Kasi, a survivor of child sexual abuse, attended The Haven Retreat where she was a thriver.

I Am a Survivor and a Thriver

The Saprea Retreat and my new found awareness and acknowledgment have changed my life and how I view myself and the world around me. I have been able to let go of shame and reclaim my body, faith, and hope.

My heart is now open, my mind is free and I am ready to spread my wings and share my story to empower myself and others. I am a survivor that is now thriving more in life than I ever dreamed possible.

-Kasi, Survivor

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Amanda, a survivor of child sexual abuse, attended The Haven Retreat and learned that mountains can be moved.

Mountains Can Be Moved

Going to the Saprea Retreat was one of the best decisions of my life. For 20+ years, I tried to cope with my abuse but never had the tools to be successful. Finally, at 28 years old, for the first time, I feel like I’m going to be more than okay.

The retreat allowed me to meet some of the most incredible women and started bonds that I am certain will last a lifetime. I hesitantly took a yoga class thinking it was silly because I can barely touch my toes, yet it ended being my favorite coping tool. I know I will use it often to deal with my anxiety and depression.

Thanks to Saprea I finally feel uplifted, validated and empowered. You have given me a way to give my pain a purpose and for that, I will be forever grateful.

-Amanda, Survivor

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Paulette, a survivor of child sexual abuse, attended The Haven Retreat and found that others felt the same thing as she was feeling.

I Found Out That Others Felt the Same Thing I Was Feeling

For many years I often wondered if I was normal. I felt guilty for the abuse, as if I made it happen. It wasn’t something I talked about, and I wanted to just place it in a safe place. Letting those feelings lye in hiding, not thinking it was hurting my life anymore.

When I first learned about Saprea, I thought do I really need to go? But, then I told myself maybe it will help me to feel normal again. So, I filled out the application to go and waited till I heard from them.

I was scared and excited at the same time when I got the call with a date I would be going. This is really happening!!

Once I stepped foot in the door I knew this was going to be a great experience, and I was right. The staff made us feel safe. Every detail was thought of with love. Going through the classes and off-site group therapies taught me I am normal. I learned I wasn’t weird or abnormal in what I felt. I found out to be aware of my surroundings and what triggers were and how to deal with them. In all these years, I just hid things back in my mind so I wouldn’t think of the sexual abuse. I found out that others felt the same thing I was feeling. I wasn’t alone anymore.

I was able to release those feelings by writing what happened to me. They are in my journal for the one day I will burn those memories. More importantly I have gotten my life back, I am stronger now.

From walking into the Saprea Retreat, my life has changed. I now see my beauty and have the confidence that comes with that beauty. I am confident I will be okay. My life will have meaning. We are Warrior Sisters! It’s an amazing feeling to reclaim hope.

-Paulette, Survivor

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Melissa, a survivor of child sexual abuse, attended The Haven Retreat and this is who she is, not who she was.

This Is Who I Am. It’s Not Who I Was.

This is who I am. It’s not who I was.

They say the first step in healing is the hardest. Mine began with a challenge, a song, and a video. A video telling my story for the first time ever so that someone else would have the ability to attend the Saprea Retreat, something I didn’t think I deserved. A video that I thought only a few would see. I couldn’t have anticipated what the ripple would be or how far it would spread.

Six months later, I decided that I had ignored my calling to help people for my entire life. But I knew I couldn’t help others until I had faced the darkness that resided in me from a past I had spent a lifetime hiding from. I knew the only place I could start that part of my journey was in the same place that challenged me to do a video¬—Saprea.

What I got there can’t be described in words. When you have spent a lifetime living with the darkness inside of you and it finally let’s go, you have a freedom like none you’ve ever experienced. I found that there. I had never been the little girl that danced in the rain. It wasn’t about remembering someone I had never been. It was about becoming her.

The Saprea Retreat is where I found the part of me that had always been missing. I formed bonds that distance can not break. I learned to trust again. I learned new habits and skills that will allow me to go forward and be a beacon of hope for others.

Today, I own my story. While I don’t wish what happened to me on anyone else and I will continue to raise awareness to fight this horrible reality, this is my story. It is who I am. It made me who I am. Someone else may have written the first chapter in my story, but it’s mine and I get to decide how it ends. At the Saprea Retreat, I realized for the first time ever that I kinda like this me.

-Melissa, Survivor

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