Roger Marsh: Well, welcome back to Family Talk. Thanks so much for joining us today. I'm Roger Marsh, and in just a moment we'll be hearing part two of a very insightful and encouraging conversation between our own Dr. James Dobson and his special guest, Christine Soule. Christine will be sharing the incredible story of her personal trials, her tribulations and her journey to grow closer to God and to feel safe and redeemed in His love and care. Just a quick disclaimer, today's interview does involve a few instances of mature content, and as such, parental discretion is advised. The program today is intended for a mature audience. Now if you miss part one, which aired yesterday, remember you can access the entire interview on our website. Just go to drjamesdobson.org/familytalk to learn more. Okay, let me share a little bit about today's guest. Christine Soule is a true survivor and she's an overcomer.
She made it through a turbulent and traumatic childhood, and then her teen years were extremely difficult as well, and she dealt with the trauma and shame of abuse and prevalent drug abuse. Christine also survived the unimaginable nightmare of being trafficked. But today, Christine Soule has been transformed by the grace of God. Now, years later, she's a philanthropist, an author, and she runs an amazing nonprofit ministry ministering to women and young ladies seeking shelter and the basic tools required to make it on their own. She's the founder and CEO of Providence Heights, a nonprofit ministry created to provide shelter and transitional housing for women and children. Providence Heights provides counseling, education and jobs to women in their programs. Christine is married to her loving and warmhearted husband, Mitch, and together they have five children and two grandchildren, at least so far. Christine's story is a real example of how God works in our lives no matter what has happened.
In just a moment, we're going to hear the second part of the conversation that Christine Soule had with our own Dr. Dobson. First though, let me remind you about a special opportunity we have available here during the month of December. Thanks to some special friends of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, we have been given a matching grant. What that means for you is that any amount you donate to the JDFI this month, that gift will be doubled. Now, we are a listener supported broadcast outreach and this grant will double your impact to bless us with a donation of financial support. All you have to do is go online to drjamesdobson.org and learn how to do it there. That's drjamesdobson.org, or give us a call.
Our team is standing by right now and they would love to hear from you. Call 877-732-6825. That's 877-732-6825. We are only here because of your faithful financial support and your ongoing prayers. So, thank you for your encouragement and your support and for joining us today. Now, let's return to Dr. Dobson in a special conversation from one of our Best of 2022 broadcasts right here, as Dr. Dobson continues now with Christine Soule of Providence Heights Ministry located in Seattle, Washington. Doctor?
Dr. James Dobson: Well, Christine as an opportunity to get acquainted with you and understand where you've come from. It's quite a story. Would you begin by just sharing what happened to you in the early days of your life, especially the dysfunctional family that you were born into?
Christine Soule: Yeah, I'd be happy to share that. So, my mom was married four times. My father was married eight. They were divorced when I was about five years old. And I, at my dad's funeral, actually had met 14 other siblings, and so that made 18, in total, kids. My mom had gotten married again when I was in the fourth grade, and that didn't turn out so well. At about age 10, I started to do drugs. And my mom was married a third time to the man that I believed was really my father. That was where I really found home and felt like I belonged. He adopted me actually, and I really felt like I found my family. I found a home I belonged. And I walked downstairs and I had realized that my adopted father was having an affair with my sister.
Dr. James Dobson: Oh, my goodness.
Christine Soule: Oh yeah. It absolutely shocked me. And I found myself one day sitting in the classroom as a 15 year old girl thinking, I don't even know what normal is. How do I act like a normal person when I don't even know what it looks like? At 17, I had gotten pregnant with my first beautiful girl, Melissa. And less than two years later, I had identical twin boys, Tyler and Dylan. And though they are the love of my life, at that time, I was actually a meth addict just trying to survive really, and I ended up being trafficked. I was abused, and I felt that my only value and my only worth was in my appearance.
And I was really told what kind of value I had, and it was nothing. And so I believed that lie. And it was after that I was going to the strip club that I was forced to work at. And I kept having all these traffic issues. And when I'd get to work, there was all these parking issues because gosh, there was this guy named Benny Hinn and he was having a big crusade right next to where I worked. And years and years later, I realized at some point, I bet he asked his audience to put his hands toward that strip club and pray for those people to come to the knowledge of Christ because it was right after he had left that conference that he was having that I fell to my knees as a 21 year old girl and I cried out to Jesus and I said, "If you are real, take my life. It's yours."
