Kairos Outside Weekend, Florida, November 2025 by Jodi Stocker
Im back from Kairos Outside Weekend in Florida and to say it was amazing would not do it Justice! I met more amazing women who also have incarcerated loved ones like us and a few women that come just to support them. They've invited us back for a reunion supper next Saturday evening and their next Kairos Outdoor Weekend here in Florida in St. John's/Jacksonville is next June 5-7th!
I'll be on the Team for that retreat.
The really cool thing I've got to tell you without ruining the experience for yourself should you take an opportunity in June or another Kairos Outdoor Weekend in your area, you get to take a picture of Carly, tell them who she is and what she means to you and to our world, they celebrate our girl and others and us and you come away a different person than before~ In one way or many! ...Lots of activities, small groups, entertainment, surprises, gifts, the list goes on and on and the BEST part is, it's almost to a T what they did last year at the YOU for Kairos Torch Inside Weekend
Carly and I talked on the phone for hours with play by plays (without ruining surprises, did I say surprises?) and we connected in such a great way having a shared experience and she was the over the moon I decided to go...My leader was able to message Carly to be a part of the surprises, and my new friend spoke to Carly last night for quite sometime as we all talked about everything we had done the same.
My new friendz younger brother is 31, 12 years, is a CF Resident~ we call them CF Residents for Corrections Facility Residents which I like way better than anything else.
I seriously can't say enough about this experience and pray you all consider attending Kairos Outside with me or in your state♥️ For privacy reasons to the ministry I'm not able to post any pictures with anyone in them and I'm sorry for that...
One of the things I took away with me this weekend was that trauma isolates and connection helps. Many of us isolate or go into a bubble when we feel rejected and although sometimes we need our space, let's try to not stay inside that bubble too long, it's undeserving to do that to ourselves and others. I sang a little song yesterday to our group to the tune of "We Are The World" and it goes a little something like this...
We are the Church
We aren't the Building
Were the alternative to isolation and rejection (meaning human relationships family, friends, etc.) It was a crowd favorite!!!
Carly said it was clever to come up with in 20 mins!
Oh and the night before I introduced myself by favorite color and told them it was our advocacy color for Carly, that it was also the color of Barney, and that there is no other color happier than purple...
Then I sang that iconic song and had the whole group of 25+ singing! It was a blast💜💜💜💜💜
