Overcoming Adversity: Journey of Faith and Resilience with RAVENA HALL

I'm excited to share with you our latest podcast episode, where I had the pleasure of speaking with Ravena, an inspiring young woman who has triumphed over adversity through her faith and dedication to missionary work.

In this episode, Ravena shares her incredible journey of overcoming a difficult upbringing, abuse, and living with a genetic neurological degenerative condition. Despite her struggles, Ravena found solace in the church and faith, which significantly impacted her relationships and personal growth.

We discussed the challenges of maintaining relationships with unsaved friends and the importance of stepping away from an unhealthy lifestyle. Ravena also shared her passion for working with young people, which led her to become a missionary and get involved in Youth for Christ in Montreal.

We explored the importance of prayer and financial support for missionaries like Ravena and the significance of not losing hope while sharing the gospel. Join us as we listen to Ravena’s inspiring journey and learn about the positive impact her faith and determination have had on her life and the lives of others.

 


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Chapters

• 0:00 Living Out Faith through Love
• 13:46 From addiction to ministry
• 18:17 Living Positively in Christ
• 31:41 Supporting a Missionary

Transcript

0:00:00
It was really difficult when I was -- Mhmm. -- sixteen and I was young and impressionable and just wanted to be accepted, but was being ostracized by my friend group and even my biological family for having this faith. Everyone called it a phase and they said, oh, well, we know Rubina, she's just gonna it's like her new kick right now, and then she's gonna get over it and come to her senses. But I slowly started to change in the way that I dressed, the way that I acted, the way that I spoke, the people I hung out with, the things that I thought were fun, the things that I was enjoying in terms of entertainment. Everything started to change and it was not me who was changing it and I didn't even realize that it was happening until I was really on the other side. And I looked back and I was like, oh my goodness. I am a completely different person than I was. Hi. I'm Ruth Hovsepian. Welcome to the Out of The Darkness Podcast. Where we help you navigate life's trials based on faith and difficult truths.

0:01:14
Ravena Hall serves as a missionary with Youth for Christ in the Montréal area in Quebec. She works with young people from various backgrounds and can relate to many of them due to her very unusual upbringing. Ravena's mother and father had been divorced all her life and she has never met her biological father. She moved many times never able to put down any roots. Ravena faced a lot of abuse and bullying from the various adults who were supposed to be caring for her and loving her. Ravena lives with chronic pain due to a genetic neurological degenerative condition that has no cure. She often numbed her physical and emotional pain with drugs until her school grades started to decline. Seeing the value in a good education at sixteen years old, Ravena put herself in a drug rehabilitation center. Shortly after completing rehab and just prior to starting her last year of high school, Ravena's life gloriously changed She met a father who loved her and would never abandon her. Welcome, Rubina. I am thrilled to have you join me today on out of the darkness and I can't wait to hear and learn more about you and to share your story with my with my listeners, though, my guests. You are my guest. So please start off by telling us a little bit about your family and where you come from.

0:02:45
My name is Ravena, and I'm twenty three years old. And I was raised by a family that was not Christian. So that's how I started off my life for sixteen years. I lived with a family that didn't really understand love because they didn't necessarily ever experience it themselves through our Christian understanding of the word through Jesus. And so that made my beginning years of life very difficult and I faced a lot of challenges for the first sixteen years. But then when I was sixteen years old, I was introduced to the Goss full, and I heard it for the very first time. And I came to a saving faith. And through that, the people that shared the gospel with me this wonderful family who was the youth pastor and his wife and he has two lovely children. He is the one that was really bringing me into, like, the Christian culture. And he actually took me into his family as well. And so for the past seven years. I was a part of his family and living with him.

0:03:58
So my family dynamic is often one of the hardest questions for me to answer. Like, if you ask me, how many siblings I have? It would be, well, I have brothers from my father, sisters from my mother, and then two siblings that are not biological. So that's basically my family situation in a nutshell. Right now, I live independently from my family, but I still consider the mollette. That's their names. I want to enter a mollette. They are the ones that took me in. I still consider them to be my family. So whenever people ask about my family, I responded at them? You know, I think in in the twentieth century, twenty first century, I'm aging myself. The twenty first century, I think family has become those people that are around us and not necessarily a biological connection to them. And I think more and more we are seeing that just because of the climate of our social environment, you know, the way things are But to go back to your story a little bit, who were what events brought you to the church?

