On Mother’s Day we had a beautiful celebration with the ladies here at Onehope. The tables were decorated not only with flowers but laughter, joy and memories that will be cherished long after they leave here. Both mothers in our care deeply love their children and have been shaped and strengthened by the Lord through their journeys. He continues to teach and guide them as they learn to steward and raise their children as godly women.
May is for mothers, and we have had a wonderful time celebrating the Moms at Onehope Refuge.
Did you know that 85% of women drawn into the horrors of trafficking experienced trauma as children? That trauma can take many forms—sexual abuse, neglect in a single-parent home, exposure to addiction, unaddressed mental illness, or parents carrying unhealed trauma of their own. Whatever the circumstance, the result is the same: the absence of the nurture, provision, and love God intended for His children.
At its root, all brokenness traces back to our rebellion against the King, the Almighty God. We live in a fallen world, and the effects are real—especially in the lives of the women we serve.
At Onehope Refuge, we see daily the struggles our moms face—the deep difficulty of parenting in a healthy way when they themselves were not parented in a healthy way. Then comes May… and Mother’s Day. For many, it brings an internal conflict: the wounded child within and the adult who is now trying to do right by her own child—often without the tools to do so.
Parents with unhealed trauma often experience patterns like inconsistent, reactive, or emotionally distant parenting. Normal childhood behaviors—crying, tantrums, clinginess—can trigger deep, unresolved wounds. This can lead to:
- Emotional dysregulation and outbursts
- Difficulty forming secure attachments
- Overly permissive or overly harsh parenting
- Confusion in the parent-child role
Just this week, while driving home from an appointment, one of our mothers became so overwhelmed that she screamed, “I’m going to jump out of this car,” while her child screamed in the back seat.
What do we do in that moment? Do we yell and demand that she “get it together” because she’s the parent?
No.
We begin to pray over her. We speak softly. We help her breathe. We help her become regulated so she can, in turn, care for her child.
Maybe as a mom reading this, you think, I’ve felt that way before—that’s not a big deal. And you’re right—feeling overwhelmed from time to time is part of motherhood. But there is a profound difference between a fleeting moment and living in that heightened state every single day while trying to parent alone and heal from deep trauma.
This is why Onehope Refuge matters.
We step into the gap so our moms can heal while still caring for their children—so that their children do NOT repeat the same cycles of neglect and brokenness.
This is the work of breaking generational cycles of trauma and sin—one day at a time.
We teach the Word of God, trusting that it does not return void. We walk alongside these women through counseling and through practical life skills—budgeting, managing a home, keeping a calendar, and more. And we watch the Lord transform lives.
Oh, how grateful we are to serve a God who is sovereign, omnipotent, gracious, and kind. By His wounds, we are healed.
This Mother’s Day, we celebrated our moms in tangible ways:
- Flowers provided by the Tucker Life Group from Providence Church
- A beautified garden provided by Exchange Church
- Landscaping made-over by Providence Church
- A special brunch to honor our Moms from all of our defendHERS!
These women—these mothers—have incredible courage. They want something different for their children. They have chosen what is good. They have sought the Lord—and they are finding Him.
Praise be to God for His unfailing love, poured out on these women and children through the work of Onehope Refuge.
May He alone receive all the glory and honor.
Providence Church sent a group to serve us by doing landscaping around the property, eager to help and willing to get a little dirty, even as it rained that day. Exchange Church also sent a group to serve us by doing landscaping of the garden on a hot sunny day. They were true servants of the Lord and we could not have been more blessed by the crews that came. Not a single complaint was made, only smiles and hardworking hands. We are so thankful for Providence Church and Exchange Church and for their willingness to serve our families and support our ministry.
To Him be the glory,
Jill Kearney
Founder | Executive Director
jill@onehoperefuge.org | www.onehoperefuge.org