Stella's Refuge

12/17/2025

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Testimony from.our brother ministry, Unchained.

“Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.”
Psalms 107:2 NLT

With the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior approaching, we wanted to share the powerful testimony of the first resident of Unchained Ministries and how the Lord has moved in his life.

Bobby was born and raised in San Antonio, Tx. It was there that he was involved in drugs and gang activities starting at the age of 15 years old. After attempting to murder a police officer he was then arrested and met Jesus in the back of the police cruiser and received forgiveness from the officer he attempted to kill. Bobby was incarcerated for 35 years of his life and eventually became homeless; but he was walking with the Lord. Bobby was living on the streets in temptation for 10 years until he came to live at Unchained Ministries. God has been restoring Bobby after losing his family, friends, and himself. As he learns more and more about the love of God, he is regaining love for himself and others. Bobby prays that he continues to be used by God to love on others and show what Christ has done for him and through him.

Bobby has been such a blessing to Unchained Ministries and we are so thankful for how God has been moving in the men’s lives in this community!
For the holiday season Unchained is hoping to surprise Bobby with Christmas cards with words of scripture, encouragement, and love. If you would like to send a card to Bobby you can mail them to 106 St George Street, Gonzales Tx 78629 or hand them to Robert and Lisa Ramirez or Dominic Jr and Ashley Vega.

You can contact Robert +1 (361) 208-3518 or
Lisa +1 (361) 208-3517 if there are additional questions you may have.

If you would like to donate to the ministry to keep impacting lives like Bobby here is a way to do so:
https://unchainedministries.breezechms.com/give/online

Thank you and God bless!

11/13/2025

November 13, 2025
Wow, as I write this date, I am reminded of the time that has passed since we first moved into our new home last year in December. What a joy it is to be in this newly remodeled, comfortable, and very economical new home. We were able to secure another year’s lease so that we can raise more funds to purchase the house from Gateway Church Fellowship. They have been wonderful to us and are attentive to the needs we have had as we work out the “kinks” in our new home. But, all in all, we love everything about the home. Our Monday Bible study meets in the huge two-car garage and we are quite comfortable there as we have vented air and great insulation. Plus, our women’s group continues to grow and attract other Jesus seekers from the community. The camaraderie and genuine care and concern of the women toward each other is what builds the volunteer base needed to operate Stella’s Refuge, through donations, service, and prayer coverage. Plus the blessing of friendship and relationship is invaluable.
We currently have three women with a fourth on the way which makes our home full. We are blessed with women who are genuinely grateful and appreciative of the gift of a safe home where they can recover and make new friends, learn their identity in Christ, and become financially stable members of society. We believe in giving back in gratitude for what others have given to us. We always look for ways to share the love of Christ with others in the community through various acts of service and donations. Our jail ministry of hygiene bags is one thing we do on a regular basis to bless those coming out of incarceration with a nice bag of products that will help them get started when they leave.
As we approach the end of the year, many like to give to a worthy cause. Stella’s has been in operation since 2016, serving women in recovery and assisting them back into society. We have established a giving fund for the purchase of our home which is called Stella’s House account at Sage Capital Bank. Our operational funds usually run us about $2100-$2400 a month, which includes the lease and utilities. Miscellaneous is also covered in that amount. I will list the accounts and ways to pay below.
In January we plan to host the Ministerial Alliance and community leaders for a lunch at Unchained Ministries as the “pay it forward” event to receive our $10,000 grant from the Kasper Foundation which will be added to our capital campaign fund. To be honest, fundraising is not “my thing” at all. God has always provided for us through gifts and donations throughout the years, many times from sources I was totally unaware of. But I am obligated to mention this need as the home does provide us with a stable environment from which to grow through the years. We hope to leave Stella’s as a legacy to the recovery community.
Here is a list of ways to give:
BethanyCOH, general operational fund, $Stellasrefuge cash app tag, Stella’s House fund for the purchase of our home. All at Sage Capital Bank here in Gonzales. Make checks out according to the fund and mail to Bethany COH, PO Box 1685, Gonzales, TX 78629
Now, may the God of all hope, give you all the riches of his glory from now until the day for his return has arrived. May you be fruitful in your endeavors for Christ and blessed beyond measure in your home, your business and in your relationships with family. Christ is King and we honor and love him this day and forever. Love you all, Sherry