0:05:07
Or to meeting the mallets and, you know, being in the church? So when I was in grade ten, I was living a life of I was doing drugs and going to parties and failing school, unfortunately, which was something that was really important for me to do well in school. And I was just not living a good life, but I didn't have an understanding of what good and wrong was, what right and wrong was. And then I had one friend who she was going to youth group and I don't know where she stood in terms of her faith, but I praise learn from her every day because she is the reason why I am living a wife full of fates today. But so she invited me to go to a youth group event that I went to because there was food and cute boys and I was like, sat beside me up. I was just a little teenager who was interested in worldly things and So that's why I went.

0:06:09
And when I was there, I heard the gospel in not the way that we share it like Jesus died on the Crossfire sins and then rose from the dead. But just, like, people were so joyful and sharing about, like, their the creator and their savior, and I was listening to them, not so much of them sharing the gospel with me. But listening to the conversations and seeing how they related to each other during that event really spoke to me and it ignited something in me that I didn't ask for, I wasn't seeking, but it really made me have, like, a thirst and I had so many questions for them. So I wanted to have those questions answered. So I continued coming back to these group. Albeit, I was still getting high, so I would show up not of a sound mind but I eventually started being convicted. And so I went to rehab. And then when I came back seven months later, I showed up one day at EastGroup and I was like, hey, I'm not sure if you remember me, but I was here seven months ago and I went to rehab and that's when Jared Mellette was, like, of course, we remember you. You're always welcome here. And I felt their love and arms around me, and that was the summer that I got saved through them pouring into me and actually sharing the gospel with me in words. And then I read the book of John and I got saved right after that?

0:07:37
You know, you you have said some a couple of very key and important things that I think that as Christians and believers we have to keep in mind and that is inviting people to the church whether we think people are searching for it or not. And pouring love into them. And it's not preaching to people. It's really pouring love into them. And I I've also come to understand that, like, I grew up in a very the total polar opposite of you. I grew up in a very Christian family. I was born into the church. So I had a very different understanding about telling people about god and that carried over into my adult life where I was very adamant that telling people that they had to, you know, be born again and, I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, but it's the approach. There wasn't that necessarily that relationship and that love. And I've come to understand that that, you know, pouring Christ's love which comes through us into others is the best testimony that we can have. And there's proof you're the proof of that. Right? And just accepting people for who they are and what their story is. And, you know, we have to trust that God will do the rest and speak to them and the Holy Spirit will speak to them. So now you have you know, entered into the church. You've you obviously made a decision at some point, right, in your journey.

0:09:08
And tell us a little bit about, you know, how did your friends and family react to your decision? That is actually it was really difficult when I was sixteen and I was young and impressionable and just wanted to be accepted, but was being ostracized by my friend group and even my biological family for having this faith. Everyone called it a phase and they said, oh, we know Ravena . She's just gonna it's like her new kick right now, and then she's gonna get over it. And compare senses.

0:09:48
But I slowly started to change in the way that I dressed, the way that I acted, the way that I spoke, the people I hung out with, the things that I thought were fun, the things that I was enjoying in terms of entertainment. Everything started to change and it was not me who was changing it, and I didn't even realize that it was happening until I was really on the other side. And I looked back and I was like, oh my goodness. I am a completely different person than I was. And so during all this change, my friends were like, whoa. She's really weird. She's this Jesus freaked now, and we don't really like, we didn't have much in common at that point because These were the people that I was going out with and getting high with and drinking alcohol and well, drinking alcohol in excess. And we were just doing a lot of negative activities, and I didn't find them fun. I didn't see the point in them anymore. And so we kind of naturally grew apart that was not very hard, but what was hard was their judgment on Christians and understanding that, like, I am going to be I'm gonna stick up like a sore throat because I'm not going to, like, keep my faith to myself because if the people that were sharing the gospel with me kept their face to themselves, I wouldn't be where I am today. And so I wanted to like, be that to other people because I wanted other people to see the truth. Like, I wanted them to know the truth. I wanted but anyway, through being very open about my faith, I completely was alienated.

