BATON ROUGE — In Louisiana, the crisis of domestic violence is claiming lives at an alarming rate. The state ranks 5th in the nation for domestic violence homicides, according to the Violence Policy Center. In just the past three weeks, three domestic violence-related murder-suicides have shaken Louisiana communities, leaving families shattered and highlighting the urgent need for hope and healing.
That hope, for many, is coming in the form of Restored, Refreshed, Renewed Retreats (RRR Retreats) — a refuge for women who have endured abuse, trauma, and life’s darkest valleys.
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“I Didn’t Always Think I’d Make It”
The vision for RRR Retreats was born out of one woman’s story of survival. Founder BJ Vavasseur Pons knows firsthand the depths of despair and the power of redemption.
“I didn’t always think I’d make it. Not after the things I went through,” BJ shared. “I was molested from the age of six to sixteen. Abused in foster care. Then married for 15 years to a man who emotionally and verbally tore me down until I believed I couldn’t survive without him. I battled suicidal thoughts. I lived in a fog of depression. I questioned why I was still here. But through every dark valley, God never let go of me. Even when I walked away, He carried me. And He didn’t just carry me. He called me.”
A Calling Born From the Ashes
At 33, BJ decided to reclaim her life. “I learned to drive. I took over my finances. I moved into my own home with my children and began a journey I never thought I’d survive,” she said.
The message of the Cross changed everything. “I wasn’t worthless. I wasn’t ruined. I was redeemed. Restored. Called. Christ paid it all on Calvary! I embraced that message. I wanted to share the good news with women everywhere that they could change too.”
That passion grew into a movement. “Everywhere I went, I found women just like me — hurting, surviving, searching. Then God revealed to me what the next step should be: bring them together. Create a space where healing begins. That’s when the retreats were born,” Pons said.
From Events to Transformations
What started as Pons sharing her testimony in churches and women’s conferences has grown into multi-day retreats where survivors can step away from their pain and step into healing.
“These weren’t just events,” Pons said. “They were encounters. Not just programs, transformations. Women came broken and left whole. Girls came silent and left singing. Survivors came numb and left burning with new life.”
The retreats offer sessions on forgiveness, restoration, and embracing a God-given future. They are free to women who attend — made possible by donations and the support of the community.
A Timely Retreat Amid Louisiana’s Crisis
The most recent RRR Retreat took place on August 30, and organizers say it couldn’t have come at a more urgent time. With Louisiana’s domestic violence homicide rate among the highest in the nation and cases stacking up in headlines week after week, safe spaces like this retreat are essential.
“Women need to know they’re not alone,” Pons said. “They need to know that healing is possible.”
Finding Light in the Darkness
For survivors like BJ, the retreat is more than an escape — it is proof that life after abuse is possible.
“My story is not just about pain,” she said. “It’s about redemption. It’s about women finding out who they are in Christ — and realizing that no matter how broken they feel, there’s a God who restores, refreshes, and renews.”
As Louisiana mourns victims of domestic violence, RRR Retreats stand as a light in the darkness — a reminder that while abuse destroys, healing is possible.
For immediate help, victims can call the Iris Domestic Violence Center Crisis Line at 225-389-3001 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
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