Speaker Instills Hope in Mercy Residents
October 19, 2017
As a part of its multi-dimensional approach designed to address the whole person – spirit, soul, and body – Mercy Multiplied invites guests to teach the Mercy residents at its four U.S. homes.
Karen Robinson, founder of Raven’s Hope International and Solomon’s Porch Society, has been to all four Mercy Multiplied homes in the United States. Robinson is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, life coach, and author. Robinson brings her curriculum, “Understanding You,” to the homes to help women find their true, authentic self.
Read our recent Q & A with Robinson below:
What’s your heart behind wanting to work to empower women?
My own story. I’m from a big family of ten kids, and my father left my mother to raise us. My brothers were in and out of the system, and I was sexually abused as a young woman. I kind of lost my voice and wasn’t confident in who I was, and my self-esteem was very low. At sixteen, I found the Lord, and I was really awakened by not just church alone, but having mentors and people speaking into my life made a big difference. Those experiences impacted me in such a way that I knew when I grew up, that’s exactly what I wanted to do because I know that makes a difference beyond the four walls of the church. Someone talking through situations and circumstances makes a huge difference.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
I absolutely love what I do. I’m very big on names; I feel like you were named for a purpose. Your parents and God strategically named you, so I’m very good at remembering names. The most important thing is listening. One of the things I found out is that people don’t have the place where they can talk out loud without being judged, criticized, or discredited – they just need someone to listen. I love being able to listen and to be an ear to someone.
Why did you choose to bless Mercy by speaking and serving in the homes?
I speak at Mercy because I’ve seen such a great impact. Even before I spoke at Mercy, I was in Nashville and going to Oasis Church and seeing a lot of graduates from Mercy. I saw how productive they were in today’s society after coming out of Mercy and that really spoke volumes to the impact that Mercy has on women. After going to Mercy and seeing the changes, I thought about my own story being a “Mercy girl” myself. I never attended Mercy, but I needed a lot of Mercy growing up the way I did. Every time I go to Mercy, I see myself. Not necessarily in that spot, but I see myself on the other side.
What’s your favorite part about being at Mercy?
I enjoy the whole experience. Probably what I enjoy the most is the new Mercy girls. Usually when I go in, you can always tell the new girls that have just arrived. They usually have reservations, and to see how they open up over the three days is incredible. They start to realize they’re supposed to be at Mercy. It’s always good for me meeting ladies that just arrived at Mercy. I love to watch how they become comfortable with the women at Mercy.
I also like leaving the residents with tangible steps that help them be productive and apply what they learned to move forward. I’m really big on being practical while walking in the Spirit.
Mercy is thankful for Karen’s willingness to share her gifts and passions with our Mercy residents. If you have a skill or talent you would like to share with our residents, please contact us for more information at [email protected]! Learn more about volunteer opportunities by visiting our Volunteer page.