0:11:28
And my biological family they were kind of ruthless and that Around the time that I got saved, it was around it was the same time that I was being drawn into the mullet family. And So just a quick little backstory. My biological father and my biological mother were divorced when I was when they were pregnant with me, basically, and when I would well, they separated at that point. And then when I was one years old, they divorced so that she could remarry. And so since then, there were other men that she married and other men that she had children with. And so it was not ever I never knew my biological father, so he's not really included in the story much. So my biological mother and my sisters and then my grandmother on my mother's side were like my nuclear family basically. And they my grandmother got angry at me because she had a very poor experience with Christians in her life. And my mother scoffed at me because she's like, what is this fantastical idea that you're thinking?

0:12:47
And my sister's kind of all just, like, waited and tested me and to see if things would change, like, every time I did something that they would consider a sin or they would consider something that's not Christian like, they'd be like, oh, you're not allowed to do that. You're a Christian now. And I'm like, well, if you read in the bible, like, for example, drinking isn't something that I stopped. It's just something that I really controlled and changed my relationship with it completely. Now it's not something that I use as an escape. It's something that I use like, to have a social encounter with a friend and just a glass of wine or something. And every time at first when my sister saw me a glass of wine. She was like, whoa. Like, you're you're, like, gonna go to hell. What are you doing? And so it was really challenging, but at the same time, I enjoy good challenge.

0:13:46
And I like that they were posing these questions to me and these tests to me because it was a way that I can educate them on what really isn't viable. And hopefully, that led them to a saving faith as well. We're still working on that. They're not safe. So it's still they're still pointing out things at times like, why are you getting so angry? You're a Christian, you're not supposed to. And I think they have a better understanding now of what actually gets you to hell and what is not necessarily when they understand that I believe that because I believe in Jesus' death and resurrection that I am not going to hell, but they still wanna point out my flaws and say this every Christian of you, which I welcome. It's a good challenge. It is.

0:14:36
You know, it's it's interesting because I remember I had what I thought were, you know, my friends and, you know, clothes, intimate, you know, friendships and, you know, whatever people call that. Right? And I remember too when when I stopped, and and I, you know, when I gave myself to the lord, it was a very strange phenomena that took place. You know? Initially, I thought, you know, I could still hang out with them because these were people I had spent a good portion of, you know, like, ten to fifteen years with, you know, hanging out, doing whatever we did, and it was very difficult. It was very odd spending time with them because like you, alcohol in my life had been I I too, you know, had abused alcohol.

0:15:26
But for me, my abuse of alcohol was to numb me and desensitize me for everything else that I was doing. So for me, stopping alcohol was the easiest part of my recovery from addiction. I know it's strange to say, but it was because I never used alcohol as my like my drug, it was used to to numb my brain, to numb my conscience, you know, to stop hearing the voices of my families, so to speak. So it it was difficult when I went out with them because you bring with yourself and I don't know about you, Ravina, but for me it was certain smells and certain sounds. Were triggers, you know, and would would I would feel a pull.

0:16:20
So I found it, like you said, it was easier for me to you know, after a period of time, I didn't fit in anymore. I wasn't that same person that they knew and became friends with. So I too stepped away from that life, but it was difficult at the beginning because, you know, the fingers were pointing, oh, you did this, now you're a holier than thou, and you're telling us what is wrong. So I I said what I had to say to these people, to my friends, my friends at the time, and I had to walk away from there and trust that the holy spirit would take what I had spoken to them and work in their lives because I couldn't risk being with these people that were part of my old life. I have to step away from that. So it was difficult and I can only imagine, you know, for someone at your age, you know, as a teenager going through that you know, it's difficult as it is, but as a teenager, I think it's even, you know, more difficult to do. I know that now you are at a very different place in your life and you are involved in ministry. And that is such an awesome result of your journey.

