Buna's Hope

While battling cancer, Elise and Jason found that making frequent efforts to laugh, play and pray together as a family were just as important to her recovery as the chemotherapy she was receiving. Family fun became a simple way for their 5 kids to relieve stress, but more than that, it was a way for Jason and Elise to teach their children that – even in the midst of suffering – life was inherently good and that no matter what happened, God loves them and is in control … so it’s okay to relax and play! Hence the tagline, “Every little thing is gonna be alright.”

Jason and Elise were overwhelmed with the support and love that came pouring out of the community. They decided during a period of remission to “pay it forward” and began to organize efforts to bless other families.  It only made sense to share with others what had helped them: opportunities to spend time enjoying and focusing on each other.

Their efforts to help others began simply with care packages sent to families in need because of some kind of trauma or tragedy. Inside the boxes were board games, family movies, bags of popcorn, prayer journals, and some silly items like wigs or crazy glasses to get the fun rolling. Hundreds of boxes were sent out to families nominated by others. Larger donations allowed them to give away trips to provide a joy-filled, peaceful break away from the present challenge.

When Elise’s cancer returned, the project became a way for her to “fight back” against the pain by helping to relieve the pain of others. Dozens of families joined the effort and gathered for “packing days” to assemble the boxes, complete with a handwritten note of encouragement.