Learning to Live Beloved
We provide hope, healing and restoration for survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.
WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS AND THE MISSION OF YOUR BRAND?
My business is called: Learning to Live Beloved Ministries. We are a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to the recovery of human sex trafficking survivors and exploited women. Our mission is to provide hope, healing, and restoration to each of the clients we work with. Our short-term safe house provides a steppingstone in the restorative care process by connecting women to long term rehabilitation facilities where they can receive the respite and care they need to heal and recover from the horrors they have suffered.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START THIS BUSINESS?
In October of 2022, after months of plugging my ears and ignoring the call, I met a survivor of human sex trafficking. God broke my heart for those trapped in modern day slavery through human sex trafficking and exploitation in the sex industry. I began to ask God what I could do to help, and I started exploring the options of how to reach these women in need. God began to open door after door of opportunity for me to learn. I began to discover that there was not only limited knowledge on the subject, but equally limited resources for those exiting the industry. It became very clear God wanted a safe house opened here in Columbia County PA. Since its conception, Learning to Live Beloved Ministries has already been able to help 5 individuals. We are hopeful for so many more lives to be changed and impacted by our ministries’ efforts.
COULD YOU OFFER ONE PIECE OF ADVICE THAT HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN PROPELLING YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD?
Never underestimate the power of prayer. Every step of this journey has been Spirit led and bathed in prayer. If I had to force something or manipulate it, then I knew it wasn’t the right time or from God. God has opened each door, and at just the right time made things happen to elevate His plan and purpose for this ministry and the individuals it was meant to serve.
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU HAD KNOWN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED?
My gut response is, “I wish I had known how hard it would be and how unqualified I would feel”. And yet, had I known that, I never would have taken the leap of faith, with heart pounding and sweaty palms, and picked up the phone and dialed the first number one November afternoon, and started this incredible journey. What I have learned is the road WILL be hard. But hard doesn’t mean we heard wrong, or we are misguided. Fear, difficulty, discouragement, they are all part of living this side of eternity. And if we give up when we face any of those things, we will never be able to experience all the amazing things God has made us for. I now fully believe that each of those often-negative things are put in our path to challenge us to do the opposite of what they demand, to not quit, but keep going even when we are tired. Tired and scared is a part of being human, they are not a reason to give up on what God has called us to. Rather they are an opportunity for God to be seen in us and our faith to grow deeper in Him.
DO YOU HAVE A MANTRA, QUOTE, OR VERESE THAT GUIDES YOU THROUGH CHALLENGING TIMES?
There have been so many verses God has brought to our team this year that have propelled us into the next stage when we were at a place of giving up. The most recent verse was this: Acts. 20:24, “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus–the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” This reminds each of us that the point is not about us. The mission is not the sum total of our bad or good days. And our purpose is not our glory or self-promotion. Instead, it’s the gospel. And the gospel, sharing the love of Jesus with those around us, is at the core of what we do.
HOW DO YOU INTEGRATE YOUR FAITH INTO YOUR BUSINESS?
Our faith is at the core of our ministry. Simply put, without faith, our mission is pointless. Keeping God at the forefront of our ministry has definitely come with its challenges. But we know that letting our light shine brightly will continue to provide blessings far behind what we could hope or imagine, as well as illuminate the way for so many to find freedom and a new name in Jesus - Beloved.
We love this ministry, how it is providing hope, healing, and restoration.
Visit the links below to learn more about how you can support this initiative.