A Christ-centered ministry since 2017
We walk alongside women and children healing from domestic abuse in northwest Iowa, through court dates, hard days, and the long ordinary work of building a life again. No paperwork to start. Just a conversation.
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2017
Founded as a mobile ministry (coffee shops, parks, courthouses)
200+
Survivors we have assisted since the beginning
18 mo.
How long a family can stay at Talitha Koum
$0
Cost of every service, to every woman and child
8
Apartments at Talitha Koum. 2 family, 6 studio
01 If you need help
You don't need to be in crisis or have a plan. A real person answers, listens first, and helps you find the next honest step. Then we stay.
How Getting Help WorksCall or text
712-441-0049Iowa Victim Service Call Center
1-800-770-1650Worried someone can see this?
Read the safety guide02 What we do
We’ve found that building long-term, safe relationships is the key to healing and success. We get to know each woman’s strengths, involve her in work that is fulfilling, and help her rebuild a foundation of self-esteem.
Walking alongside
Court hearings, HHS meetings, rental searches, benefit applications. You don’t sit through any of it alone.
Safe housing
A secure apartment at the Talitha Koum campus for up to 18 months — long enough for the fog of trauma to lift.
Skills for independence
Employment readiness, education and job training, financial literacy, parenting, and the practical steps — a license, a bank account of her own.
Leading, not just receiving
Residents lead morning devotions, cook the evening meal, help lead Sunday worship. We want them using their voices.
03 Talitha Koum Healing Campus
The words Jesus spoke in Mark 5:41, and the name of the campus we bought in 2023. Our first residents moved in September 2024. Two family apartments, six studios, a secure entry, and a community room. A family can stay up to 18 months, at no cost.
Tour the campus
Between the hard days
Not much of this looks like crisis work and that's rather the point: a lemonade stand, a playground going in, a ride to Bible school, a day at the pool.
Testimony
Names withheld for privacy.
"Not only can I see a future, I know I am being led by faith, and I have hope."
"Pastor Deb reminded me of one vital truth: I am not what happened to me."
"My kids and I have our very own apartment, for the first time in my life."
04
Who we are
It started in coffee shops, parks, & court rooms.
How Rev. Deb Rensink began in 2017 with no building or budget, and the 2026 merger with Genesis House.
Read our story
05
Get involved
Almost everything here runs on people from NW Iowa deciding to show up.
One-time gifts, a mission share, monthly giving, a Saturday, or a seat at Shop Church.
Explore Ways to Help
06
Staying safe
A safety plan is just thinking ahead.
Browsing history, phone tracking, and what to sort out before you go.
Read the guide
A new chapter
In 2026, Whispers of Love, Hope & Joy merged with Genesis House. Genesis House continues as a safe and supportive next step for families served by Whispers, bringing together shared values, resources, and a commitment to women and children in Northwest Iowa.