Connections

Migdalia Smith had a lot to be fearful of. Now the survivor of abuse and sex trafficking wants other victims to know that God is real and he can help.

Migdalia was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised with three other siblings in a single-parent home. Her mother eventually relocated the family to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After tumultuous times that involved sex trafficking, stripping, drug use and abuse, Migdalia was introduced to the salvation of Jesus Christ. 

Do you worry a lot? Do you find it impossible to work in the middle of chaos? Do you wonder if God is going to come through for you in difficult times?

Jenny Donnelly, a speaker, entrepreneur, best-selling author and mother of five is using her new book, Still: 7 ways to find calm in the chaos, to teach us how to experience true, life-giving rest even amid chaos. 

Do you worry that you’re messing up your kids? Do you get stressed when you think about their futures? New York Times bestselling author Crystal Paine knows how you feel. A mom of four, Crystal has struggled with anxiety over parenting. 

After experiencing a terrifying experience with one of her children, Crystal Paine decided she needed to make some big changes to the way that she was parenting her children.

As the war drags on in Ukraine, millions of people have fled the country, with more leaving daily.

Michael Messenger is the president and CEO of World Vision Canada. He was at the border in Romania when Russia's invasion of Ukraine started. 

Our kids are watching us, and because I said so just doesn’t cut it sometimes.

Lucille Williams, a national speaker who has ministered to couples and families for more than 25 years and author of The Impossible Kid: Parenting a Strong-Willed Child with Love and Grace, says our words and our actions need to match up to allow for authentic parenting and the ability to point our children to God.

Depression manifests itself in many different ways, such as fatigue, persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest in daily activities, and the inability to focus or leave home.

Jenita Pace, a licensed professional counsellor (LPC) and pastor’s wife, experienced her battles with depression and anxiety that left her personal life on the brink.

Born with moderate to severe hearing loss, Thomas Muglia grew up in a musical family and quickly learned how to feel, play, and read music at a young age.

"Interestingly enough, the hearing loss doesn't really impact my musical life very much," Muglia explains. "It affects my ability to communicate with others if I'm in a crowded room. As a musician though, I can't say that it has impacted me. It's just kind of my normal. I don't know life with full hearing. Life with hearing loss is just normal to me." 

Life has been anything but easy for JT Jester, but that has not stopped him from accomplishing everything he's dreamed of.

Diagnosed with VATER/VACTERL Syndrome, a rare combination of several birth defects, JT has spent plenty of time in and out of the hospital.

Cancer, it's a word we hope to never hear in our lifetime, but for Dan Epp-Tiessen and his family, it's a word they heard regularly.

"There have been 10 different times when a doctor has sat us down and said to one of us, you've got cancer, or you have cancer again, or despite the treatments, you have cancer again," Epp-Tiessen explains.

March is Epilepsy Awareness Month, a great time to raise awareness, challenge myths, and help break the stigma surrounding epilepsy.

Chris Kullman is the president of the board of directors for the Epilepsy and Seizure Association of Manitoba. He says epilepsy can be hard to define sometimes.