Jennifers 9 Month Graduation

Emilys Three Months

God has made a way for me to

believe again. I just wanted to
die. My journey is far from over.
Two years and four months is
only the beginning of my walk
with the Lord. There are still
some hard times but now I know
I have the most important
Jennifer
person in the world on my side,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He loves me and wants to help
me. I love Him too and want to please Him. ~ Jennifer

God has done a miracle in my life. I was

one of those Christians that went to
church but didnt practice my faith on a
daily basis. God broke and shattered me
in a million pieces when an affair and a
manic episode ended my marriage. I was
suicidal everyday for two years. My depression was so severe I couldnt work,
Emily
get out of bed or take care of my kids.
Today, God has restored me! The way He broke me
wasnt easy but it was in His plan. I am functioning,
going back to work, communicating with my friends
and family and enjoying every second of life. I am
blessed to be broken! I love the Lord. I plan on doing
devotions with my children, finding a new church and
getting connected in a small group. I am in the process
of Interviewing for a great job with excellent pay. I owe
it all to God! ~ Emily

Leadership Conference
August 7th - 13th

September 2016

GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH,

AN EVER-PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE.
PS 46:1

Relearning
Dear Friends and family,
You know whats so exciting about the first day of school?
The newness of it all. The fortunate ones have a completely
new outfit, the latest fashionable sneakers, a rugged new
backpack full of freshly sharpened pencils and
untattered notebooks. They possess the confident swagger
of a preteen making the jump from elementary to middle
school; to new classrooms with new teachers. Perhaps as a
student you even dealt with the gut twisting apprehension
of a new school.
Life is dizzying that first week or two at the start of a new
school year. So many different things to learn and investigate. There is that shadow of your normal life outside of
school underlying all the activity and
attraction found inside the hallowed
halls of learning. You walk a line
between who you are at home and
the person you portray at school.

Shopping for Jesus!

Did you know that shopping on AmazonSmile.com
can support the Womens Refuge?
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to
support the Womens Refuge every time you shop, at no
cost to you! When you shop at smile.amazon.com, youll
find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added
bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase
price to the Womens Refuge. Its as easy as a click of the
button so get started today!

It was an incredible week!

We came together to hear what God was ready to teach
these five women about starting a ministry. They were
eager to learn the many facets involved with a residential
Christian program based on the model of the Womens
Refuge. Over 20 sessions were taught by the staff, covering support groups, house management and leadership
roles. We know God will bring abundance from this!

If you have an Amazon account, type smile.amazon.com in

your internet search bar.
A Welcome to Amazon Smile box will pop up
On the right bottom of the box under Or pick your own
charitable organization type Womens Refuge of Vero
Beach and click the Search box
Under Results click the Select box
Click the box next to I understand that I must start from
smile.amazon.com for my charity to receive donations
Save to your favorites bar and every time you shop on
Amazon you will be supporting the Womens Refuge!
Now that will bring a smile to your face!

We can easily draw a parallel to our

new Christian walk. What a new life I
experienced the day I decided to open
up my heart to Jesus Christ and put
my trust in Him. Its a day Ill never forget. I remember the
freshness of my new life as the world of the Bible unfolded
before me. I eagerly listened to Bible teachers as they
taught me how I could apply the truths of the lessons found
in Gods word to my everyday life. This 2000-year-old book,
the Bible, could actually help me in this 21st century world
with finding happiness, hope, and healing. I had this new
enthusiasm inside of me, as if I was experiencing life for the
first time. It was exciting, interesting and new.
In time though, the newness of school begins to wear off.
The days in study halls grow longer and more tedious. Our
zest for learning new things begins to lose its appeal. We
become lazy and dull in our endeavors, giving a half-hearted
effort to pass the required tests for our higher education.

Isnt that a familiar pattern we find when our enthusiasm for

spiritual things grows dull? Our fervor for the Lord and His
word becomes something of a chore, something that seems
required of us as Christians. We find less and less time to
devote to our spiritual walk and ultimately find ourselves
failing in life and our relationship with Jesus.
Isaiah 29:13 . . .so the Lord says, These people say they are
mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far
from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made
rules learned by rote.
What can refresh our hearts? What will give us that zeal to
hear and learn more about Gods word? Refreshment can
come in the opportunity to pour into
others. Proverbs 11:25 . . . those who
refresh others will themselves be refreshed. Our recent 2016 Leadership
Conference gave our staff the blessing
of pouring our knowledge, lessons
learned and experience into five willing
students. While these women were refreshed and invigorated by Gods word
and the teachings we provided, it was our hearts that were
filled; our spirits that were buoyed and our lives that were
renewed with the joy of learning and teaching. It was an
honor to share with eager pupils the life lessons each of us
at the Womens Refuge have gathered and learned over the
years. There was a newness born out of our labor which inspires us to continue on this journey, counseling and renewing lives with the power of Gods word.
Romans 12:12 Dont copy the behavior and
customs of this world, but let God transform
you into a new person by changing the way
you think. Then you will learn to know Gods
will for you, which is good and pleasing and
perfect. ~ Diane Ludwig, Director of Admin.
Continuing to learn.

