My guest is a Columbian American who grew up in New York City and shares how being abused as a child set her on a path of shame and later sex addiction. She suffered years of mental and physical abuse at the hands of her husband and lived a very isolated life away from family and friends as he controlled every aspect of her life. There was a part of her that believed she could change him.

Then one night he beat her so bad she thought he would kill her. The next morning he told her it would be best to get a divorce and he went to local cafe with their daughter to wait for her. When Andrea arrived at the cafe her husband and daughter were nowhere to be found. In that moment she feared she would never see her daughter again.

But God intervened as he used the New York Police Department to help bring her daughter back safe and sound. As he was hauled away in handcuffs and taken to jail she knew this was her only chance to leave him. With the help from her family and $50 dollars to her name she left NY to start a new life in Florida. 

Today Andrea and her daughter are thriving and finally living a life of freedom. She is on a mission to help other woman overcome domestic abuse by telling her story. She also partners with incredible organizations around the world to bring awareness and hope to victims of sexual and physical abuse.

For more information on support groups please connect with Andrea Rojas:

Instagram @aphrodite_inc

My guest shares how at just 3 years old she was taken from her home in Mexico and was put up for adoption. For many years she suffered from sexual, physical and emotional abuse. She turned to alcohol to escape the pain and looked for love in all the wrong places.

At 18 she had her first intimate encounter and soon after found out she was pregnant. Crippled with fear and pressure from those around her she made the heart wrenching decision to terminate her pregnancy. For years she lived will the guilt and shame of her decision to have an abortion.

Tune is as she shares how God helped her to forgive herself, overcome years of pain and find true healing! 

Today she is the Founder of Create In Her, a non for profit that  serves woman who have faced very difficult challenges where they can find community, sisterhood and support. Reyna is the author of Dear Daughter, Live Abundantly Free and Women's Sermon Notes Journal sold on Amazon. 

Reyna's most important roles are those of wife, mother and forgiven daughter of God.

Connect with her on IG:

My guest shares the frightening journey of how at just 8 years old she and her little sisters were forced to leave Honduras and cross the border via a coyote from Mexico into the states.

She believed she would finally be able to be with her family and live the American dream, but that was just the beginning of her painful journey. She and her sisters experienced verbal and physical abuse from their family and were later put into the foster care system where they were mistreated and separated.  

Later she became a teen mom and was in an abusive relationship with her sons father. Then one day she gets a call and was told her sons father was murdered. It was in the days that followed, God intervened and opened the door to a new foster care home. It was there she finally found true love and acceptance by her foster mom. She says "the greatest gift Ms. Wendy gave me, was sharing the love of Christ."

Today at just 20 years old she is a single mom of 2 small children who dreams of buying her own home and opening a daycare so she can support other struggling moms who are fighting every day to give their kids a better life.

Listen to her foster moms episode which aired on 6/6/22 - The journey of a foster parent - PART 2 with Wendy Anleu.

Also listen to PART 1- 9/21/20 - How one night changed her life forever - Wendy Anleu

In Sept 2020 my guests first shared her story of strength as she overcame several traumatic experiences. As she began to heal God had been pressing her to become a foster parent. 

In 2021 she left her job, home and financial stability to pursue her life's calling and become a certified foster parent. 

Today she is fostering 7 children whom she loves as her very own and is trusting Gods plan to use her to continue to provide a safe and loving home to any child in need.

Tune in to Part 1 of her story - 9/21/20 - How one night changed her life forever.

Also tune in to her foster daughters story - 6/13/22 - How a single mom held on to HOPE in the midst of pain - Mercy Castro

Connect with Wendy at [email protected]@gmail.com

Bewindi Bobb was born in St. Lucia and came to the US in search of the American dream. Early on she knew she wanted to help and serve people but was fighting her calling. She eventually found her purpose and decided to become a licensed clinical social worker.  

Little did she know that an amazing job opportunity would later turn into the most difficult experience of her professional career. It was her faith the allowed her to overcome. It was that difficult experience the led her to start her own business and today she is the Founder/CEO of Against All Odds Professional Counseling Services where she proudly serves those who are struggling, who have been rejected and discarded to walk in freedom.  Bewindi is also a published author and Podcast Host of "Empowered to Empower You Podcast." 

Connect with Bewindi Bobb:

Instagram @empowered2serve 

Website: www.bewindi.com and www.aaopcs.net

You can find her books on Amazon!

My guest shares how she grew up in a loving and supportive family in Yonkers, New York. Then at age 15 she fell in love and left home to start a new life. Little did she know that the next 5 years of her life she would be living a life of physical and verbal abuse.

Until one day she decided she had enough and found the courage to leave to give her girls a better life. Today she is happily married and a certified life coach who serves woman that have been impacted by domestic abuse.

Connect with her at:

How the 2020 pandemic inspired two women from different parts of the world to each start a podcast in midst of chaos and loss around the world.

Two complete strangers from different parts of the world who connected over social media with different perspectives and beliefs both on a mission to bring encouragement and hope to the world.  My friend Sana believes you can overcome any obstacle in life if you just flex your COURAGE muscle. Tune in to this inspiring conversation.

From Chicago, IL-USA - Tune in to Courageous Podcast with Madeline Hernandez on Podbean, Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music/Echo and Alexa.

From Perth, Australia - Tune in to Courage Unravelled with Sana Turnock on Apple Podcast.

Connect with Sana on FB: @joyful living and Instagram: @courageunravelled; Website - www.courageunravelled.com

My guest shares how losing two important people in her life set her on a path to destruction. She was an active gang member and drug dealer who was 100% committed to the street life. Then as she was starting to turn her life around her past caught up with her and she ending up on trial and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

She says it was the unrelenting love and prayers of her mother that kept her safe and got her through the hardest moments in her life. Today she is grateful to God and her mother for never giving up on her.

Today Eroica is a college graduate, speaker and Trauma Response Specialist who serves her community and provides all the resources available to help, support and encourage others impacted by the street life.

Connect with her on Instagram:

My guest Ria was born and raised in Alabama. Like many, she faced great adversity very early in life. Ria was sexually abused by her father from age 12 to 19, forced to play the role of his wife and even shared with other men. 

Desperate to escape she left home at 19 without a job, a car or a high school diploma. It was her now husband, who she has been with for over 20 years who gave her the confidence and courage to leave home and start a new life.

Ria says "God doesn't cause the pain in our lives, but he can use it to help others overcome their own adversities."

Today, Ria is a motivational leadership speaker, certified trainer, TEDx speaker, and author of 13 books. Ria also founded Fearfully and Wonderfully Me, empowering women to become the leaders they are destined to be. 

YOU CAN FIND HER ON:

My guest first shared her story on Courageous back in May of 2020 where she shared how childhood trauma and unprocessed pain negatively impacted her life. For years she struggled in silence with crippling fear and nightmares due to her past trauma. Then one day she decided it was time to seek help and find true healing. 

For years God had been pressing upon her to share her story and even write a book to help others who were suffering from the same pain.

Brenda has been a certified speaker, coach and trainer with the John Maxwell Team since 2018. Today she is the author of "Do Not Conform" Transformation Awaits - A Guide to Healing and Thriving. This book is a roadmap of new possibilities and a life-changing perspective of the infinite powers that we possess within to overcome. The details of Brenda's life are a testament to GOD, who created you and has a perfect plan for your life.

You can find her at www.brendacertifiedcoach.com 

You can purchase her book on AMAZON