Erika de la Cruz is a wife and mother of three children who for many years worked as a government employee to support her family. She always dreamed of owning her own business and building her own house, but she could not find the right business idea nor did she have the financial resources to be able to achieve her goals.

Attending a family retreat hosted by HOPE Ukraine’s Spiritual Integration team in rural Ukraine proved to be a major turning point for Lesia Prishepa. After three days away with her husband, focusing on one another and interacting with other couples, Lesia says, “I had a great desire to change something.”