STORIES OF RESTORATION
Women who have walked through our restorative programs have stepped into vulnerability and shared their stories here, with you. Our hope is that these stories honor the courage of the women who have shared them, bring glory to God, and encourage those who are seeking healing and a better way forward in life.
We invite you to read STORIES OF RESTORATION below and in our full digital book.
As you read, you’ll notice a lack of photos. This is intentional. Our deepest desire is to create a space where women are free to share the most difficult parts of their story, without fear or regret. We believe protecting their identity helps to foster this community of authenticity and healing. We hope you find encouragement here, and we hope you will join us in our mission to help women overcoming difficult circumstances LIVE ON PURPOSE and FOR A PURPOSE.
M’s Story of Restoration
I felt like I was drowning, even though there was no water around me. My husband was going through a difficult time, I was a new mother, and my brother and father had passed away. The weight of my grief and all that my life had become was almost more than I could carry, but I told myself, “Enough! By God’s grace, I will overcome!” There is a saying where I come from: “If you lose what is beautiful about you, then you are no longer beautiful.” I remembered that what made me beautiful was that God lived inside of me. I loved the Lord, and I decided that I would not allow hardship to take away the thing that made me beautiful.
Slowly, I began seeking Him again and trusting that He would make a way for me and my children. It was during this time that I learned about Sparrow through a list of community resources. I had been searching for a place where I could find God, receive His Word, and experience healing, and I felt like God was calling me to Sparrow. Before I walked inside, I prayed, “God, please make this my final bus stop.”
From the moment I arrived, Sparrow felt like a home away from home. At Sparrow, I found a community of women and a mentor who welcomed me, prayed with me, and walked alongside me. The broken pieces of my life began to come together. I have such happy memories of my time here, especially of celebrating my birthday with my Sparrow family! I plan for Sparrow to always be a part of my life. My story is not complete without Sparrow.
I grew up in Nigeria, surrounded by community. Family was very important to me, and they were always there to comfort and care for me. My childhood was filled with happiness and beautiful moments shared with my parents, uncles, aunties, siblings, and my community. I loved God and always wanted to serve others in any way I could, even if what I had to offer seemed small. Serving God has always been where I find comfort and peace.
As a child, there were times when my life did not turn out the way I had hoped. Through those moments, God taught me that my plans for myself might be different from His plans for me but that He would go with me wherever he sent me.
I married my husband in Nigeria and soon after we were separated by distance. He moved to the United States and I went to the Philippines to study nursing. This season of my life was difficult because I was learning a new culture while deeply missing my home and family in Nigeria. Still, I prayed and trusted that God would carry me through, and He did. After completing my studies, I came to America to join my husband, but instead of finding the life I had hoped for, I entered one of the lowest seasons of my life. The people I had trusted as family deserted me, and I fell into a deep depression.
K’s Story of Restoration
The first time I walked into church, I experienced God's presence in a way I never had before. The warmth, the tears, the peace, and the prayers of complete strangers reminded me that He had never abandoned me, even when I had wandered far from Him. For the first time, I understood that my identity wasn't found in my failures, my past, or what other people thought about me; it was found in Christ.
One condition of living with my friend was that I attend Restore, which became a great gift in my life. I came in with a desire to heal from years of emotional abuse, brokenness, addiction, shame, and self-hatred, but I found so much more than that. Through the women who welcomed me, my mentor who faithfully walked beside me, and the biblical truths I learned each Monday night, God slowly rebuilt my confidence, restored my relationships, and taught me to trust Him again. Today, my relationships with my children and grandchildren have been restored, I am debt-free, and I have the privilege of serving alongside the same ministry that helped change my life.
If you or someone you know is thinking about joining Restore but feels too broken, too ashamed, or too afraid, I want you to know that walking through those doors was hard, but it became the beginning of God changing my life. Restore is a safe place where women are loved, seen, and reminded of who they are in Christ.
For much of my life, I believed my worth depended on what other people thought of me. I grew up in a home where appearance and perfection determined acceptance. Constant criticism from my stepdad about my weight and appearance left me with almost no confidence and a deep longing to be loved. I carried those wounds into my marriage, where years of emotional pain, betrayal through multiple affairs, and believing I would never measure up convinced me that I wasn't worthy of love.
As the years went on, the weight of my wounds became too much, and I began relying on prescription medication to numb both my physical and emotional pain. Although I eventually found freedom from prescription drug addiction through rehab, I still struggled with deep emotional pain. After my husband passed away following twenty-five years of marriage, I learned that our finances had been wiped out, leaving me with almost nothing. I worked hard to rebuild my life and finances, but later fell into an online gambling addiction to numb myself from the pain of losing my mother and a lifetime of wounds. When my children found out about my gambling addiction, I lost their trust, my relationship with my grandchildren, and almost all hope. I truly believed my life was over.
At my lowest point, God met me through the kindness of faithful friends who gave me a place to live and refused to give up on me.
L’s Story of Restoration
Growing up, life was hard. My parents were gone most of the time, working long hours to provide basic needs for our family. Money was always tight, and our family often dealt with difficulties and conflict. I spent a lot of time on my own and learned at a young age that if I needed something, I would probably have to figure out how to get it for myself.
My family lived with a lot of fear, and because of that, I learned to distrust people and keep my guard up. On the outside, I came across as tough and independent, but inside I was dealing with a lot of hurt, anger, and frustration. I felt like I was carrying everyone else's problems while also dealing with my own.
Without supervision, I made choices that put me in unsafe and unhealthy situations, including an abusive relationship that left me feeling even more confused and alone. After going through so many hardships from a young age, working hard at sports and school, and getting out of an abusive relationship, I was exhausted physically, emotionally, and mentally. I wanted to leave everything behind and start over somewhere else, hoping to find more security and stability, but I decided to stay.
I got married, had a child, and still felt like something was missing. I attended church but didn’t live for God.
I didn’t understand what it meant to have a real relationship with God. In my mind, God was there, but He was distant. I believed in Him, but I didn’t understand His love and purpose for my life.
Through Young Lives, I heard about Restore and decided to give it a chance. When I first came, I was nervous. I wasn't sure if I would fit in, if anyone would understand me, or if I could really trust the women in the program. I’d spent my whole life distrusting people and taking care of myself, so it was really hard for me to open up and let people into my and my son’s life.
The women at Restore made me and my son feel so welcome. It was a safe place to be confused and ask questions. They took the time to get to know me, encouraged me, pointed out my strengths, and reminded me that I wasn't alone. I started to understand that I could have a relationship with God, and I began to experience God's love in a deeper way.
I still have struggles, but I now understand that I can have moments of struggling without letting the struggles take over my whole life. I don't have everything figured out, but I’m not trying to solve everything by myself anymore. Most importantly, I understand God’s love for me better than I ever did before, and I trust that God has a purpose for my life.