By Aaron Phan

The first step that Luis and Genesis took fleeing Venezuela felt like the ground falling out beneath them. In 2011, the two had just had their first child, with the hope of a home built together held before them. But in just two years, both their hope and home would wither away with the Maduro regime’s illegitimate rise to power.

“It was like they stole everything,” Genesis recalls of how quickly the corruption took over their daily lives. Food and healthcare were a farce, found only in pharmacies where Genesis would starve in line for three days and nights only to be turned away after the police had been fed. “When we had my seven-year-old Sebastian, there was no medication, no milk, no diapers,” the now-mother of four despairs. “We had no choice but to escape.”

Their choice couldn’t have been more agonizing. The regime, which withheld food from dissenters, had divided Luis and Genesis’s families, but not yet torn them apart – until now. Embarking on a life-threatening exodus, they not only had to leave their parents, but leave behind their two daughters, bringing nothing but their two young sons. “The hardest part of the journey,” the two agree solemnly, “was deciding.”

Each step that followed felt like fear. Fleeing through the jungles of Panama and Colombia, Luis and Genesis were robbed, kidnapped, and nearly killed, cradling their newborn through incident after horrific incident. “The one thing that kept us going,” Luis says, “was faith. Faith for our children that outweighed everything.”

But every nightmarish step along the way, they saw their faith rewarded. In the jungle, they met Native Americans who helped their sick child. Stranded with everything stolen from them, they met a woman who lent them a kitchen and place to sleep. And the whole way, robbed of money for a guide, refugees ahead left marked bags to show the path forward. 

“There were so many good people on the journey alongside us,” Genesis beams hopefully. “So many kind people who would reach out to us on the street, ask us if we’d had a meal yet, and help us push forward.” 

Their resilience finally led them to the U.S., where their first steps felt frigid. They had spent nearly five months without ever sleeping in a bed, only able to feel the cold asphalt beneath their tent, or the rumbling as they slept beside a highway. But in their hands, they found warmth in the palms of Riverton Methodist pastor Jan Bolerjack, and soon, Anna.

“Learning about Thrive changed everything,” the pair attest. When Luis and Genesis took their first steps into their own room at the DoubleTree, they remember the feeling of soft carpet over a solid floor. They remember the warmth of their own mattress, even the sturdiness of the TV set. They’ve felt the stability of the table where their son does his homework, and the rest and tranquility the space has brought him.

“We’ve had such great experiences with everyone at Thrive,” the couple grins. They gush about how much Moisire’s talked with them, how much Karla has taught them the computer, how much Rahim has helped with finding their own address – and about everything that meeting Anna has brought them. “When she gave us our work permit, we almost cried,” smiles Genesis. “We’d waited for it for so long, doing things the right way, and it was one of the best news we’d ever received.”

At Thrive, Luis and Genesis have done just that, and so much more. They’ve moved out to their own apartment, which has meant so much more than just comfort to them. “We’re finally able to cook our own food and do our own laundry,” they report proudly. “And now that we can work, our goal is to fulfill our dream of bringing home our 9 and 13 year old daughters in Venezuela.”

Luis hopes to make that happen as a hairstylist, an art he’s practiced for eight years but left behind for his kids. Now becoming a professional, he’s already transformed many of Thrive’s residents. “I love changing people’s self-image,” he gushes, “from when they arrive feeling ugly to when their face brightens. That before and after is what I really love.”

Asked what their journey means to them, the couple proclaim, “have faith.”

“Go after your dreams,” Luis encourages. “Fight for your dreams. Be patient, and believe in doing things the right way. Nothing is impossible, and we can do everything for our families.”