Jasmine's Story of Hope

In 2022, I was given the gift of motherhood. Toa's father, Mavi, and I were in recovery and living in transitional housing. 

When I was four months pregnant, Mavi unexpectedly passed away, and I was devastated. 

I was carrying Toa and the grief of losing Mavi while not knowing what our futures held. I was struggling emotionally, and I went into survival mode.

Life seemed unfair, and I did not know how I was going to provide for Toa or myself alone.

I lost my job, my insurance, and my benefits after not communicating with HR that my attendance issues were due to hardships much bigger than morning sickness. 

Jobless, and a participant at the Bybee Lakes Hope Center, a re-entry program, I reached out to their director, who gave me a job.

I went from a bunk space to a room – a haven while grieving and feeling every symptom in the book of pregnancy. 

Toa was healthy, I was employed, and I had shelter. However, I wanted a family-oriented environment to welcome Toa into the world. 

Where was Toa going to land?

I feared bringing him into a shelter, or a home, where domestic violence, drinking, unhealthy relationships, or sketchy things could leave us homeless. 

I worked Door Dash, Grubhub, Uber Eats, a restaurant, and the shelter for a while – every attempt to gather money. Something was missing.

I searched high and low for the right place, the right person, the right situation – and it wasn't until in the dawn hours of the morning it came to me – I have been putting my trust in all the wrong places. 

I realized I needed to fix my eyes on God, and the answers would come. I started searching the internet and came across a resource page for maternity homes. Little did I know this was the breadcrumb that would lead me to Road 2 Hope Maternity Homes – a Christian maternity home that welcomed me with open arms. 

"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." – Philippians 4:13

After two days of asking and praying with a new perspective on how I would discover what to do and God answered through the voice of Amber. She was the first staff member I spoke with and the first sister I met in my new Road 2 Hope family. Amber scheduled an interview with the program manager. This was when I met Alayna, the house mom and a firecracker of a believer that showed me all things are possible with God.

Why did God send me here?

I had so many questions. Thankfully, Frank, the house dad, was there ready with Bible in hand to answer questions about Christ and His higher calling for our lives. These Bible lessons, the Gospels, and the beautiful show Chosen gave me new insights into the way of Jesus and His path for me.

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." – Psalm 42 1-2a

Road 2 Hope taught me to live again. 

Just weeks before Toa’s arrival, I remember the moment of surrender. I was alone in the house when it hit me, and I dropped to my knees, crying in gratitude and acceptance. 

Road 2 Hope was the first safe place I felt okay to truly grieve. I let it all out in that moment with God and the sound of Disney’s Cars playing for the zillionth time in the background. 

The sisterhood I found at Road 2 Hope helped me transform my grief for the life I had lost into a celebration of my son – a new life. 

My life changed forever on November 5th, 2022, when Toa arrived safe and sound at 6 pounds 13 ounces and 21 inches long. The day I went into labor was my final day in becoming certified as a Peer Support Specialist! I had to log in from the hospital bed while in labor to let my teacher know I would not make it to my final exam. He thankfully provided me with a much-needed extension. 

Sleep-deprived and elated, I arrived back at Road 2 Hope, where we were welcomed home. Day in and day out, members of our community presented God’s love, offering rest through care and much-needed support, showing me everything was going to be okay. I mustered the strength to complete my final. I am now proud to report I am a certified Peer Support Specialist.

Toa was safe, I was safe, and we were well. With this and the help of the staff at Road 2 Hope, I began dreaming again. What’s next, I wondered? I dreamed of returning to university, living on campus, and graduating before Toa enters kindergarten. This dream quickly became a reality when Alayna challenged me to enroll in classes, and I was accepted at both PCC and PSU, where God granted me with a Transfers Finish Free Scholarship, a full-ride scholarship, and a housing grant through NARA.

If there was ever a time God was asking me to trust and have faith, it was now. It was bittersweet to graduate from the Road 2 Hope program. We had received the help, found hope, and now had housing of our own.

Today, I am happy to report my first term is over, and I did great! I am on track with 79 credits completed towards a bachelor[ette]’s degree and a desire to serve the community that has been here for it all. 

My goal is to take every opportunity I have been given, share stories of hope, and lift others going through their own struggles – as Jesus did. 

Toa and I will forever give praise and thanks for this place, and he will know the community that brought him lovingly into a world of opportunity and hope. Thank you, guys, so much.

Thank you to the volunteers who have given me peace of mind, the church leaders who plowed the driveway in the middle of a storm, the director and the Road 2 Hope leadership team that is always advocating for our well-being, and the sisterhood of women that taught me being a mom is the art of believing and being myself.

