ALOHA’S TESTIMONY
 
My Husband and I have been missionaries over 40 years.  In 2004, our lives were about to be changed forever.
 
I had trouble sleeping.  I had tried to produce the right behavior; I had prayed, read and studied the Word, served, obeyed, loved, and tried to glorify the Lord and all of this centered around what I could do for Him.  However that did not keep me from being stressed, depressed, desperate and suicidal.  I did everything I knew to get through this.  I came to the end of myself.
 
The psychiatric ward, the Carolina Behavioral Center, became my home for 15 days.  In God’s providence we found the Women’s Refuge of Vero Beach.  It was to be my home for the next 4 months.
 
Our lives have been challenged!!  I am a brand new person!  I have a new intimacy with my Savior and have experienced His acceptance and love.  I am no longer sleepless and I have an incredible peace and trust in my Savior.  He can change you too!

ANNIE'S TESTIMONY

When I came to the Refuge I was completely lost. I had been in and out of the hospital 7 times in the past year. I was labeled with 8 different disorders, given a truckload of medicine and felt that there was no hope of getting better. My Husband and I were on the verge of divorce and I have a two year old that I could barely take care of. My relationship with God was also non-existent.

I got in touch with the Refuge after long-term treatment was suggested. I was so touched that they prayed with me the very first time I called. I thought, “This is somewhere I can go and get not only emotional healing but spiritual healing as well.”

The Refuge accepted me. Two weeks later I was on a plane headed to Florida. I didn’t really meet the requirements for coming to the Refuge, but they took a chance on me anyway.

Today my marriage has hope for survival and my relationship with God hasn’t been this close in 6 years. I found the hope that I was looking for, hope in God, not myself.

The Refuge was used by God to save me in every possible way. Although there were times I was ready to give up on me, the Refuge never did. I thank God for the Refuge and their taking a chance on me. Without the Refuge I don’t think I would’ve made it.

SHIRLEY’S TESTIMONY

Before I came to the Refuge I wanted to die. I didn’t want to kill myself, but I wanted God to take me home, to relieve my time in this world. I came to a dark place, and was withdrawing from everything and everyone I knew. I felt as if I was wounded and there was a huge gapping hole in my spirit, which was only getting bigger. It seemed as if my prayers were hitting the ceiling and bouncing back; that God’s word was not written for me; that I was loosing all the gifts God had given me, I was waiting to die.

Little did I know God already had a plan and had placed people in my path to bring about His plan, the prayers I was praying He was already answering and He was knitting the hole in my spirit back together. He had never given up on me and was simply waiting for me to reach the end of myself, so He could continue His work in and through me.

After much prayer I contacted the Refuge in St. Augustine and asked about applying for the 2 week “Come and See” program in Vero Beach. Then it was time for the interview, I had convinced myself that I would not be accepted and would be told to get over my pathetic self and get on with my life. Instead I was told “I think we can help you.” These words rang through the darkness and, in the distance, a small light began to shine. Then came the words, “We want you to come for three months instead of two weeks.” I think I went into shock. Then I was asked if I wanted to know why they wanted me to come for three months. When I said “yes.” Donna said we see leadership in you. The very last thing I saw in me was leadership, and the very last thing I wanted was to be in any part of was leadership. I managed to say; “I will have to pray and speak with my husband about this and let you know.” I went to the prayer garden and simply said to God – “You know everything that is going on if this is where you want me you will have to make the way.” He made the way and on October 22nd I began my 2-month stay at the Women’s Refuge of Vero Beach, and God is continuing the work of setting me free, the work He began in me at the Cross, before I was born.

In the first week I could feel the love of God all around me and I remembered that there is nothing I could do to make God stop loving me. I had forgotten that God always loves me. God gave me a vision of His hand knitting together the hole in my spirit and I could feel His loving embrace through the pain.

In the second week I learned I hadn’t forgotten God loved me, I had been lying to myself and couldn’t believe God could love me. I had become angry with God for not doing things I thought He should do and had not forgiven Him. I was in such denial about this. As God lifted the veil and began revealing this lie, He showed me how to forgive Him, others and myself. I was not only experiencing a spiritual breakthrough, but I felt a burden physically lifted from my body.

God is continuing to reveal many things to me; it is amazing the lies I latched onto and used to justify my reactions in life. At one time I would have told you it was all the things that have happened in my life over the past year that brought me here. I now know it is everything that happened in my life; I was creating ways to cope with my world. When I accepted Christ, I continued to use these comfortable ways to cope instead of resting in Christ, walking in the victory of the Cross and allowing Him to live through me. It is through the suffering or “hugging of the cactus” that we become less of us and more of Christ.

I am so thankful to God for bringing me here.

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