giving care to people living with disability in Brazil.  

“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?”

Jeremiah 8:22

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9

It bothers me when I hear people say that only the weak-minded struggle with severe depression. That’s cause I sometimes get hit hard with more than just downhearted feelings. There are times when I feel like disappearing—I don’t want to talk to anyone, and I don’t want to face the world. 

I’m not the only one who has days like that. I think of them as “the day of evil” spoken about in Ephesians 6:13. When they come, I hang on for dear life to a couple of well-worn Scriptures that assure me joy will come in the morning. 

And I take encouragement that the great hymn writer William Cowper suffered from depression. He constantly struggled against suicide. Once he even tried to hang himself. Another time he fell on a knife but the blade broke, and at one point he threw himself into a river, hoping to drown. He had a mental breakdown and was placed in an insane asylum for eighteen months. During his detention he read Romans 3:25, the part about the blood of Christ being so powerful as to atone for all past sins—even the guilt of suicidal thoughts. 

After his conversion he became friends with John Newton, who wrote “Amazing Grace.” It was just the inspiration Cowper needed to write the beautiful hymn “There Is a Fountain.”