EMPOWERING VULNERABLE WOMEN & CHILDREN
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HOME OF
THE SWALLOW
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TESTIMONIES
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A HEART-CHANGE TO LOVE
Song came to live at HOS several years ago. She has two sons, Nate and Eli (who is disabled), and lives with her husband. Since she has left HOS, things have not been easy and her husband has not been at all supportive; in fact he has been quite cruel. He has said that he did not love Eli because of his disability. Eli, knowing this, would never let his father hold him or be around him. However, God started doing a big work in his life and he has changed in a lot of ways! He took time off of work when Eli was really sick to spend time with him. He started to feel affection for Eli and they began growing closer, to the point where Eli wanted his dad to hold and love him. He has now started to help Song in many ways: doing chores around the house, taking care of the kids, and earning money to help support them. Some of the girls at our Home even said they wished they had a husband like Song’s.
She told us that God has answered her prayers and she has experienced His love in so many ways. Taking care of two kids on her own was very hard and she felt like their future was bleak, but now she sees more of the plans God has for her and her children and is so overcome with hope and joy. Though the struggles and frustrations may still be there, she now has His strength to carry on. Praise God for always knowing our needs!
BEAUTIFUL ASHES
When Bee came to Home of the Swallow she was lost and feeling hopeless. She had a history of being sold for sex by men, as well as selling herself to make ends meet. She knew God but struggled with self-worth and wondered if God really loved her. Much of these feelings came from the disability in her right arm and leg. After living at the home for two months, she returned to the place she had previously sold herself. When she got there, she felt very uneasy and knew she shouldn’t be doing this. She heard God’s voice telling her to leave and to go back to HOS. She made a conscious decision that night that prostitution was not the life she wanted to live anymore and went back to HOS.
Since then, God has been doing an amazing work in her life! She told us that for the first time, she is experiencing hope and seeing God’s love for her. Although she still struggles at times, Bee is learning to be a good mother. She recently received a job as a housekeeper for a nearby family. Many (including herself) believed she could not do it and would never amount to anything. However, she is doing a great job! She is beginning to have more confidence in herself, knows she can do anything she puts her mind to, and recognizes that her life has value. On her first day of work she even opened up a savings account for her son so that she could start setting aside money for his education and future.
It has been truly incredible to see the ways she has grown and the joy she radiates. God has created beauty from ashes in and through her. We are so proud of her!
WHEN WE SURRENDER OUR DREAMS TO GOD
Ann had always loved cooking and dreamed of being able to run her own restaurant. About a month ago, her dream came true. An organization called KFT (Keeping Families Together) partnered with Home of the Swallow to help women start their own businesses to be able to provide for their families. Ann was able to receive a grant in order to buy everything she needed to start her own food shop. Her efforts were blessed and the shop began to generate a steady income. She praised God daily for the ways in which He had provided for her and for His overwhelming love. Then she began to dream bigger. Her food shop was making enough money to pay the bills, but she wanted her life to be a blessing to others, as God had so greatly blessed her. So she asked God if He could provide her with another job. Two weeks later, she found a job as a housekeeper with a Christian woman who wanted to pay her a high starting salary and pay for her petrol to get to-and-from work every day. She has now begun finding ways to use this money in her community to bless others. It has been such an inspiration to so many and has spoken volumes of the work God is doing in and through her life. Stories like Ann's give us inspiration and motivation to continue to allow God to work in and through to make an impact in this world.
IMPACT THROUGH EDUCATION
Joy once had big dreams and had known she was capable of so much, but she then discovered that making poor decisions and having a baby as a teenager changes everything. When she first came to HOS, she was raising her daughter on her own, had no money, no place to go, and felt like all her dreams were long gone. However, after some time, Joy found a job, begin saving money, and experienced a renewed sense of hope in the Lord, realizing that He had far greater plans for her life. She became determined to not let her struggles as a single mother stop her from dreaming big. She began applying for scholarships so that she could pursue higher education. She received a scholarship and is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Social Work online, all while continuing to going to work and being a great mom to her daughter! She is not exactly sure what she wants to do once she has her degree, but she said she would like to help people who have struggled like she has and to help give them hope in a brighter future.