Below are personal notes from the girls at Gates of Hope.  They recently went to a church conference in Honduras called ENCOUNTER.  Thanks to all of you who helped sponsor them, read on to see how grateful they are and how their lives have changed.

The encounter for me was full of blessings. To me I was just going to be a support to the girls. That was good. They were all happy that I was there with them.

But I learned that I needed more. And I want more of the presence of God in my life. It was a beautiful experience.

The girls did not want to leave the kept saying “Tia, I don’t want to leave, I want to stay here!” It was such a blessing to me to see them dancing. To see them stepping forward on their own, without me telling them they needed to, whenever there was a message that was a part of the problems in their lives.

When we were asked to close our eyes and then open them and look around for all the people missing in your lives (mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children) that was the most moving of all. The tears flowed like buckets in that place. And they did not pick anyone from the crowd, they all wanted to be with me. I know that they love me, and I ask God to help me to love them as though they were my own.

We are all grateful for the money donated so we could all be able to attend. I pray God will multiply that and more, many times, in the lives of everyone that gave.

Thank you and many many blessings upon your lives.

Sincerely,
Nilda

When I left, I left with my heart full of hate and pain. I didn’t want to go to the encounter. I didn’t want to forgive those who had hurt me. I didn’t want Isis. I hated to hear the Pastor say that I should love my daughter. She said to come forward if you had hate for your children. I passed forward, and when I moved I felt love for my daughter and felt my heart open and fill with love for her and for everyone that hurt me ever.

For the first time I have no hate or hurt in my heart. I have forgiven my mom and step-dad. I now have joy, peace, and am happy because Jesus changed it all. I am free from sin and now I can feel Gods love. I’m free because of the Holy Spirit.  You have no idea how much I love my daughter now. Thank you for paying! God will return it and you will receive much! Thank your for all of the help! Thanks!

Evelyn Hernandez Paz

I feel that I have changed my ways of doing things. And I now have love for all people. My prayer was to change my actions with people in my life. I don’t feel anything like I did before, I now have peace, happiness, and joy in my heart and I feel like I was transformed into a real daughter and am strong in God. I love God  with my whole heart. He died for me on that cross. He died for all of us. I am so happy to have Him. I never had a real mom in my life, but now I have a mom in my life that loves me. My moms are Tia Nilda, Mama Penny, and Mama Lorena. For this I love them with my whole heart. I love God with my whole heart.  I love all of the people that help me, and thank you for helping me. I am so happy in God. I prayed that God would come in and live in my heart and stay forever. I love you because you have helped me go to the Encounter. God will give you more and more. I have peace, joy, happiness in my heart and I feel like God has changed my life. Thank you to everyone that has helped me to go.

Ricsy

First, I want to thank you for your help and money. You have no idea how happy I was for this trip. I know God is changing my life and things I will do. I can love as a mom now, before I could not. I give thanks for everything and for God as well.

Keila Janessa Ramirez

The way I feel right now, I have never felt before. This was a marvelous blessing for me because I felt the Spirit of God. I know with the help of God I can continue to move forward. I ask God to give me His help, I never thought He would help me, but He did. He helped me forgive everyone that has offended and hurt me. When the Pastor said for the Princess to close her eyes, I felt the presence of God. I felt joy in God. I was thankful for the people that gave money for us to go. I am going to try harder to move forward with my two sons.

I love you guys. Your family is my real family Mama Penny. I pray God blesses you today and forever. I wait for you with my arms wide open and to tell you how much I love you when you come back. I want to tell you everything that took place and ask your pardon. God forgave me so I could forgive. Please tell the brothers that sent money that God is going to send them many more blessings.

May God guard you today and forever.
Karla

I, Antonia, in this retreat felt a change in my life. I feel joy in my heart, and a freedom because He helped me. He took all of the bad things that didn’t work, He took them out of my heart. I am grateful because He opened the gates of heaven so I could enter a place of happiness. He made me free. He took the evil that I had in my heart. Never did I think that would happen for me, in the ways that I am free from all evil. I am thankful to you, but first to God because I was able to go to the retreat. I hope God keeps me from falling into temptation. Thankful my God loves me.  And I am thankful for the people who gave money so we could all go to the retreat. God bless them and you. You have a great love of God. You are blessed for things you do for Him. I pray He continues to bless you and the family.

Your daughter,
Antonia

Mama Penny: I want to tell you I am so happy!

I never thought that one day I would be free of all the things I had done.  This is really marvelous. When I arrived at the retreat I felt a big rock with chains had fallen on top of me. I was crazy to just go back to the Gate of Hope, but somebody told me not to give the devil a place, to leave it, the Spirit of God was calling me with love, joy, and peace, and I needed to leave my problems.  Like that I obeyed and gave my life to Christ Jesus and now I laugh happily with Him. I dance. I can feel His presence after everything that happened. Now there is a light in me that I can’t explain. Thank you to everyone for helping.

The blood of Jesus was the price of my freedom.

I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Reina Calix

I am happy because God changed me. I am not the same that I was before. God did BIG things in my life. God took out everything from my heart. It is now clean, now it has nothing tense because He cleaned my entire life. He took the hate that I had with my family and all of the resentment and I can now forgive my family and people who hurt me in so many ways. Those who hurt my heart I forgave. I want to tell everyone thanks, especially to those who gave money so we could all experience this. I want to show my gratefulness to the many who gave money and sacrificed in their lives so we could have a change in ours. Thank you to those who prayed for us. You people are very special family to me. Thank you for the love you give me, I am grateful for the love of Jesus. Please tell these people who gave I gratefully appreciate their big sacrifice. I pray God blesses them every day. Mama Penny and Papa Barry am grateful for the big support and for the love you give me. I want you to know you are beautiful family that is very special and I am so content that God gave me a family like you guys. I want you and the groups to come and see the changes in my life.

I want God to bless you all today and forever!

Carmen

I, Lorena, FELT God change my life, I know because I no longer feel any bad in my heart.

I received blessings from God and I am grateful to the people that gave the money. God bless them and everyone who has helped! Those who help this project, and everything that they do for me, I thank God.  I thank Him for the change in my life. I received a blessing over abundantly from God in my life.

Lorena