I’ve worked for Hope Ministries for more than 11 years. I’ve celebrated many milestones of life transformation, and I’ve shared in the pain when we learn a former client is struggling with relapse, loss of employment or other struggles. My role is administrative, though, so I mostly interact with the people we serve through limited conversations and interview sessions, or through stories shared by our front-line staff.

These past few months, however, I was blessed with a meaningful “summer camp” experience that reinvigorated my belief in our mission: To rescue those who are homeless, hungry, abused or addicted, providing opportunities for hope, recovery and restoration through the love of Jesus Christ.

Our administrative office staff relocated temporarily to our Hope Ministries Center for Women and Children for more than two months, while some needed renovations were made to our office. For some of our team, that meant bunking up three and four to a room with their computers and essential supplies to continue our work.

I was blessed to be able to use an office space located just outside our children and youth center and right along the hallway to our café. As a result of this prime real estate, I had a front-row window to see lots of activity with the women and children served by Hope Ministries every day. And it impacted me…even more than I would’ve anticipated.

I saw women lugging their belongings in suitcases and trash bags from the bus stop to our main entry, no doubt relieved they were finally landing in a safe space. I saw women who were so committed to their life recovery journey that they would deliver their children back and forth to our children’s center multiple times a day so they could attend classes in between mom duty. Women who’d stop by to ask me for help with the lift because they had limited mobility, or who shared a specific struggle during our brief hallway conversations so I could pray with them. Women who humbly and cheerfully devoted countless hours to helping keep our 50,000-square-foot building clean, especially when our facilities team was short-staffed due to injury. Women who’ve endured unspeakable trauma, yet they’re committed to building a better life for themselves and their children.

I had conversations with women who were eagerly anticipating getting their housing lined up as they prepared to complete our life recovery program, and women who were brand new to staying in our shelter.