10/18/2025

October 17, 2025
Hello friends:
Just wanted to touch base with all of you and let you know we are happy to report we have received a new resident and another is on the way. God searches the hearts of these women and sets up the circumstances for them to come and recover at Stella’s. I have to brag on our local recovery community. It is supportive, challenging, and active. If people work the 12 steps and go to the meetings, they will stay sober and recover a new and productive lifestyle, full of joy and purpose. I have seen it over and over. The opposite is also true, sadly.
We are in the last quarter of the year already, which is hard to believe. Our home is perfect for us, and we are still interested in buying it. We do have a fund set up at Sage Bank called Stella’s House (it was an existing account we are using for the house funds). We have agreed to lease it for another year, in hopes at the year’s end in 2026, we have enough money to buy the home outright. God is our provider and we believe there are those who would like to contribute to this life changing ministry by donating to the purchase of our home.
This week we had a sort of reunion with some of our former residents from a year or so ago. It was great to see them and hear about their success in their lives: apartments, jobs, vehicles, family relations restored (this is the most important other than the restoration of the resident). This process of restoration is quite messy at times, because it is real life, not some prescribed formula for each woman who arrives. Our one and only prescription is a relationship with Jesus which changes everything. And we are sticking to it!
Our Bible study with the volunteers and others from the community continues to grow and bear fruit each week. There is not a week that goes but that someone doesn’t share their heart cry, report on a healing we had prayed for, request prayer and wisdom for a relational situation, or just share revelation from God’s living Word. And it truly is alive, and active in all of our lives. If you do not have an active living relationship with the Word of God, Jesus, now is the time. Pick up your Bible, find someone to share with you, pray, listen for God to speak to you about your life, and then obey God’s instructions. After the event of Charlie Kirk’s death, his legacy continues to make us realize the profit of conversation with others on the deeper issues of life. What really matters now anyway? Another fundraiser, another game, another trip, another piece of furniture or clothing, a new vehicle....none of which is wrong but where does Jesus fit into your life today? The times we are in bear witness to the need to have a living relationship with the creator of all, Jesus the Christ. Read Colossians 1: 9-20 for a fresh perspective on the person Jesus and who he is in the universe. And just think, we get to know him and love him and be loved by him! Too much goodness.
So, Stella’s is a place where broken women, both volunteers and residents, come together to love one another, study and apply the word of God, and enjoy a relationship with the one who created us and knows us the best. Living in God’s kingdom on earth is exploding all across the world with revivals among youth and even those who are oppressed and persecuted. God is on the move; don’t you want to be part of it? We’d love you to join us for our Monday Bible study at 10:30 every Monday at 728 St. James. You will be loved and accepted and maybe even find a ministry with our Stella’s women. You are welcome to join us.
For donations to our ministry, we have a cash app, $Stellasrefuge; we also have an account at Sage Capital that you can electronically donate to called Bethany Community of Hope. You can also send a check to Bethany COH at PO Box 1685 Gonzales, TX.
Love to you all, Sherry