0:17:40
So can you tell us a little bit about being involved with youth for Christ here in Montreal? Yes. So I was well, if you take it way back to when I was at World Life Bible Institute and I was pursuing being a teacher or being a child psychologist. I was very interested in use. Since I myself was one. And I knew that it was what I wanted to study, and I knew that the Lord had put that passion on my heart once I got saved. I had that understanding.

0:18:17
But at word of life, Bible Institute, I said, I am not gonna be a missionary. That is something that I'm not gonna do. And I don't think that I have the proper characteristics that a missionary would require. And, you know, the Lord has showed me that he doesn't need me to have them because he will built him in me, and that is what he spent this these last few years doing. So when I started pursuing being a missionary.

0:18:47
I was involved at a youth drop in center. And through that youth drop in center, I was introduced to some people that were used for Christ missionaries. And so I inquired about what that entailed. And I fell in love with youth for Christ as emissions board because they invited me to one of their retreats and I saw how well they treated their staff and how it was just like a family, a community of Christians who really loved each other and cared about knowing what other people were doing. And we all had the same two desires, and it is my two biggest passions in life are sharing the gospel and being involved with youth ministry. And we all had that. And so I felt like I really belong with these people. And so through that, I I'm I'm now missionary with Youth For Christ, and I am a program coordinator at station seven in Chomedy. So that And what what I answered your question with? Yes. It did.

0:20:04
And how does that you know, how or what do you do on a daily basis is with the use or what kind of activities are done to reach out to the, you know, to the young people in that area. So what our vision is is that we want to inspire a healthy lifestyle to all of the youth that we are encountering, and we want to encourage them to live left their full potential in Christ. And so what we offer at well, station seven is just one of our ministries, but we have other use drop in centers and critical care centers. We have camps and events throughout Montreal and the greater Montreal area. But specifically, station seven, what we're doing is we offer after school programs, drop ins, and summer ministries and other things so that whenever kids are out of school and whenever they use have free time on their hands. We wanna provide a place that they can go to keep them off of the streets and keep them out of negative activities and we're just providing for them what healthy Christian fund looks like.

0:21:22
When I was a teen and I was doing drugs with my friends, I didn't realize that there is ways that you can have there are ways that you can have fun without doing drugs, without vandalizing, without, like, being a menace in society. And so some of the programs that we offer at station seven include taste and see, which is a cooking lesson and a little devotional. We offer a lunch and lounge which is providing a hot lunch to the youth that we are surrounded by. We are we have a couple high schools that are in our area, so we provide a hot lunch for them. We have drop ins every Friday night, and that is for both preteens and teens. We offer a program called be the one, which is a program where youth can come and go out into their community and just help however they see fit like shoveling or raking, and there's a bunch of other activities that they partake in.

0:22:24
And something that I personally am developing. So I'm gonna be involved in a lot of those ministries. I say gonna be because I was just on medical leave. And so I'm only now getting back into full time ministry at station seven. And I have been and am working on developing a cafe because something that was really important to me when I was a teen was getting my homework done. It was something that I really wanted to thrive in school and I want you the best I can, but my home environment didn't allow for that to happen. And so I started slipping in my grades because I couldn't get my homework done. And so I want to develop this cafe as a place where teens can come and have that quiet ambiance of a cafe and get their homework done and partake in their hobbies, meet up with their friends, just a cute little modern positive experience for them to enjoy. And so that's what I'm working on right now while I'm also involved in, like, drop in and some of the other things that we offer.

0:23:33
What what is the response like from these teenagers, you know, who have may have never of experience, as you said, something positive in their lives, you know, because, you know, every young person comes from a very different and unique situation. And many of our young people, especially here in Quebec, we know that the, you know, the number of Christians is very, very small. And yes, you know, there is a an uptick of that, especially within the French community. But how how do these young people react to it? You know, when they come in and see something so different than what they're used to?

