Meet the Mosaic Women.
A mosaic is created by assembling broken pieces of stone, tile, or glass into a picture or pattern. The Mosaic Women are individuals who have trusted Christ with the broken pieces of their own lives, from which He has created new meaning and a new masterpiece.
All 17 inaugural Mosaic Women were personally encountered by or referred to photographer Teri Moy while researching and recruiting for the project. In the Bible, the number 17 symbolizes overcoming the enemy and complete victory. Indeed, each of the Mosaic Women embody what it means to overcome tragedy through identity in Christ, purpose, and faith.
What Satan intends for evil God will use for good
Pamela’s story reveals the importance of finding our value, not within earthly confines, but within the divine. Accidentally involved in a medical scandal, Pamela was raided by the FBI on her 43rd birthday and concurrently charged with a felony. Although ignorant to her contribution to this crime and innocent by all accounts, Pamela was forced to reckon with a world that labeled her as “bad.” Only through abiding in Christ, was Pamela able to reclaim a sense of her divine identity.
Wonder Woman
Alex’s story reminds us of the importance of persistence. After delivering her third child as a micro-preemie at only 24 weeks, Alex and her husband spent the following 16 weeks as near residents of the NICU, tending to their tiny, miraculously resilient new family member.
The Power of Godly Women
Growing up in a rural environment with an emotionally distant mother, Betty came to love and rely on her grandmother more than any other parental figure. When Betty’s grandmother passed in her mid-twenties, she was blessed enough to encounter other mother figures and mentors. Compelled by grief and gratitude, Betty is committed to providing and facilitating female mentorship.
When God Says “No”
After several years of longing for a child and attempting to conceive, Allison was diagnosed with a rare brain condition called Chiari Malformation which, had she given birth, may have killed or paralyzed her. Through this experience, Allison learned to trust, even when doing so doesn’t make sense.
A Call to Keep the Faith
At the innocent age of 20, Nimmi met an older man from abroad who romanced her and eventually proposed to her. Coming from a Christian Indian family, her parents did not approve of the union, but ultimately supported Nimmi. As soon as the marriage commenced, warnings from her family made sense: her husband became neglectful, controlling, and highly selfish. In spite of this, Nimmi and her husband went on to build a family. Then, when her children were ages 10, 7, and 3, Nimmi’s husband abducted the two older children. It was another 13+ years before Nimmi and her family were miraculously reunited.
Strength for the Day
True to her name, Faith’s story is one of radical trust, perseverance, and divine hope. Struck by the death of her husband, and then her son, the pain of loss colored Faith’s life with senselessness and despair. Only through faith in God’s invisible order, has she been able to find meaning amidst the inanity and joy in the life before her.
Bomb Over Beirut
Victoria shares a story of divine protection through intuition and reminds us of the importance of tuning our souls to a higher channel. After marrying a Lebanese politician, Victoria relocated to Beirut where she built a lush and fulfilling life and family. However, when civil war struck the country, Victoria’s marriage, faith, and sense of safety were all tested.
Peace over Past
After enduring the death of her second child, infidelity in her marriage, and a near-death experience, Winter shares a story about find peace in the midst of chaos and acceptance when we lack understanding. During and beyond divorce from her high school sweetheart, Winter experienced deep-seated bitterness and feelings of betrayal. It wasn’t until Winter transformed those feelings from a badge of honor to a badge of healing that she was truly able to experience peace over her past.
Healed in Body, Soul, Spirit
At the age of 33, Chrystal’s life as the wife of a pastor and mother of three was interrupted by frequent anxiety attacks and the eventual diagnosis of bipolar disorder, a condition which would rule her life for the next three years. Eventually, through the expertise of faithful doctor’s, the support of her community, and equine therapy, Chrystal experienced medical healing from her mental health condition, which she has gone on to write about in her autobiography, God Can you Love Me.
Daughter of a King
Kristi’s story is one of redemption, transformation, and healing. After surviving sexual abuse as a young girl, Kristi coped with the pain through behaviors which confirmed and perpetuated a perceived lack of worth – until she encountered a limitless source of love in Jesus Christ. Today, Kristi sees her value and believes that there is a purpose to our pain.
The Search for Identity
After Christine was raped at a young age, her ability to healthily relate to men became stunted and her sexual identity convoluted. Christine’s story is one of deep questioning and ongoing work surrounding relationships, sexuality, and the ways in which learn how to love and be loved.
A Daughter’s Story
Shortly after Robin’s father passed away, her grieving mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. This thrusted Robin into a new phase of life predominated by caregiving and the navigation of a condition previously unknown to her. Nine years later, Robin is still caring for her mother and ultimately considers this experience a privilege: one which has affirmed her strength, provided insight, and connected her to a supportive community.
Surviving Genocide
Jocelyn was 26 years old when genocide broke out in Wichasarah, Rwanda, and she was forced to run for her life. During the war she suffered a bullet wound, lost both of her parents, and two of her seven siblings. Today, 26 years later, Jocelyn lives to tell the story as a 51-year-old mother who supports her family through farming. Jocelyn credits her faith for the ability to persevere through loss and hardship.
Your Unfinished Story
Megan’s story reminds us of the importance of trusting in divine knowledge and divine provision. As a young married couple in ministry, Megan and her husband faced the darkness and confusion of infertility, which set them on a bleak pursuit toward the means to create a family. Ultimately, Megan and her husband found family in one another and the body of Christ.
Better, Not Bitter
After Margaret’s newborn Adeline was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia, she and her husband undertook an intense fight for life that involved multiple surgeries during Adeline’s infancy. The final saving grace for this family was a mother-daughter liver transplant from Margaret, who cites this trial as a season that taught her how to be better, not bitter.
Attitude is Everything
Jennifer was at the height of her career, in the throes of raising a family, and in pique athletic performance when she suffered a tragic car accident that would forever change her relationship with her body — and her spirit. Today, five years following the accident, Jennifer is back to competing in races and says, “my determination and resolve is stronger.”
As Long As You Are With Me
Following a childhood of neglect and feelings of being unwanted, Maria found herself in a physically and emotionally abusive marriage with an unfaithful husband who attempted to force Maria and her children out of the home. Committed to her relationship and to her children, Maria remained in the marriage until her husband’s eventual death in 1996. Then, and even still, Maria claims that she finds hope, provision, and companionship in her relationship with Christ. When others fail her, God is with her.