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Mother and six children find a spiritual home
Joann Hogan, a mother of six and member at Fairview, Milwaukee, Wis., has lived through more trauma than most Americans can even imagine. Yet after years of poverty, abuse, homelessness, court cases, violence, and more, Joann can see God’s hand during the trauma-filled years of her life—and knows she has been blessed.
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Joann was born into a family plagued by generational poverty and abuse. Her mother and father, having been abused themselves, continued the cycle within their own family. When Joann was just 12 years old, her mother left home, and the Hogan children were placed with their grandmother through Child Protective Services (CPS) in another poverty-stricken area.
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In the years that followed, Joann never remained in one place for long. Often passed from relative to relative, she rarely felt safe. As a teen, Joann was sexually assaulted by her father and ultimately lacked safe, trustworthy adults in whom she could confide. Scared and struggling to cope with her trauma, Joann says, “I really had no safe place to let everything out. I was just basically dealing with all that on my own.”
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Featured image at top: Joann and her children. Soon after God led Joann to Fairview, Milwaukee, Wis., she asked Pastor Paul Steinberg to baptize all six of her children, who are also pictured in this photo at a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop.
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