0:24:18
Through being involved at station seven, I've seen I've been honestly blown away because the You said I'm involved at with my church. I'm involved with at my church -- Right. -- through youth groups. They are Christians, and they live that healthy lifestyle at home. And so they know what it's like to partake in these healthy activities. But with these teams that I'm involved with at station seven. They come from non Christian homes and they struggle with a lot of issues like being below the poverty line and abuse and lack of support from the community. But honestly, they come through the doors at stations have been. And there are smiles on their faces and they're playing. They're making friends. They're having a great time. They'd love to just listen to music and sing and dance and play video games or play pool or buy snacks, eat dinner, whatever they go out and get sushi or pizza or whatever and then they come back and they just fill the space with joy and laughter and it's so clear that there is the desire to have that positive community. And you can see that because when it's offered to them, they they grab it. You know, like, they take it and they enjoy it. And there are teams that anytime there's a new ministry, a new what's it? Like, event or program that we offer. They are so quick to just be a part of that, and they're they're just thirsty for positive experience.

0:25:56
I know that I was I didn't know that I was when I was a teen, but now looking back, I know that that's all I wanted. Was someone to take an interest in me and provide me with something to do in a positive way. But because I didn't have that, I protick in all of these negative activities. And so we -- Yeah. -- are the ones supervise them with that, you know? Sorry.

0:26:17
And you I I think this is amazing, and I you know, it's so encouraging to hear about, you know, young people looking for a different type of tivity than what the world is providing them. Right? Because the way the world is right now in society is, it's all about me. And, you know, what can I do for myself, whereas what what station seven is doing through you for Christ is such an an amazing example to these young people there? I wanna take it a little bit back to a bit of a personal element here. I know because for those that don't know, Ravina and I attend the same church, and I met Ravina about a year, a little over a year ago. And this is just as much an opportunity for me to hear about her new ministry. But I also know that we have been praying for you for physical needs. If you're comfortable sharing about that, you know, what you've been through, how the lord has helped you deal with it, and how you are moving forward. Because I know what you deal with is not an easy thing to do. But you have such a positive attitude about getting out there and doing things that others would not do because of their physical situation. So Yeah.

0:27:46
I was diagnosed with Charcot Mary Tooth, CMT, for short, when I was seven years old. And what that is is a neurological condition that affects the whole body from the nerves to the bones to the muscles So I experienced muscle damage in my legs and my arms, mainly my hands. And my feet, and then nerve damage throughout my whole body as well. So the muscles that are damaged can never be repaired, but there are muscles that experience weakness and will get weaker as a age. And I can I can strengthen them through physical activity, but it is progressive and it will sir to get worse? It already has since I was seven gotten a lot worse. And then the nerves it's kind of like a superpower actually, which I love to say because I don't have feeling in my hands or feet or below my between my knees and ankles, it is a decreased sensation and between my elbows and wrists as well. And then the closer you get to my torso, the more feeling I gain. So all of my nerve endings, I have zero feeling.

0:29:06
And My friends and family have really taken to enjoying this because they'll, like, be poking me at the table and, like, She can't be with. So I guess it's entertainment for them as more than me. Yes. So for the past, three years, I've been undergoing some procedures to help with my bone structure and rearranging some tendents and muscles to help me gain certain movements that I didn't have before. And the procedures have been going interestingly. So some more smoothly than others, and I'm still recovering from two of them right now, and then we are going to assess potential future surgeries.

0:29:57
And so things are up in the air in terms of my health, but God is good and he has gotten me this far. And I just trust whatever he's doing here. He has a purpose for it. Just like, what's my testimony? He is using every little bit of it and I'm sure that this is just one of those aspects that he's using. So Yeah. It's it's interesting how God can take the most difficult things that we have to walk through and deal with for his glory and, you know, with with your heart, in your readiness. I I see a great future for you, Revino, and, you know, the Lord using you in his in his work in, you know, here in Montreal and wherever he leads you in in the future, I know that you know, a willing heart is what the lord wants from us.