I know Mavi and God planned this for Toa, and I am forever grateful for our Road 2 Hope family. 

Meet the Team – Audrey

Audrey is a Resident Assistant at Road 2 Hope, a hardworking single mom, a Road 2 Hope graduate, and a woman dedicated to her Kingdom work. She is a shining example of what life can look like when we dedicate ourselves to God’s plan for our lives.

Tell us about yourself

God is my living breath, my Father, my Friend, my Teacher, and my number one Supporter. He is always right there with me when I need Him, continuing to teach me self-discipline and grace along my journey from client to staff here at Road 2 Hope.

My relationship with Him has become my grounding place for making hard decisions and, in times of stress, reminding me to be kind to myself and others. I love that He is constantly pruning me into the woman He has created me to be — an image I was given by Him before I was ever born.

I am like a tiny baby tree He is nurturing and pruning to one day become a big, bold, and blooming mature cherry tree; this is His plan for my life. I take great joy in freely and unapologetically expressing my faith in my personal and professional life.

I love to support people overcoming huge obstacles. I love it so much that I’ve been able to make it a part of my everyday life, whether that’s time spent with other moms here, at my recovery groups, or with my family and friends overcoming hard things. I just love to celebrate people’s victories with them.

I have always found hope in the limitless potential of humanity, even when things feel hopeless in the ugliest of circumstances. I always look for the good in people. We can always find redemption, rescue, and safety when we cry out to God.

I want to use this gift from God to help people know that they are valued and loved, and that they are worthy of respect and help. The people closest to me describe me as kind, outgoing, responsible, and empathetic.

This season of my life means leaning on God and obeying His calling on my life, being where He needs me to be while still growing as an individual, solidifying the foundations for all the main categories of my ideal adult life, successful parenting, completing my education, and growing in my career and faith.

Right now, I am finishing my associate’s degree at PCC as a Family Human Services Practitioner. Some of my current goals include saving towards buying a house and becoming more involved in ministries in my community.

What has your experience been like at Road2 Hope?

While receiving the help that I needed when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter just over three and a half years ago, a pregnancy that I wasn’t even sure I was going to keep originally, I learned that I love what Road 2 Hope did for me, and for the other moms around me.

I so desperately wanted to give back to others the same gift I received. I do so to show my appreciation to God but also to spread hope to people who believe that they are hopeless and irredeemable, as I once did.

When God opened this door for me to be one of our Resident Assistants, working weekends at Road 2 Hope, I began to realize that not only can I do this, but I am really good at it too.

Road 2 Hope is the family that accepted me with open arms when I felt so utterly alone and lost. I am passionate about our mission to help these moms achieve their goals by advocating for them and providing opportunities for them to learn life skills, all while providing for their basic necessities.

From the unique perspective of having gone through the program as a pregnant mom, I feel truly blessed to serve a new generation of moms here. I would describe Road 2 Hope as one of a kind.

What they do for individuals and the community is so very special. I am honored to be a part of it. We serve mothers of all ethnicities, religions, identities, cultures, and backgrounds, all with the love that Jesus has for all of His children.

Amber's Story of Hope

Amber recently came to our team expressing a desire to share her Story of Hope with you. She wanted to tell how wonderful God is through the miracles she feels He is doing in her life and in the lives of her two beautiful children.

At Road 2 Hope, we strive to provide a place of safety and security where young women can heal and find hope, where pregnant women prepare for their futures, and where they learn to glorify God and embrace the story He is writing in their lives.

Amber saw God at work in her life. She shared, “We reached a point in all the little miracles that God has been doing for my kids and me that this became a story that others needed to hear - our testimony of all that God was, and is, doing in our lives.”

Though hers is a story of God’s loving and compassionate intervention, Amber’s life has seldom been easy. She shared many sensitive, deeply personal, and heartbreaking details.

Although Amber always knew God, her life was traumatic. She was born into poverty in the care of her mother who tried her best but had her own struggles. As a result, Amber essentially raised, not only herself but, two younger siblings.

One of the few bright spots in her life was the beautiful relationship with her wonderful grandmother. She is a bright light in Amber’s life, and the one who initially taught her about God.

When Amber was about two years old, her mother began dating the man who would become her stepfather. They married when Amber was six. This is when years of intense trauma began.

Life went from difficult to horrific. When she was 14, she reported the abuse to someone at her school. This started a chain of events which led to her stepdad being sent to prison. Amber was relieved at the outcome, but the abuse and the long ordeal took its toll. 

