Refuge for Women: One Alum’s Story of Redemption

One of this year’s sponsors for the Wesley Waddle is Refuge for Women, which “is a non-profit, faith based organization providing specialized long-term care for women who have escaped human trafficking or sexual exploitation.” This organization is doing Kingdom-building work in an area that is often overlooked in the church. The work of Refuge for Women led to one alum being rescued from the sex industry before obtaining her master’s degree from Asbury.

Deanna Lynn’s books, Purchased and Integrated, detail her journey from the sex industry, to faith in Jesus, to escape from the toxic world she was trapped in, to Asbury and a life of ministering to women caught in similar circumstances. The excerpt of her first book reads in part, “Deanna was exposed to explicit sexual content at the age of five, unleashing a powerful force that would completely control her life for the next twenty-three years. Purchased: Leaving the Sex Trade is her story, a story of how this young woman rose from the depths of despair to eventually find lasting freedom and a hope for the future.”

The sex industry is unbelievably traumatic, and Deanna’s experience at Refuge for Women was the beginning of real, lasting healing. This ministry provides a safe space for women to live free of charge for a full year, working through curriculum that is informed by trauma and while also building community with others who have had similar experiences. In Deanna’s words (in Purchased), “Refuge for Women had one desire: to help women like me complete the program with a vision for her future, equipped to succeed and sustain a life marked with dignity and hope” (166). A little later, she describes how this ministry “was a solution: this home in Kentucky with beds to house a handful of women who wanted a new life. I didn’t have to figure out how to get my life together on my own. Someone would help me start from scratch. From offering legal help to providing for my basic needs for one year to being given the chance to live in a quiet location where God’s voice would finally be the loudest, this place had me covered” (168).

Deanna’s second book, Integrated: Living Beyond the Sex Trade, has a foreword from Ked Frank, the founder and president of Refuge for Women. He says in part, “Since starting Refuge for Women in 2009, my wife and I have had the privilege of meeting hundreds of women who were leaving horrible situations and dreaming of a fresh start… It’s incredible watching each of them dream again as they realize that past negative experiences do not have to keep them from future accomplishments they can be proud of” (9). While the transition into work and a “normal” life after the time at Refuge for Women brings its own unique challenges, this ministry does amazing work in walking alongside women facing difficult circumstances.

Freedom in Christ is a beautiful thing, and Refuge for Women is helping countless beloved daughters of God find this holistic, transformative freedom that comes from our truly-loving Savior. If you are interested in hearing more of Deanna’s story, you can read her books (Purchased and Integrated) and listen to the podcasts about them (Purchased and Integrated). Please consider supporting this ministry by participating in the Wesley Waddle (sign up HERE) or on their website, but most importantly, through prayer. Hear the words of the psalmist (Psalm 71:1-8, NIV):

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