OUR STORY

How it all began…

As I (Susanna) reflect on the journey that led to this ministry, God’s hand has been evident, even though the process of saying yes to His call has not always been easy. In 2016, I went to Ghana with my parents and a friend. This trip became significant because I was adopted from Ghana, along with my twin brother, in 2002. I had visited multiple times growing up, but the Lord started a special work in my heart on this trip. There was a group of us who went out to a village to do children’s ministry. As we were finishing up the last song, I noticed a girl in the back of the room who was much older than the rest of the children there. After the service, I walked up to her and began talking with her. I realized that she spoke English quite well, and as we talked, she began to share her story with me…

Her mother had died when she was a little girl, and she grew up with her dad and four siblings. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said, “Susanna, please, please take me with you.” I asked her why, and she began to tell me the most heartbreaking part of her story. She spoke of how her dad and her uncle had been raping her for many years and how she wanted to escape the situation. I was only 15, and didn’t know what exactly to do. I told her that I am so sorry for what had happened to her. I wished that there was something more that I could do. I asked her if I could pray for her, and she said yes. Little did I know that years down the road, her desperate plea would impact my life and calling.

For months after we returned home from Africa, I kept thinking about the girl and her story. It is related to a part of my story that I try to not dwell on—I had a similar experience in my childhood. All I could do was pray that the Lord would protect her and provide a way for her to escape the abuse. One night, the Lord gave me a dream. In this dream, I heard the Lord’s voice very clearly. He said, “Susanna, I am calling you back home to your people to start a home for girls who have been impacted by sexual abuse.” My response to that calling from the Lord was, “Absolutely not.” I had a list of reasons why I felt so inadequate to be carrying out this calling. I wrestled with this for close to a year before I said, “Yes, Lord, I will obey you in this calling.” He began to work on my life and develop a vision for this ministry.

I was 15 years old when the Lord put this calling on my heart. Fast-forward 10 years, I am now married to my husband Sam, and God has brought us so far in pursuit of what He has in store for us. It has been such a journey, and we are in the process of preparing to move back to Ghana in 2027. We are thankful for the support of family and friends surrounding us and a strong team united in fulfilling the vision God has given us.

Thank you for taking time to read our story. We hope you feel encouraged by what God has done in our lives, and what He will do for His precious children in Ghana.

Love, The Hepschmidt’s