Then one of our incredible volunteers at GateWay gave me what I had so wanted for so long – a box of 64 Crayolas with the sharpener on the back. Also tucked into my Christmas sack was a unique coloring book with special tabs that lift to help reveal the entire picture.

Okay, I know I’m way past grade school – even high school – okay, even post graduate school. But that box of 64 with the sharpener on the back was the icing on my Christmas cookies. Not only did our volunteer present the perfect gift, but she confirmed the truth of the power of play.

Especially in our stress-filled lives, we need to recognize once again the gorgeous joy of play. During Christmas, I watched my great-niece busy at the work that toddlers do best – they play. She moved from one toy to the next, testing the shapes and licking the colors until she knew exactly how to make them work for her – to experience the height of joy in play. I wanted to be a toddler again, to forget the traumas of my childhood and the stresses of growing up and the financial burdens of today.

Then I realized – I can indeed be that young again. I pack up my coloring book and my new box of 64 with the sharpener on the back and drive to a quiet coffee shop where I play. For an hour, I find joy in being creative. I forget the rest of the world and all the other stress-filled people while I choose a picture to color. During that hour, I tap in to that young girl in pigtails who loved running around the farm and saw Jesus in every change of the seasons. As I choose a vibrant color from so many to outline my picture, I remember how God outlines me in His book of life. Then I pick a shading color to provide texture and movement on the page. I praise God for the many ways He shades my life with His compassion and provision and joy. When I am finished and pack up my box of 64 with the sharpener on the back, I know the fulfillment of an hour spent with myself and my Lord.

Then once again, I ask God to bless that GateWay volunteer who gave from her generous heart and reminded me of the power of play.  

Some of these women have found hope and encouragement through a new viewpoint of themselves. They’ve learned more about nutrition and the various ways their bodies react to food. They’ve encouraged each other through the dark clouds of depression and found kindred spirits in the struggle to cope with daily life.

Some of these 125 women are fighting against the ravages of their husbands’ sexual addictions. These women have been reminded that their opinions count and they aren’t going crazy just because their husbands have a problem. They know how to live in freedom and how to set the important boundaries. Some of these marriages are being saved while these strong women learn the importance of confrontation and their own significance.

Another group of women are letting Christ peel back the layers of memory and meet them at their places of deepest pain. These women experience emotional healing prayer and learn how much they are loved by Almighty God. Release, freedom and relief are some of the benefits.

Our counselors have listened and commented, leading women to face their struggles and find workable solutions to move forward in life. We have seen incredible healing and transformation as women find the safety of GateWay as a catalyst for their deepest secrets.

Women who are Unemployed have found a support group that encourages them, helps them network and shares valuable job tips. They meet to pray together and to strengthen each other in their resolve to find that special job where God wants them to serve.

Another group of women encourage each other as they pray for their adult children. They’ve seen some miracles happen, and they’ve been able to commit their children once again to the Father who holds them in the palm of his hand.

125 women – an incredible representation of what God is doing at GateWay. Through counseling, prayer and groups; women are finding the impetus to enter a new year with hope.

Here at GateWay of Hope Ministries, we often refer to our retreats as a 2-hour permission to rest. This type of rest or retreat is a time to step back from all the stresses of life, to find our genuine selves and to embrace truth. It’s a time of remembering who we are in Christ and feeling encircled by the compassion and acceptance of other women.

One definition of rest is “A state of unthreatened well-being.” We work hard at GateWay so that every woman who comes for counseling, groups, prayer or retreats feels completely safe and unthreatened. Confidentiality is one of our main principles, and we make certain that our women feel safe within relationship. Our group leaders are trained to respect that safety and employ relationship-building techniques within groups. Keeping women in that state of rest includes the peace of Christ, the safety of relationships and the well-being that comes when we defeat lies with the truth.

The Psalmist encourages us to return to rest and to focus on how the Lord deals bountifully with us. We invite you to GateWay to discover the well-being that flows from true rest.

Cassandra came to us as a woman in trauma – severe abuse had colored her opinion of herself and mocked her trust in God. Through counseling, Cassandra became aware of the horrific lies she had been told. The truth of God’s love for her slowly helped her realize she didn’t have to live in the shadows or believe voices of condemnation. She could learn to accept herself as a much-beloved child of God.

As Cassandra began to trust again, she joined some of our support groups and classes. She learned to relate to other women and to receive their acceptance. She pondered the connection between body, mind and spirit while letting God sow the seeds of encouragement into her grieving soul. The women of GateWay encouraged Cassandra and welcomed her into their hearts. She continued meeting with her counselor and applied the group topics to her life.

Then Cassandra began to give back. She attended our volunteer training program and offered her skills and talents to help us with the many GateWay tasks. Although living on a tight budget and dealing with family crises, Cassandra managed to financially encourage GateWay with a monthly check. She told other women about the services that GateWay offers and helped us with a grant application. Even as she continued in counseling and groups, Cassandra found a way to keep the cycle going – to receive and to give.

At GateWay of Hope, we help restore women, equip and empower women to give back to their world. Cassandra is a perfect example of GateWay’s vision – to see women become all that God created them to be.