For years she had prayed for God to intervene and rescue her. She sunk in and out of waves of depression.

For the next decade, she found herself in and out of three horribly abusive relationships. The only blessing to come out of her second relationship was her amazing son, Oliver, now five years old.

A true nightmare began after she and Oliver met Amber’s third boyfriend. At first things seemed wonderful. They quickly began living together. From Amber’s perspective, he transformed from a seemingly good guy into a monster.

As the nightmare progressed, Amber felt imprisoned. She wanted to get away to protect herself and her son, but she didn’t know how.

The situation became much, much worse. They lost their apartment and spent around three months living out of Amber’s car and various hotels. She and her son were not safe. Amber knew her son needed medical attention. And finally, she was able to get away to get him help. Her precious son had to be hospitalized due to the severity of his physical condition.

The situation was devastating, but his extended hospital stay lead to much needed interventions. DHS and law enforcement stepped in.

Amber truly believes that God was at work from this moment forward. This is when life began to make a big shift. Oliver was taken into DHS custody and placed with a wonderful foster family, and then Amber, who was five months pregnant, was accepted at Road 2 Hope.

There was still a long road ahead, but they were finally on a road to HOPE! But it took time.

She had lost hope and the will to live. Initially, Amber had a plan of her own. She was determined to give birth and arrange for her daughter to go to a safe family. At that time, she believed she would never have her son returned. This broke her heart, and she found herself deeply depressed.

Now, in a safe place, with love and support around her, things began to change. Amber was healing and growing, yet still fragile.

When Joy was born, it sparked a love and a new hope. Amber loved her daughter and desired to spend every moment with her. However, a new crisis hit. DHS came to take two-day-old Joy and place her in foster care.

Later, Amber reflected on how scary the situation was. She said she was thinking, “If they had taken her, I would have left the house that night and just given up. I would have had no reason to try anymore if my newborn daughter had been taken. All I could do was beg God for her to stay. It didn’t matter what they asked of me, I was willing to do anything to keep her with me.”

This is when the Road 2 Hope team stepped in. As staff facing a monumental challenge, we surrounded ourselves with prayer warriors. We needed wisdom and direction from God.

We advocated strongly for Joy to stay with her mother. We had seen how hard Amber had been working on following program guidelines and expectations. We knew she desired to be an excellent mother. It was unthinkable that a loving mother would be separated from her newborn.

Amber cried out to God begging Him not to take her baby from her. Her prayer was answered! DHS and Road 2 Hope agreed to the strictest safety plan our program has ever encountered.

This was the moment Amber accepted God back into her life. Amber is convinced this was a true miracle. After years of feeling distant from God and believing her prayers went unanswered and believing the lie that God didn’t care, Amber knew God heard her and that HE loved her.

Amber complied with DHS and Road 2 Hope every step of the way. She put in the work and became dedicated to meeting all DHS requirements, and last month, Oliver came home. He loves being home with mama and  baby sister as he lovingly calls them.

Amber’s life has completely transformed. She is genuinely happy, loves her life, and cherishes every moment with her children. She reenrolled in college, participated in an internship, is employed at a job she loves, got her driver’s license, saved money, and bought an amazing family car. For the first time, she has a clear vision for her future and is truly thriving.

She rejoiced, “God is the only reason I am alive and that my kids are together. I fought for so long with God. It wasn’t until I came to Him with no other options that He made everything I thought not possible a reality. Every day now, I get to look at my kids and it feels like all the pain we went through is nothing compared to all we have now.”

We praise God for this family and their story of hope, and for all the Lord continues to do in the lives of the mothers, children, and precious babies at Road 2 Hope Maternity Home.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

"Our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was a God-Honoring way for all to come together to pray for the home's opening. The HopeForward House that has been a dream for so long is now a beautiful reality. We thank God for gifting us this amazing opportunity and give Him all the glory!" –Frank Garcia (House Dad)

With 70 people in attendance we gathered as representatives from 10 churches came together to pray over the home and dedicate this NEW space to the Lord. Following the ribbon cutting formal tours of the home were given.

We are thrilled to now be operating two homes and be serving more than ever before.

The Hope Forward House

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all the positive things we have in life. Our mothers were happy to report on their road to hope what they are most thankful for in this season.

Pinky– I’m thankful for being able to have my baby. I thought for a long time I wasn’t able to have kids.

Judy– I am thankful for the love and support I have for this very emotional time in my life.

Ollie– I’m thankful for my baby boy and all the people at Road to Hope.

Ryana– I’m grateful for being blessed with these little angels [her children], they have changed my life around for the better.