I was completely set free in that moment and it really set me on this journey of trying to figure out who this Jesus guy is and where do I fit. And I also ended up bouncing from house to house not knowing how I was going to survive.
Dr. James Dobson: Christine, have you managed to put your life together? You sound like you really far more confident than you were in all those years. Has the Lord really rebuilt your life.
Christine Soule: Yes. There's two Scriptures that have really been a platform for my life. One is in Genesis 50:20, that "You take what the enemy has done for evil and allow God to turn it for good." But then it says, and people quote this all the time, but it continues to say, "for the saving of many lives." And it gave my pain a purpose, and I really felt like, my goodness, I could really walk that out and help others to be set free. The other Scripture is where it talks about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And one part of that story that really gripped me is that when they had came out of the fire, they didn't even smell like smoke. It was so profound. I sat there in that moment and I thought, I don't even need to carry the remnant. I don't need to smell like smoke.
And I really stood on that and the Scripture that whom the son set free is free indeed. I was free. I don't need to live in that pain or condemnation or shame. I am a new creation in Christ, and I walk that out. And so as a result, I started a foundation or organization called Providence Heights, and we house women in children in need. But beyond that, we focus on being a preventative organization and we teach them entrepreneurial skills and teach them how to start businesses. So, we have women in our organization who have actually started their own businesses, not to mention we've started a coffee business, a honey business. We're working on a publishing company and several other businesses that are underway.
Dr. James Dobson: How did you come about starting this nonprofit organization? It takes money to do that, and it takes facilities. You have apparently a residential training center where you are teaching these young women and even children. How did you get that started?
Christine Soule: The amazing thing is God is so faithful. He took me from a life of poverty to marrying what I believe is the most generous man that I've ever seen. And so I had the opportunity to live a life of philanthropy for the last 21 years. And at that point, God really put on my heart to start a facility to help women and children that were in my position to give them the opportunities because I had an opportunity. And so really, the focus is to bring them in, discover their identity in Christ. We do a lot of personality testing, strength finders. They work on their mission, vision, value statement for their life so they could really start to identify what is it that God created them to be.
And so that's been my season. My husband had a software company, which he's now sold, and so we've been able to... Right now, we're leasing a hotel and we are in process of going into some due diligence on purchasing a hotel that will be 97 rooms with office and retail space, and there's an entire office tower where we could have a church, a school and daycare.
Dr. James Dobson: The Lord really has His hand on you, doesn't He, Christine?
Christine Soule: It's unbelievable.
Dr. James Dobson: After all that dysfunction, you found the purpose and a meaning. How many women and children attend this facility? Or is a residential facility, is that right?
Christine Soule: Correct. It is a residential facility where we really focus on what do we do with the future. God has a destiny and a calling and a purpose. In fact, I call them our arrows because God has set up a target for their life and we're just the guides. And so we're helping them to find that target. And so yes, it's residential, but we teach them skills like QuickBooks and website development, how to do e-commerce and package fulfillment, photography. They're learning all kinds of skills. And so it's very exciting to see what potential all of these women really have.
Dr. James Dobson: How do they come to you? Do they knock on the door and ask if there's something there for them? How do you identify who they are?
Christine Soule: Yeah, that's a great question. So, we really have found a lot of our women through the church. It's interesting because it could be your neighbor, someone that's sitting beside you at church, a family member. These are everyday women who are just trying to survive. They're trying to keep their head above the water. The way we describe our organization is that I think so many of us have been at the edge of the cliff in our life, and the next critical steps that we take will determine whether we start to fall off that cliff. And a lot of organizations are throwing ropes, and that's amazing, we need that. But depending on how far the women have fallen off that cliff will really determine whether we can pull them up or if they even have the strengths to hold on any longer. So, that's our focus, is to really be more like a guard rail and stop that from happening in the first place.
Dr. James Dobson: Yeah. Well, then what are the programs that you have for them to accomplish this. And do you have a faculty? You have people that assist you with it?
Christine Soule: Oh, we have an amazing staff. We have life coaches and counselors. And so through this, we do a lot of different curriculums. And then a critical component of what we do is really just their faith, their walk in Christ. And so we have chapel, we have prayer, we have bible, journaling, discipleship training. We really focus on the whole person. And with that spiritual component, we're watching them just truly be set free in so many ways.
Dr. James Dobson: What an incredible mission. And there's such a need for it in Seattle, isn't there?
Christine Soule: Oh, there sure is.