At GateWay, we often see women who are just tired of all the battles. They’ve been beaten down by life and traumatized by experiences they never imagined would knock at their doors. They’ve been shocked by how the addictions of their loved ones personally affected them and the family unit. They’ve tried to hide behind their woundings so that no one could see how much they’ve been hurt.

But when they face the truth and become aware of the damage that’s been done, they begin to step forward and pray with David, “Awake my glory, my inner self.” As these women journal their thoughts or enter into emotional healing prayer or join one of our groups or set up appointments for counseling or experience one of our retreats – they begin to discover the inner self, the women God created them to be.

All of us need an occasional wake-up call. When our souls awake, then we begin to slough off the junk that has kept us from being genuine. The walls we have built around ourselves begin to come down, and we experience our own Jericho earthquakes. As we wake to the women God created us to be, we are empowered to reach out to our world and thus, glorify God.

Then we can echo David’s words in Psalm 57:9 as we “…Give thanks to Thee, O Lord, among the peoples.”

But that’s a lie.

While Jamie endured the sexual abuse, her perpetrator whispered, “It’s your fault. You’re so pretty, you lured me into this.” The guilt and shame traveled with Jamie all her life. But it was a lie. It was the abuser’s sin and his weakness. It was not Jamie’s fault.

Marcy’s mother-in-law blamed her for the miscarriage of her grandchild. “It’s all your fault, Marcy. If you hadn’t been so active and exercised every day, you would have kept that baby.” Marcy grieved her unborn child and believed her mother-in-law’s words. But they represented a lie. The miscarriage was not Marcy’s fault.

Throughout the early years of married life, Sandy listened to the rage of her husband. “You burned supper again,” he screamed as he beat her. “You can’t do anything right. It’s all your fault.” Sandy believed the lies as her husband destroyed her self-respect and scarred her body. But everything he said was a lie. Real men don’t beat their wives nor do they verbally abuse them. It was not Sandy’s fault.

Jesus reminded us that “the true makes us free” (John 8:32). Of all the religious leaders in history, Jesus was the one who respected, admired and cherished women. He spoke kindly to women, he included them on his ministry team and he healed them.

Jesus knows it is not our fault.

When we begin to understand that feminine strength is a brave, godly strength – we are not afraid anymore. When God has transformed our hearts, we no longer have to be afraid to offer our feminine hearts to others. When our feminine hearts are strengthened by God, we become bold, with nothing held back as we fight God’s battles for the broken around us, as we help others find their feminine beauty and the feminine strength that only God can give.”

from In the Wildflowers by Julie Woodley (workbook for GateWay’s Women Restored group)

Our Women Restored group begins Monday, September 12, 6-8pm. The registration process involves an interview and the completion of several forms. NOTE: participants must be engaged with a mental health professional. To register, call 913.393.GATE (4283) or contact rebecca.gwhope@att.net.

Statistics remind us that one in every 3-4 girls are sexually abused. This abuse can be in many forms; i.e. sexual contact, repeated use of sexual language, exposure to pornography, inappropriate attention directed toward the body, boundary violations, etc. It can happen in infancy, childhood or any time during a woman’s life – including the rape of the elderly.

At GateWay of Hope Ministries, we understand the trauma of sexual abuse and how it can taint a woman’s life. We are here to help, to offer hope and encouragement and to gently usher women toward restoration.

On Monday, September 12th, we will begin a new group called Women Restored. Using materials from Restoring the Heart Ministries, GateWay will provide a safe place to face what was done to us and find the healing offered through Christ. If you’re interested in finding out more, contact Rebecca at 913.393.GATE (4283).

What are some of the ways to volunteer at GateWay of Hope? As an ambassador to a local church, as IT support, as part of the prayer team, as a group facilitator, as one of the cleaning team, as the hostess for a house party – the possibilities are as varied as the giftings of women.

What is the role of the volunteer? To serve the women who come to us. To emulate the model of Jesus and the heart of a servant. To answer the call and be accountable to God. To join us on this journey of spiritual growth. To promote the ministries of GateWay and serve as part of an incredible team of women.

Perhaps you would like to become a volunteer. If so, call us at 913.393.GATE (4283).
We’d love to meet you.

Come to our Open House on May 25th, 4-8 p.m. and bring 5 friends.

One of the best ways to find out more about an organization is to visit its home. During our Birthday Celebration, many of our volunteers will be stationed throughout the various rooms. They can answer your questions about GateWay and let you know what types of things they are doing to help us provide hope and encouragement to women.

The staff and board members will be available to visit with you and introduce you to some of the features of our work. We’ll have door prizes, some luscious food and drinks, displays and materials for you to look at. We’ll also take you on a tour of our expanded facility so that you can see where women come for counseling, for groups and for retreats.
You’ll see some rooms that are decorated in a classic, more traditional theme. Our waiting room is one example of a comfortable yet stylish motif. Our Gathering Place is cozy and welcoming while our entry way pops with deep purples and blues. Another room has a garden theme with ivy flowing out of a bird cage while a counseling office has two of the most beautiful wing-tip chairs you’ll ever see.

Why do we go to so much trouble to make GateWay a beautiful and comfortable environment? Because we want each woman who enters to know how valuable she is to us and to the kingdom of God. Because we want to provide an environment of peace. Because all of us associated with GateWay care about the restoration and empowerment of these precious women.

Come help us celebrate!