International Women’s Day – Women of Hope

To help us honour the people around the world who are dedicated to supporting their community through selfless acts of kindness, our guest columnist, Karen Swanson, is exactly one of those exceptional women. She and her husband are changing the lives of Bucerias’ families for the better, every single day.

Thank you, Karen, for your passion and endless hope, and for allowing us to share your thoughts and exciting news.

Women of Hope

March 8. International Women’s Day. A day to celebrate and lift up women.

Refuge of Hope opened our doors on April 1 of 2021. Our first guests were four sweet little girls. Then two more. From the start, we knew we were being called to pour love and hope into those girls. To be their safe place. To teach them how to love themselves and how to dream of a future they had never seen or imagined.

Eventually the boys came and we loved them too, but the girls and their moms tugged at our hearts deeply. So many challenges and barriers. Poverty, violence, disease, addiction, lack of opportunity, abandonment. So much disappointment. But also resilience. Beauty. Laughter. It was still there, under the wounds.

It’s three years later and it’s time for us to open new doors. Hope Women’s Center is begging us to move from a dream to a reality. A place where women can join together in a safe community to learn skills and to nurture one another and to see themselves as the daughters of a King. To start businesses and support their families and refuse to accept unhealthy relationships ever again. To model independence and grace and strength to their daughters.

It’s time. Time to create another safe space where love will live and hope will grow. A place where families will be repaired and hearts will be healed.

We hope you will join us as we take this next big step of faith. Stay tuned!!

She wraps herself in strength, might, and power in all her works. She tastes and experiences a better substance, and her shining light will not be extinguished, no matter how dark the night. Bold power and glorious majesty are wrapped around her as she laughs with joy. Proverbs 31:17-18, 25 TPT‬‬

Refuge of Hope: http://refugeofhopebucerias.com