Dr. James Dobson: I read the other day that Seattle has the population of 2.2 million people, but it has the third largest homeless rate in the United States.
Christine Soule: Sure does.
Dr. James Dobson: Why is that happening there?
Christine Soule: That's a great question as well. I think that part of the problem is that we're focusing on allowing the situation to get so bad. They have something called housing first, and what that means, and it's in many states, is that the person with the highest risk gets the house first. Sounds compassionate, but the problem with that is that people who are just trying to make it really can't get any services. And so women, once they become homeless, once they land on the street physically, they have 72 hours before pimps and drug dealers get to them. That means that once they land on the streets, they're at risk for losing their children to foster care. Now, they have to worry about abuse, about trafficking, drugs, and just the trauma in itself from landing on the streets when we can actually prevent it. And so that's really my focus. I actually call it feeding the beast. We need to quit feeding the beast, because once they get down that road, we have so many other circumstances that we need to deal with.
And I think that we're not addressing it up front where we can really just help that person to get off onto their feet, and then the next, and then the next, rather than it compounding the way that it is. And that's really what we're seeing in Washington.
Dr. James Dobson: Do you really see miraculous things taking place? Your life, Christine, is a miracle. I mean, if looking at you at 15 or 16 or 18 years of age, let alone four or five or six, I would not have expected you to have landed on your feet the way you have, but the Lord has done a miracle in your life, and now you're passing it on to others.
Christine Soule: Yeah. And I truly believe I experience those things so that I could be doing what I'm doing today. And if I had to do it over again, knowing what I would have to go through just to look into these women's and children's faces and see what treasures they are, I would do it again. I would say, sign me up, Dr. Dobson.
Dr. James Dobson: The title of your book is Broken and Beautiful. It's autobiographical. You were talking about yourself. Your subtitle here is interesting, Let God Turn the mess Into a Masterpiece.
Christine Soule: Yeah, that is my passion. It comes from Kintsugi art, that concept of taking a broken vessel that is deemed worthless and trash. But when you allow God to repair it with gold, it's actually those broken places that create the value, uniqueness, worth and beauty. And so that's why I named my book Broken and Beautiful. It's really taking and allowing God to make your life into something beautiful. And I believe that for every person that we encounter.
Dr. James Dobson: Tell us about some of the miracles. Tell us about one that comes to mind where God has really taken a broken person who is a mess, personally and emotionally, and turned into a masterpiece.
Christine Soule: We have so many great stories. I'll share one about a girl named Kristy. And she had said that I could share this story with you, but she was a good kid. She had some trials in life, never really felt valued or worthy, but she ended up getting into school. She had gotten into a sorority. And she got drunk one day with one of her roommates and the roommate's boyfriend offered her some meth, and she took it, and instantly she became addicted and she started selling drugs to support the habit. She found herself in prison and into a life of a lot of heartache. She had one child that was taken away from her, and then adopted. And by the time she got to us, she had a three year old and she was in a homeless shelter. And we had brought her into our organization. She's one of our first girls. And oh my goodness, she's brilliant. She's thriving. One of the statements that she made is, "I've never had someone tell me that they believe in me."
And that woman has actually started a bracelet business. It's called Esther Sky Designs, and she's doing well. She's thriving. She loves the Lord. She's an amazing mom. And we have watched this woman's life become completely transformed. And now, she wants to help run a Providence Heights one day.
Dr. James Dobson: Christine, that is so inspirational. The book that Christine has written, again, is Broken and Beautiful: Let God Turn Your Mess Into a Masterpiece. And she's doing this work for the Lord after having experienced such a difficult and painful childhood. And it really is a miracle what the Lord has done in your life, and you're turning around and giving it to others. That is very impressive. And I'd love to see your facility sometime.
Christine Soule: Oh, I hope that you would come and visit.
Dr. James Dobson: And do you have visitors that come through?
Christine Soule: Oh, we sure do. And it's amazing because with our Providence Collective side, that's where we run the businesses, we actually have the women. When we have guests, we have them do a presentation for our guests that come and visit. So, they really get to see exactly what we do and how we're able to take women who are just trying to survive into a life of independence and success and really even starting their own businesses for those who want to.
Dr. James Dobson: Well, let me say to our listeners that we began our conversation before we went on the air by praying for you and about you and about this ministry. And I'm going to ask our listeners to pray for you. And how can they get your book?
