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Domestic Violence Awareness Month
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One of our newest residents, Chrissy, gave the following response when asked how she felt about God’s love towards her:
“My view of God has changed since I left my abuser. I felt that leaving my abuser was impossible, but God heard my prayers and made a way. He even made a way for me to leave with my children, something that I really didn’t think was possible. Being out of my situation hasn’t been easy, but I am very thankful. It is so nice to not have to pretend that everything is ok by impressing everyone with materialistic things. I have a new since of freedom since leaving, even in the simple things, like wearing shorts or going to the store by myself, things my abuser wouldn’t let me do. I am so at peace being here with my kids, knowing that God is taking care of us.”
This month, October, is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. At the Sheepfold, we serve a population that is often impacted by domestic violence however, we do not always share about how it impacts women on a daily basis; as Chrissy’s Story so simply lays out, domestic violence is not just about the physical aggression we so often associate with domestic violence, it is also displayed in the control an abuser has – including things such as not being allowed to shop alone or wear the clothes that she chooses. Almost on a daily basis, we receive phone calls from women who are making one of the hardest and bravest decisions of their lives – to get themselves and their children to safety from their domestic violence relationship.
There is a sense of excitement when a woman decides to say yes to The Sheepfold, because we know that she is taking a huge step towards freedom and safety, but more importantly we know that she is taking a step towards a new (or renewed) relationship with Jesus Christ (whether she realizes it or not). Thank you to each of you who supports this work, whether through being a faithful reader of our newsletter, someone who prays for the ministry, and/or someone who contributes – each of you plays a role in providing a refuge for women with children who are escaping domestic violence and homelessness.
Erin,
Program Coordinator
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
- Psalm 42:5b
Would You Like to Adopt A Family for Christmas?
At Christmas we provide a joyous and Christ-filled holiday for the women and children staying at the Sheepfold. We are able to do this with the help of individuals and companies who generously donate gifts or participate in our Adopt-A-Family (AAF) program.
Adopting a family means providing a portion of the gifts a family receives Christmas morning. When you call or email, you will be provided with information which includes an AAF number (to protect the family’s identity), ages, sizes and gift suggestions from a family’s Wish List.
The deadline to drop off the unwrapped gifts for the AAF program is Wednesday, December 9th. This allows us enough time to organize, wrap and transport the gifts to the homes for Christmas morning.
Please call (714) 237-1444 or email kathy@thesheepfold.org to participate in the AAF program or for more information. You may also check our website for our Registry or general Gift List.
Kathy Novak,
Services Coordinator
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