Hope Redefined supports women impacted by sexual betrayal because of their husband’s sexual sin.
Active women in groups: 35
Active Coaching clients: 37
Active Coaches contracted with ministry: 5
Number of Intro Calls for previous month: 7
Active Hope Online members: 146
Number of participants at the Redeemed Hope retreat: March 2023: 12
**Each of these numbers represents a woman in the midst of pain and trauma. Will you pray for these women of Hope Redefined? (Last updated 6/5/2023)
When an intro call is schedule with a woman looking for support, I never know the story I’m stepping into. Sometimes, I realize even an emailed response can be a breath of fresh air. . . especially to a woman overseas in Norway. After responding to her request for more information, this woman wrote, “Dear KK, Thank you so much for your answer. God knows how much I needed this mail from you just tonight. I just started crying, feeling I’m not alone. . . God bless you and your work!” Again and again we see stepping from isolation into community to find support is one of the ways we offer care in the lives of women who reach out to Hope Redefined. May our Lord use us as hands and feet and ears to minister to women.
Insights from March 2023 retreat participants:
“This was not a retreat. It was a spiritual healing intensive. I didn’t realize how much I needed it. But the emotions just flowed in that open space, in that safe space. Returning home was a jolt, the fogginess was real. It was one of the most beautiful, excruciatingly painful but beautiful experiences of my life. You thought of everything, I appreciated all the service and details — like being chauffeured from the airport, doing exercises with others rather than by myself, etc. I’m so thankful thinking back and what it brought to me, personally.” — a participant from Texas
“I feel a sense of detachment and separateness from all the unhealthy ties with my husband. I moved from anger towards my husband to see him as God’s child. I was able to look him in the eye and be excited for what the Lord is doing in him. I wasn’t planning on forgiving him anytime soon. We’re still separated, but I have a new perspective.” — a participant from Tennessee
“I’m still so blown away. I didn’t have to do anything. You took such good care of us. That matters to me. I don’t know that has happened in a really, really, really long time. One of the biggest takeaways is that it felt really special and sacred. I’ve been telling people, ‘When you go to prayer, can you grab your people and let them be with you when you pray out loud?’ Also, I know the enemy wants to distract me with a mind that is foggy and hazy and dizzy. Literally, so much got lifted [during the retreat] and every day slowly is being lifted. It’s not completely gone. I asked for prayer [with others] over my body for the first time in my life. The enemy wanted me really foggy and dizzy during the retreat, but [the enemy] didn’t win!” — a participant from Arizona
“I had no idea what to expect coming into this. But was blessed beyond measure! It was wonderful to be in a group of women so profoundly beautiful. I think the beauty to me was in the vulnerability and true desire to be Christ-like. I felt true community even though I’m more of an introvert especially initially.” — a participant from Tennessee
Through laughter and referencing the emotional exhaustion, one participant from California described, “I felt like I had a truck run over me when I got home.”
“I actually was looking forward to getting home. I felt lighter. I have more self-confidence. I’m more vocal. My husband has even said, ‘You’ve said more to me this week than you’ve said in the last five years.’ I can tell a huge difference and it feels good. A friend said, ‘I didn’t even recognize your voice on the phone.’ The change is visible.” — a participant from Texas
“The retreat was A-MAZ-ING! Amazing God. Amazing Time. Adjectives which describe are: Refreshed. Renewed. Restored. Released. Redeemed. Really?! It was hard to accept being served. I’m so used to serving others and pouring into others. I’m always the last one I think about. I felt so much love from the team that I want to come back again as a participant!” –a participant from Ohio
“For me, the retreat was more like a revival. [Upon returning home it’s been] a week of trying to unpack everything and a week of a lot of attack. I thought [when returning home] life would get easier and easier, that I wouldn’t be attacked at all. Yet, I’m realizing the more I want to help people and talk with others about Jesus, the more I’ll get attacked. I thought it would be smooth sailing and it’s not at all. It’s a comforting feeling, that I know that something is changing in me. I covet your prayers.” — a participant from Missouri
“It’s amazing what God can do in a weekend!”
Spring Retreat 2024:
Save the date of April 3-7, 2024, in Kingston, TN!
October 2022 Retreat
Thoughts from Toni, lead intercessor: “The October retreat was covered in prayer from beginning to end. Several days before the retreat the team was given the names of their “buddies.” Prior to the retreat each participant was contacted by their buddy and prayed for specific to the needs of the moment. When the team arrived at the retreat site they armored up as God instructs His people to do in Ephesians 6
. . . and they walked the property praying, beginning at the entrance and making their way to every bedroom (participant and team member). Intercessors were assigned the job of praying throughout every session and for every session leader. At this retreat the LORD gave the intercessor team Ezekiel 36 as a foundational prayer.
As each session led the participants deeper and deeper into the River of Life, the team prayed. Chains were broken, freedom was restored, healing took place.”
March 2022 Retreat
Anyone who’s ever served on a Redeemed Hope Retreat will say that, whether it’s their first retreat or seventh. Every retreat is the same, at least in one aspect. If Jesus doesn’t show up we’re toast. And yet every retreat has a different feel or theme, if you will. This retreat was spiritually hard to prep for. The story of Gideon was referred to often. There were 12 participants with hard stories and we felt lacking as a team in numbers. Even so, over the coming weeks God would continue to dwindle our team. The participants were locked in. Plane tickets were purchased. We were moving forward.
Redeemed Hope is a retreat for which no one wants to qualify. So many women come in skeptical but desperate for healing. So many have spent untold hours and dollars in counseling and still find themselves with gaping wounds and questions. So again here we are, a Gideon-esque team, that is aware we are toast without Jesus. Because, the truth is, there is no counsel that can fix these pains in a weekend. Maybe even a lifetime. But God.
Isaiah 61 has always been a lighthouse for the Redeemed Hope Team and participants but this weekend the scripture was particularly highlighted. The power of the “instead “. Jesus reminded us that his own calling would be fulfilled in this scripture as he quoted it himself in synagogue over 2000 years ago. As we walked out our calling as “little Christ’s” we were called to release the captives so they could receive from God the great insteads:
Beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of spirit of despair, a double portion instead of shame, a joyful inheritance instead of disgrace.
Our calling as priests and servants was to walk our sisters down a path towards these “insteads”. We did so by walking them into the light and sharing our stories, by praising and worshiping God, by acknowledging hard truths, through grieving and tears, through spiritual housecleaning, forgiveness work, breaking unhealthy attachments, through celebration and testimonies, through laughter, rollicking laughter, and a whole lot of scripture and prayer.
When Jesus honored our meager offering of a few fish and loaves he multiplied our efforts beyond what we thought would be possible! He does it every time! Countenances were changed, hope was given, perspectives were shifted from worldly to godly, soul weights were lifted, some people shared their stories or aspects of their stories for the very first time because they felt safe, friendships were made, worship was restored and godly tools and weapons were given to each participant to take back into their world. Our weapons are not of this world as scripture tells us. Of the many spiritual weapons God can give us there were several that were highlighted this weekend: The word of God, joy, humility, laughter and words of grace.
Lastly, these 12 ladies received reminders of God‘s lavish love over them on Sunday, reminding them that they are beloved, holy, righteous, made clean, redeemed, adorned and bought by the most precious gift ever given -Christ’s own Blood – which sealed these truths and the work that was done.
A quote from Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien is so fitting for this retreat, “ I wish it need not happened in my time. “Said Frodo. “So do I,” Said Gandalf “ And so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time given us. “ And that is where the journey for these ladies continues. They look forward with Hope and the knowledge that Jesus can “make everything beautiful in its time”, as they surrender it to Him.