18th Annual FUNDRAISING GOLF TOURNAMENT

at Orchid Island Golf Club

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1 8:30AM

MENS, WOMENS & MIXED FLIGHTS

$125.00/ Person ($50.00 tax deductible) $475.00/Foursome

Includes breakfast, greens fee, golf cart, goody bag, and clubhouse lunch

$225.00 Tee Sponsorship

$650.00 Tee Sponsorship and Foursome

Donate a raffle prize or a gift bag item

or
ow f
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e
st
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Regi
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Proceeds support Womens Refuge of Vero Beach ~ A 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian ministry for
women and their families providing healing and wholeness through biblical means since 1997

772.770.4424 www.womensrefugevb.org
Registration

Entry Form

Please detach and return with payment to :Womens Refuge PO Box 1484, Vero Beach, FL 32961 or pay by phone 772-770-4424

Check all that apply: I want to Participate $125 I want to Donate Tee Sponsor $225
Foursome $475

Tee Sponsor/Foursome $650

Name __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________________

Address _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Contact person & phone____________________________________________________________________ Business Name ___________________________________________
Foursome:
1) Name ________________________________________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________________________________
2) Name ________________________________________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________________________________
3) Name ________________________________________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________________________________

Mary Kathryn, one of our two

year graduates, recently
wrote to us with an update:
Thank you! Thank you, each of
you, for investing in my life,
and the lives of so many other
women and families. You each
played a vital role in the work
God did in my life while I was
there. I continue to be amazed
at Gods goodness, mercy,
love and faithfulness in allowMary Kathryn
ing me the privilege of coming
to the Refuge. I pray God continues to richly bless this
ministry and the lives of those that come there and serve
there. I am doing great . . . I am excited to see what else
God has planned for this year. I love and miss you all!
~ Mary Kathryn
We love you too, Mary Kathryn! Thanks for the encouraging note and happy to see all that God is doing in you.

Testimony from a Leadership Conference attendee

Dear Sisters and Servants of Christ, my heart is still
pounding and my head still spinning. Thank you for a
truly amazing week! We were awed and inspired by the
ministry that was modeled before us. Your passion for
God and compassion for hurting women has brought me
to my knees in search of more . . . more love for God and
His people. Im thankful and excited for what the Lord
wishes to do in me and through me and thankful for all
of you and the huge part you have had in changing my
life. A big thank you to all! Love and prayers, Gail P.

A Prayer
Reading these testimonies and remembering
others, I thank You for the Refuge: the staff, the
volunteers, both the boards, all the donors, the
churches, the foundations and all who are part of
this wonderful mission that it is today. And, thank
You for all those souls who have come through our
doors seeking help.
When I survey the wondrous things that You have
done in all of our lives, I am staggered by the
incredible power of Your love. Almost twenty
years have gone by so quickly since that first
wounded woman came knocking on the door of
the Womens Refuge saying, Help me, please. I
feel so lost and alone and out of control. Is there
any hope for me, because I dont even know who I
am? Looking back in my own relearning Your
grace and love, I saw You standing at our door
knocking, asking to come in with us over and over
again. As you did to the least of these, you did
unto Me. Matthew 25:40b
Youre still offering this abundant life, Lord, to
anyone who is weak and heavy laden and wanting
healing from their wounds. And, were still at the
Refuges doors waiting to open them up to anyone
truly seeking help. God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46: 1
Thank You for all those who are coming up behind
me helping to keep the Womens Refuge doors
open. May You be glorified above all else. ~ Donna

4) Name ________________________________________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________________________________

Were inviting you to participate in our 18th Annual Fundraising Golf Tournament. Were very excited to
announce Orchid Island Golf Club as our new location this year. Cant play? No worries! There are many
ways to get involved: Donate a prize or gift item, sponsor a volunteer, highlight your business with a
Tee sponsorship or best of all, gain valuable media recognition and complimentary golf participation with a
Gold, Silver or Bronze Sponsorship. Come out and support us! Enjoy a great day of golf with your friends and
make a difference in a womans life. Call our office today at 772-770-4424.
There are so many people and businesses who support us on a regular basis and we want to thank you for
your faithfulness over the many months and years you have sustained us. God has used you mightily by the
financial contributions that flow into our ministry. Others have given of their time and provisions. Recently
we have had Seahorse Lane Boutique, Bicycle Sport, ACT Computers, Spiros Taverna, Beach Bum Bagels and
A Slice of Paris make donations to the Womens Refuge. Thank you for filling a need! Readers, please
support these businesses who have given so generously to us.

Amy Wong is one of our graduates and is serving at Street LIFE Ministries in
New York. She recently visited and shared her thoughts on her time with us.
I am so blessed to call this place home for so many reasons. Each of you pour
into my life . . . I am so grateful for the relationships in this place. I cannot begin
to tell you how refreshed and encouraged I was spending time with each of
you. Im praying for you constantly and look forward to the next time I can be
with you again . . . . to God be the glory! Love, Amy
We love you too, Amy. Please keep her in your prayers as she is on the front
line, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the poor and downtrodden.

Amy interacting with children at

street outreach in Queens, NY.