08/19/2025

August Newsletter 2025
Hello friends of Stella’s Refuge. Things are happening at Stella’s and we could not be more pleased with the progress toward purchasing our current home. A couple months ago I applied for a grant from the Kasper Foundation in Shiner and was granted an interview at which time I explained our mission and what our desire is for the future of Stella’s. The interviewers were so gracious and listened so well, asking questions with interest. I appreciated the opportunity to interview with them. And the good news is we were approved a grant for $10,000 to put towards the purchase of the house on St. James. For our “Pay It Forward” event which is a condition to receive the grant will be a community leader luncheon and informational meeting for our new men’s transition home ministry, Unchained Ministry, with Robert and Lisa Ramirez. We will have the lunch at their new men’s home as soon as they are operational and we secure a date and time. We will also highlight another ministry which is moving towards becoming operational, Crown of Life meal kitchen and food pantry which is operating out of the church and fellowship center right next to Stella’s. John and Robin Atkinson are the leaders for that ministry. Our goal for the lunch is to introduce community and church leaders to these three important ministries here in Gonzales and God willing, support.
Now, this Kasper grant is only for the loan itself and not for any operational expenses that are our monthly bills which usually amount to around $2000, including utilities. So, we are always appreciative of donations for that. The Lord has been our provider for over eight years now, and He continues to bring us just what we need. It is always amazing how we have always been able to pay our monthly bills and any other expenses that arise out of need. “Give and it shall be given to you, pressed down, shaken together, and running over,” Luke 6:38. The Lord is true to his Word to perform it.
We have good news for one of our residents who applied for housing a year ago; she will be moving into her new apartment next month and has received a house full of furnishings donated by a generous supporter. He certainly answered her prayer as she had absolutely no furniture for her apartment. Luke 6:38 here too.
Here is a short testimony from L.L. about her stay at Stellas: I love the Ladies’ Bible Study on Mondays. I feel like I have a new family. I am so thankful that I can feel safety and peace when I am in Stella’s Refuge. God is so good to me. He gave me a house full of furniture, when I had nothing.
At this writing, we will receive a new resident tomorrow who is arriving from a halfway house near Austin. We have prayed and made preparations for her and her success. It was a real battle to get her here as there is ongoing spiritual warfare over the women who arrive. It is because God has something very special for each of them. He wants to meet them and change their lives…… Thanks for you support. We love you all, Sherry

08/08/2025

PERSONAL TESTIMONY: Kenneth Rodgers
As far back as I can remember, I have always known about the Lord, but it wasn’t until my early twenties that I met Him personally. It would take many more years after meeting Him before I would start to submit, and our relationship would grow.
When I think back to before I had a personal relationship with the Lord, I have many memories of different places, people, and times. The only thing that seemed to stay the same was the feelings. I always remember having feelings of fear and loneliness. I would spend much of my life trying to fit in or be a part of something that would make me feel different. Only to end up worse than I started.
It was around middle school when I started hanging out with the wrong crowd. I felt protected, like I was part of something, but that wouldn’t last too long. Before I knew it, I would be in high school and trying drugs for the first time. On the outside, I seemed to be doing good. This made my recreational drug use easy to hide. Shortly after high school, I met a girl from a good Christian family. Part of dating her was attending church with her family every Sunday. This is where I would hear God’s voice for the first time. You would think this is where my life turns around, but it would be many more years of Father faithfully chasing me before our relationship would start to grow.
It wasn’t much after hearing the voice of God that my substance abuse would move past being recreational, and my girlfriend would leave me. This would be followed by many years of deep addiction. I would lose everything repeatedly, everything but my family and the Lord. They were always there for me! Even through my worst times, the Lord still pulled me into that church. I would find myself hiding in the back so no one would see how messed up I was. I remember breaking down and crying to the Lord for help. I felt like I had been carrying so much weight, and now I was on my knees begging for help. I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to get rid of everything and tell my family I was ready for help. The moment I said, “I’ll do it, I’ll do anything,” I felt this weight lifted from me.
This is where the long road to recovery started, and my relationship with the Lord would start to grow. There would be lots of ups and downs, but the Lord was always with me. At the beginning of my recovery, I would often have dreams where I was back abusing drugs. I remember waking up scared, thinking I was going to be like this forever. But God stayed faithful, blessing me again and again. Occasionally, I still have those bad dreams, but instead of waking up scared, I wake up thankful that I have been chosen by God, and no matter what, He will not lose me. Now our relationship is stronger than ever. I’m not sure what He is preparing me for, but I’m excited to go wherever He takes me.
Sometimes when I’m at church, in a small group, or just hanging out with my pastors, I find myself getting lost in the moment. I find myself in amazement at where I’m at and in awe of the God that brought me here. My God! It’s only by His grace that I’m alive, but more importantly, alive in Christ. Now I know I’m never alone, and my fear is only of the Lord.