0:30:53
What are you most excited about now? I am really excited about establishing my own program at station seven. And just seeing how that can benefit the teams. I'm excited to get to know the teams that I'm going to be involved with. We at station seven also offer a one on one mentorship program. And I'm really excited to get to know these teams on a deeper level and really show them that there is hope for them because I was just like them, and now I'm on the opposite side, and I have so much hope in enjoying my life. And I want to I'm the most excited about showing them that there's hope for them as well. Yeah. Amen to that.

0:31:41
How can the listeners support you, Ravena , So there are, as a missionary, we experience some difficulties as because we are putting ourselves out there to for the devil to just shoot us down And I think that the biggest thing that people can bless you with is prayer and lifting me up impaire from my ministry and that it is fruitful because if if my ministry is not being prayed for, then it's all in vain. And I don't expect to see any fruit from it if it's not being brought for the lord. And so that is the biggest way that people can support me. Of course, I am a missionary and financial needs are also a big part of me being able to heed the words calling in my life. In order for me to do that, I do have to get paid for it. And the way that we do that is by raising support. It's often an uncomfortable topic, but it's definitely something that has been challenging me and growing me.

0:32:54
And, yes, so we have a link to our to the YFC site. And if anyone honestly, all of the YFC missionaries that I've met thus far are amazing and doing wonderful things for the kingdom of heaven. And if people would were to just go on to the YFC site. There all the missionaries are listed there, all across Canada, all across Montreal. Even that our chapter here in Chatageau, and you can just look through all the missionaries, I'm listed there. And if anyone has on the heart to give financially, but most importantly through prayer. I will also link YFC down below in the show notes and also for prayer.

0:33:42
And before we close-up here, Ravena , what is one piece of advice that you can share with our listeners today? I think the biggest thing that someone blessed me with was to not lose hope. In me and not to lose hope in the people that if you're a Christian and you're sharing the gospel with someone and it seems like they are not hearing you. They're not budging. I think don't lose hope because God is in control and his Things will happen in his timeline. And there are people that I've been sharing the gospel with for years and they haven't budged but I am not gonna give up because if anyone would have given up on me, then I wouldn't be where I am today.

0:34:35
And I'm thinking of a quote by Naveel Khoreashi from seeking all of finding Jesus. And he said that he was in that book. I'm in paraphrasing. I don't remember the exact quote, but he was frustrated at the Christians that he had met before he got saved that didn't share the gospel with them because they were sitting on this gold mine and didn't invite him to partake. And I think that is the biggest mistake you can make is by losing hope in someone and saying they're not gonna get it and they're not gonna under and or it's gonna be too much work for you. I think if the Lord is in it, then you will be blessed. They will be blessed. And the kingdom of heaven and Midwest. So Yes.

0:35:22
The Amen, you know, two things on this this point is that you know, first of all, we're being very selfish by not sharing this amazing gift that we have been given. And, you know, it's just like, I always compare it to, you know, you find a good restaurant, you tell everybody. You you know, you you find a great movie to watch or a great book to read. You tell everybody. And I I don't you know, I was in that situation too where I didn't think it was important enough to tell people, but sometimes when you walk through the darkness, you understand what it means to be saved from it and you just wanna share it. And secondly, We underestimate what the holy spirit can do in someone else's life. We just need to plant the seeds, you know. And I think that that is so important. And, you know, Ravina, thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you for sharing your story and your wisdom. I look forward to seeing you grow in the lord and your ministry ministry to grow. I think this is amazing.

0:36:36
And to my friends listening today, Check out the show notes on how to connect with Arivina and how to support her, and please subscribe and share to grow our community Thank you so much, Ravena . Thank you for having me. It is my pleasure. God bless you. Thank you for joining me. To stay connected, follow me on Instagram and Facebook. If you like this podcast, can you help me find new listeners by leaving a rating and review? This small step takes only a moment. But really helps grow the listening audience. So let me thank you in advance. I hope you have a wonderful day and until next time. Let's continue on our journey as followers of Jesus Christ. I am Ruth Hovsepian.