Christine Soule: Yeah, so they can order online on Amazon, and they can also go to providenceheights.org where they can find out about our non-profit organization, as well as they can find Providence Collective, where we have the different items that we're selling through Providence Heights.
Dr. James Dobson: And people can make contributions to your ministry too.
Christine Soule: Absolutely. That would be a wonderful blessing.
Dr. James Dobson: All the profits from the sale of this book by Christine, Broken and Beautiful, go to Providence Heights, so you're still pouring your life into it. Christine, during your earlier years, especially during the adolescent years, did you ever consider aborting one of your babies?
Christine Soule: Yes. With my first daughter, I was 17 years old and terrified. And abortion was certainly a topic, and I made a choice not to go through with that. And ironically, more out of selfishness, I wanted to feel loved and I wanted that baby. But when I had my twins, I was actually being trafficked at that point, and I was straight up told, "You are getting an abortion." And I signed up. The night before I was going to have the abortion, I had a dream. And in that dream, there were two babies. It was a strange dream, but I desperately wanted to know how to care for them. And I woke up with this longing of wanting to get it right. And I thought, my goodness, I can't get an abortion. It's a baby. And so instead of the abortion, I canceled that and I went to the doctors and they did an ultrasound because the dates were really off.
And they said, "It's not one baby, it's two," just like in my dream. With that, I was going to say I've also had six miscarriages trying to have our little baby girl. And through that experience, I have become very, very passionate about the sanctity of life and knowing that every child in the womb has a destiny and a calling for their life as well. And I think the big thing to know too is when a woman chooses to get an abortion, I think that's probably one of the most difficult decisions a woman can make. And I think we have a struggle in the, "Oh, you're a murderer if you kill your baby." And I think it's such a harsh way to look at it, especially as a believer, because they are at the precipice of making the most difficult decision. And I think to love them through that and help them to walk through that is critical. It's not only save the baby, but save the woman too.
Dr. James Dobson: Christine, I want to ask you a personal question, but all of these questions are really personal and I appreciate you dealing with them. But what do you think of when you realize how close you came to aborting your babies?
Christine Soule: Gratitude. I think of gratitude that the Lord would give me that dream. And that's my prayer, is that these women would have something, whether it's a dream, whether it's someone talking to them, befriending them, that someone could intervene and help these women to see that not only is it a precious life, but it will change their life in such a beautiful and magnificent way. I've never met a woman who was facing that decision who chose to keep their baby and thought, "Wow, I really wish I would've had an abortion."
Dr. James Dobson: Yeah.
Christine Soule: But boy, do you hear it the other way.
Dr. James Dobson: That is beautiful. Do you speak around the country?
Christine Soule: Yes. They can also go to christinesoule, S-O-U-L-E.com. And that's where you can go to check out my website and to engage in speaking and that kind of thing and just learn more about what I'm doing and listen to some different messages that I've done. And then providenceheights.org is where you would go to find out more about our organization.
Dr. James Dobson: Christine, I've loved talking to you today. I appreciate that. Let's stay in touch.
Christine Soule: Thank you so much. Great talking to you.
Roger Marsh: I'm Roger Marsh, and this has been another edition of Family Talk. What a remarkable story. That was the conclusion of the conversation between our own, Dr. Dobson and today's very special guest, Christine Soule. We hope today's program really did touch your heart, and please remember that what you just heard is part of our 2022 Best of Broadcast Collection. If you enjoyed today's conversation, you can ask to receive the entire two part conversation as part of the 18 program set, six CDs, or it's available as one digital download. We'll be happy to send it to you as our way of thanking you for a suggested donation of $50 or more in support of the Ministry of Family Talk. Now if you prefer, we can provide you immediately a digital download of the best of 2022 collection. It's yours to enjoy, share, and to save as a keepsake as a premium resource for your donation and a huge thank you from Dr. Dobson.
Just visit drjamesdobson.org/bestof2022. That's drjamesdobson.org/bestof2022. To make your request by phone, simply call 877-732-6825. That number once again is 877-732-6825. And keep in mind, if you'd like to make a donation through the mail, our ministry mailing address is The Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The zip code, 80949. Dr. Dobson loves to hear from you through the mail. Please be sure to send us your questions, your comments, and even your prayer requests as well. Again, our ministry mailing address is The JDFI, The Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The zip code, 80949. And from all of us here at the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, we hope you have a truly wonderful and blessed holiday weekend, and join us again Monday for another edition of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk, the voice you trust for the family you love.
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