From my FB friend kenny rogers

07/03/2025

Not many comments so I'll try again.

07/03/2025

July 1, 2025
Hello friends of Stella’s Refuge:
I am glad to report we have great news from Stella’s Refuge. Our dear friends, and now soon to be ministry partners with their men’s transition home, Lisa and Robert Ramirez and volunteers from Eastside Baptist, gave our Stella’s ministry a tremendous gift in May. They served up a delicious BBQ meal and sold almost 600 tickets to present us with a gift of $7200. We were so humbled and appreciative of this great hardworking group who did the fundraiser for us a “Pay It Forward” event in order for Lisa and Robert to receive a sizeable grant from the Kasper Foundation in Shiner. We plan to use this money along with anything else we collect before the end of the year to make a downpayment or buy outright the home we now occupy. We have just fallen in love with our new place and it just seems perfect for the women residents and for our wonderful Bible Study on Monday’s at 10:30. This Bible Study gives our volunteers a way to be uplifted and filled with the word of God for the week ahead. We treasure each of the women who attend so faithfully each week. We love each other and the way God is working in each of our lives. It is such an honor to do ministry work with these ladies.
We have two full-time residents now and the opportunity to receive at least two more, probably by the end of the month. The women we are now corresponding with are in halfway houses, post prison. Stella’s is a “next step” in their ongoing recovery back into society.
We also have Stella’s supporters out in the community, such as Kasey Rhodes with Come and Organize It. Kasey keeps an eye out for pieces of furniture or odds and ends we may need for the house from all the auctions she does each week. I like going to them just to see what is there. I am amazed at how organized all these sales are and the efficiency with which they are run. Kasey has been generous with us, sometime donating items or making us a really “good deal”. Wow, what a friend to our Stella’s she is. Thank you, Kasey, for your care and support of this cause to help women get back on their feet.
This past week, our topic for Bible Study was forgiveness and what a beautiful discussion and ministry time we had. We spoke of one of the main causes of needing this gift from God and that is “offense”. I made the comment that in all my life, I have never seen so many take offense to some of the most inane interactions with others. So many people are “outraged” by just about everything someone else does or doesn’t do. It actually seems to be “fashionable” to become outraged and lambast someone either on social media (the favorite) or by text. Jesus tells us this behavior will become rampant in what he calls “the last days”. He tells us in Matthew 10:34-39, that His very presence in a believer’s life actually may offend some, even those in our own families as this scripture speaks of. These are the hard words of Jesus. But He encourages us by saying that he or she who endures to the end will be saved. Praise God for the great Forgiver!
If you would like to donate to Stella’s, we have a new way, CashApp, $StellasRefuge, for your convenience. You may also use direct deposit if you choose to donate monthly. Set it up with our Bethany Community of Hope account at Sage Capital Bank. Or you can donate by check to BethanyCOH, and mail to Stella’s Refuge, PO Box 1685, Gonzales, 78629. God bless you friend.

05/27/2025

05/23/2025

FB says to say something about these pics. Words can't describe the beautiful expressions of the body of Christ that put on this support benefit for Stella's Refuge. From the cooks to the servers to the buyers, I thank God for you all. I love you. And so does Stella's. Robert Lisa Ramirez June Calender Irene Medrano

05/17/2025

Our cashtag and link to cash app is in our profile.
$StellasRefuge

05/16/2025

"What ever disunites man from God, also disunites man from man."

– Edmund Burke