A REVHI RETURN
As many of you know, in 2015 I took a break from school and sailed off to Hawaii as part of a year-long discipleship program. One component of the program is community service which is carried out in 1 of 2 communities – Waianae or Chinatown. I didn’t have a preference, and was placed in Waianae. I absolutely loved the people in Waianae (especially my church friends), but I have to be honest in saying that most of my days in Waianae felt confusing, tiresome and lonely. I knew I wasn’t serving in an area that I was passionate about, and I felt that I was being ineffective because my heart wasn’t in it. I asked the leaders if they would consider moving me to Chinatown so I could volunteer at a Women’s drug rehab facility there, as I had felt the tug on my heart for a while. They very gracefully let me switch, and I instantly felt at home.
Women’s Way (the facility where I volunteered) was such a sanctuary for me. 3x a week I got to hangout with some of the strongest and most incredible women I’d ever met, and on top of that, was able to cuddle babies on the regular. I remember leaving women’s way everyday and feeling so inspired and thankful that God had opened a door of such opportunity and growth for me. I was able to daily learn from women who had suffered through things I couldn’t even bear to think about. Women who, in my eyes, were superhero’s and queens for overcoming all they faced. Many days I left there crying for my sisters who were still paying consequences for mistakes made years before, or for their children who they so desperately missed and were not able to see, or for the pain they were feeling as a result of a complete life change. My heart ached and rejoiced with all of their struggles and joys.
Since leaving Hawaii, I think of women’s way and the women I met there almost daily. I pray for them often and a piece of my heart is still there with them. My dream is to finish my BSW and MSW and return to Women’s Way as a rehabilitation counsellor. I am so thankful for women’s way and all of the women who let me ask questions without being offended, who offered me insight into taking care of babies and what to avoid in life and how to cook, and who ultimately helped me find my calling without even knowing it.
These last 2 weeks I have been in Hawaii visiting with my brother, and this lady (one of the women who was a part of Women’s Way when I volunteered there) would not let me leave the island without seeing her. I dropped by for a couple of hours one evening and left in awe and wonder… code for: I bawled the whole way home.
Francine has had a much bigger impact on my life than she even knows. She has shown me real strength, courage, devotion and power. She has gone from years on the streets as a meth addict to a woman who deeply fears the lord, is a PHENOMENAL mother and invests everything she has into her kids, is such an encouragement to all she comes in contact with, and has one of the strongest faiths I have ever known. She has gotten her own place, found a good job on her own, and above all has managed to stay sober and keep the faith over the last 2 1/2 years, while taking care of her daughter and fighting for her 2 boys. Hearing her share all that she has been through and seeing where she is today is nothing but evidence of the crazy, relentless, and unconditional love of Jesus. Man… the God we serve is so incredibly glorious and majestic and sacred and so above anything we could ever dream or imagine, and I am in total awe.
When I think of Francine and her beautiful daughter Oriette (who was just a couple of weeks old when I started at women’s way and is now nearly 3 😭), I can’t help but praise Jesus and thank him for his mighty miracles. Francine and Oriette are miracles. Their story is a miracle. And it’s a miracle that I get to be a part of even an inch of their journey and have the joy of watching it all unfold.
What a joy it was to visit these 2 during my trip to HI, and I will not stop praying that the next time I return, I get to see Francine, Oriette and her sons together under one roof. Francine, You have worked tirelessly to be where you are, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that you will continue to do all that you can to provide for your family and to enjoy a long and happy life together.
You’re a superhero, girl, and I am delighted to know you and humbled at the privilege of calling you my friend. Don’t lose heart, your journey is just beginning. Xo 😘