Catalyst Ministries works to rescue— and provide a safe haven— for women who have been abused, exploited and enslaved. Since Catalyst’s inception in 2014, the ministry has worked really hard to help survivors live, heal, and rebuild their lives while learning about God’s everlasting love for them individually.
Jeremiah 31:3: “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’ ”
Growth is such an important part of life and virtually all processes. Without growth, we would essentially cease to exist.
Founder Julie Ryan’s dream to open a safe house for women who had been sexually trafficked became a reality in 2016 when a home was made available in Central Illinois that would house four women and one resident assistant.
Julie Ryan’s dream also included providing a safe and beautiful space for the women to transition into after rescue as they heal emotionally, physically, and spiritually—away from the confines of sexual servitude, coercion, rape, pain, isolation, and so many other atrocities.
Not only did Julie Ryan—with the help of other volunteers from several different ministries in the area—take time to plan for the space they had purchased, including anticipating each detail down to the furniture and the décor for each room, but Julie also suggested they plant a garden.
This garden would be located in the backyard to serve as a place for the women to retreat to, mediate in, and soak up the sun. The garden began as a small plot and has morphed into an ever-evolving and aesthetically-pleasing space, with a small path, and even an old rustic wooden bench. In the center of the garden, there is a strategically-placed birdhouse. The function of the birdhouse is woven into the purpose of the safehouse—to draw everything to a center, a place to ground oneself, and look upon the wonders God has made.
According to Heather, one of the founding volunteers of Catalyst’s garden, “We wanted a sanctuary for them [the residents] to come to.We knew what kind of background they were coming from. We just wanted something lovely,” she said.
Please read our previous article here: A Virtual Cup of Coffee With Catalyst’s Founder, Julie Ryan
And with increasingly wet eyes, she continued, “It brings tears to my eyes. We wanted something joyful. They [the women] had been so mistreated and didn’t have lovely things to look at. We knew there was healing in gardening,” she emphasized.
Another extremely important part of the garden is to provide a level of safety these women may never have experienced in their lives and most certainly were not able to experience while enslaved.
“A big part of the garden is to just be quiet,” Heather said. “We wanted to make it a really pretty place to walk through, and a peaceful place to sit and pray, listen to God, and just be.”
During our interview, Heather explained that gardening is in her blood. If she is having a hard time, her instinct is to plant and cultivate. “If I can get outside in the sun and the dirt and make things grow, there is a really strong symbolism [with healing],” she reiterated.
Numerous studies have pointed to the healing powers of nature.
According to The Mayo Clinic’s Guide to Stress-Free Living by Amit Sood:
Daily gardening benefits the mind. "Whenever we are in nature, we get relaxed, and we develop a positive mode," Dr. Sood says. "So people who garden regularly have a lower risk of depression, less stress, have less anxiety, they are calmer, and they may even have less risk of dementia. So they're generally happier."
From a spiritual perspective, being in the presence of nature can increase one’s gratitude. As mentioned in our previous post and “A Virtual Cup of Coffee With Catalyst’s Founder, Julie Ryan,”
"God has been planting some wonderful seeds of gratitude in my heart. I can’t get over the miracle of his creation as I marvel at a gorgeous sunset, watch hummingbirds at our feeder or enjoy the brilliant blue colors as our hydrangea bush comes to life! These details remind me of God’s love for me and for all of us. He delighted in creating a world that would literally cause us to be in awe of him, as we go deeper and think of the creator behind it all. ‘The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is telling of the work of His hands.’ (Psalm 19:1)
I, Erin, also think of Ecclesiastes 3:11, which says, “God makes everything beautiful in its time.”
“Growth may not happen instantly,” Heather said. “But with adequate sunlight, water, and nurturing,” every plant, flower, or herb can grow into a beautiful and thriving, living thing.
Four families from one of the original small groups who helped made the garden a reality also recently formed an Aronia farm—known as the chokeberry and a superfruit with more antioxidants than berries. This September will be the company’s first big season of harvest and they hope to sell to some big buyers. Heather said they hope to employ women who have been a part of the Catalyst program and are drawn to growing their own things.“Our goal is to set these women up in the farmer’s market and watch them bring joy to others by selling things they have grown, and witness that pride.”
Heather added, “So many things have been taken [from these women due to the realities of sex trafficking] and part of the healing to restore is to give back. It is recharging as well,” she said.
Another benefit to the garden is a way to invite the women into a new process they may not like or have been exposed to in the past.
While Catalyst has a steady flow of volunteers that come every third Saturday of the month to help maintain the garden, Julie Ryan and the volunteers have not only considered ways to make the garden more manageable and easier to maintain for the residents, but they have asked the women for their preferences for what is grown. Currently, the garden has six raised garden beds; and the women are able to plant seeds, herbs, or flowers that they like.
“One of the residents loves sunflowers,” Heather said. “They [volunteers] are incorporating sunflowers and eventually when she is no longer with us, and she is out in the world and contributing, and ready to do other things and take off on her own, there will be a part of her at Catalyst,” she said smiling.
Heather continued, “Our other resident really loves crafts and art, so they [the volunteers] are working on a barn quilt painting that will go on our side of our garage and face the street. There will be a little imprint of each woman who comes to that house left behind.”
How Catalyst Helps Women Transition Out of Sex Trafficking:
For survivors of abuse and sexual exploitation, we offer holistic healing by providing:
Housing
Food
Clothing
Support Groups and Mentoring
Life Skills Training
Healthcare
Legal Advocacy
Education
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Job Skills, Training, and Opportunities
Opportunity to Learn About the Love of God
How You Can Help:
Will you partner with us in helping to provide a way of freedom and escape for victims of exploitation? You can offer your time, money, or expertise. Please go to Catalystministries.net for more info.
— Erin
Proverbs 31:8
Psalm 30:11: “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.”