Restoring “Family” For Yara
Through your support, you can light the way to a future filled with hope for young adults like 22-year-old Yara who have grown up in and aged out of the child welfare system never knowing the love of a family.
Neglected and abused, Yara was removed from her parents’ care and entered the child welfare system when she was only four years old. Throughout her childhood, she lived in nine different institutions, enduring continual neglect and abuse, which prevented her from forming any real bonds or connections.
When we opened the AGCI & Tim Tebow Foundation House of Hope in Colombia, Yara was one of the first to walk through our doors.
When she first arrived, Yara was physically malnourished, relationally numb, and socially withdrawn. She didn’t trust men and had no interest in connecting with our staff.
Committed to disrupting the trauma Yara was bound by, the House of Hope team met Yara where she was and helped to slowly reshape her ideas of what a family is like. Through sharing meals, participating in counseling, and celebrating holidays together, Yara’s hard exterior finally began to break away.
Today, Yara is an engaged member of the home, participating in almost every activity offered. She has formed deep connections with the house residents and staff and has learned how to express her emotions in a healthy way.
For the first time in her life, Yara is supported and loved. Known for her cooking skills, Yara has been able to put her dreams into practice by helping prepare meals and desserts for her housemates, all while earning her degree in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts.
What is even more amazing is the trust and safety she has built through healthy connections with AGCI staff.
By helping Yara reimagine what family can be, God has restored the once-dreaded concept of family in her heart.
Our God is a God of restoration. Not only did He send His one and only Son to Earth so we might be restored into right relationship with Him, but He also invites us to be agents of restoration as we shine His light in the dark world around us.
I believe God will restore the years these precious children have lost to abuse, institutionalization, loneliness, and other traumas. He desires to bring healing and wholeness to His people. And by sharing His light with the world around us, we can be the means in which family is restored for someone like Yara.
Thank you for partnering with us as we provide young women in need with a safe space to heal from past trauma and, prayerfully, come to know the One who made them and loves them!
*Name changed to protect privacy.