Victory Villa. It is a place I know, a place for many or a few.

It’s a place where you are given warm welcomes and loud hellos. It is a place to find acceptance and purpose. It is a place to grow and dig deeper. There is always room at the table for one more, the nights of friendships go long and extend well into the week. Connections of beliefs are solidified if you wish. If a warm meal is all you desire, that is fine as well. You can come and go, no questions asked if you just need a home for the night.

It’s a place for the entire family. Children are loved. Babies are shared. It is a ministry for others and a place to minister to others. They lead in ways to teach, but make room for those who are called to as well. The study is rich, authentic, and deep. Nate and Louise, host multiple times a week, but never make you feel like a burden, even if it’s been busy or hard. Mentoring happens outside the walls, friendships are cultivated over coffee dates and shared lunches.

The children long to come to their home, play in their moat and imagine in their woods. Respect for others is displayed while fun and creativity are still encouraged. Freedom with a purpose is spoken. Love and mercy given to each child that enters. Lessons are taught, their sweet souls are fed, and their growth is taken seriously. No child is alone. They are each others’ extended family. They are the cousins that don’t live far away. Here, parents help other parents, we see a child that needs something and do not turn the other way. We are a community.

Teens have honored voices. They are invited to listen and discern. They are taught with love and diligence, purpose and application. They are coming into their own and allowed to contemplate and apply. They are challenged to love and accept and to see past the surface. They are respected for their independence and willing obedience. Honored for their journeys in new ways and all the while hearing what parents have said all along.

Goodbyes are sweet. They are lovely and tear filled. They are given time and honor as they should stand for more than a “See you later”. They are rich with prayers, filled with memories, and most of all sent off with hearts who will remember them once they are gone.

This is a place for weary souls. It is a place for Christ seekers, new and old. It’s a place where you can rest your thoughts or share your worries. It’s a place of refuge and a training ground- depending what you need. Always changing faces, always moving, but regardless of the time you have been there you will see grace and love in action. You will see Christ’s hands and feet. You will know you are called for a purpose and your spirit will be fed, your heart will be lifted- if you let yourself in.

So, come all who are weary and heavy laden, for there is a place for you to rest your souls.
Come and be known.
Come and see what community looks like when done well.
Come and let your soul be nourished.
Come and challenge your mind out of it’s stereotypes.
Come and just be.
Come and know you are not alone.