A Mother’s Choice to Believe
by Minerva Colón-Pino
(Photo/Kevin Diaz)
A journey of truth, sacrifice, forgiveness, and faith
For Yolanda Ciriaco, God has always been the pillar and strength that has sustained her life. Aside from Him, her daughters hold the most cherished place in her heart. But there came a time when that faith and unwavering love would be put to a painful test. It was then that Yolanda realized that loving and protecting her children would require sacrifices she’d never imagined she would have to make.
Today, Yolanda Ciriaco is a cadet at the Eastern Territory’s College for Officer Training. She is a hardworking woman, dedicated to her spiritual growth and grateful for the peaceful and secure environment she enjoys today. Being able to provide that same sense of security for her daughters has become a top priority, especially since the path to getting there was fraught with major challenges.
Yolanda and her daughter delight in their time together where they get to share in a healthy environment. (Photo/Kevin Diaz)
Yolanda put off for a long time the decision to serve the Lord full-time. It wasn’t until early in 2022 that she took that leap of faith. Knowing her choice to commit herself to the Lord would undoubtedly provoke an attack from the enemy, she immediately warned her family to be on guard. But her faith remained unshaken. Even so, she never imagined just how daunting the road ahead would be.
Home, a safe place
Raised by relatives in environments that were often dysfunctional, Yolanda learned from a young age to focus on the positive aspects of each experience. The mothers were always the heart of the home, and her greatest role model was her grandmother, who also taught her to love the Lord. Her grandparents’ home was a source of stability; for Yolanda, there was no safer place. That is why she decided to raise her girls in the same way, surrounded by family, in the home where they were born.
However, a few months after she’d decided to serve the Lord full-time, her sense of security vanished in an instant. Her daughters came forward with painful revelations about what had happened at their home, a confession that forced her to confront her own family.
“They didn’t want me to believe my daughters,” Yolanda explains. But for her, that was not an option. “I chose to believe them, because they mean the world to me.”
That decision marked a turning point for Yolanda and her girls. Choosing to believe her children meant she would have to relinquish the family ties she had cherished since childhood. With unwavering conviction, Yolanda distanced herself from most of her relatives, making it clear that her daughters’ safety came before everything else. And although what she chose to do was painful, the sacrifice didn’t end there: It continued through a long journey of restoration and a tireless search for a truly safe space.
Believing them came at a price
The world Yolanda knew had come crashing down. It was the beginning of a period of deep depression, anger, and brokenness. She felt angry with God, but the rage she felt toward herself was even stronger.
“I felt like I had let my daughters down,” she says. Despite her professional training in recognizing abuse, she had failed to see it within her own home. A sense of guilt began to consume her.
The road to recovery
Yolanda acknowledges that without her deep faith in Christ and her knowledge of the Lord, she would not have survived. It was a profoundly difficult journey of personal growth, one that required her to confront her own pain while also attending to her daughters’ emotional needs.
“God had to work on my heart,” she confesses.
In the midst of her struggle, Yolanda fell ill, which made the situation even worse. After consulting with doctors, she realized that something would have to change immediately if she wanted to continue protecting and raising her girls. They, too, suffered greatly; they were no longer happy and lived in a constant state of fear. The situation had reached a critical point, but Yolanda continued to cling to the Lord. With God’s help and mercy, she realized that the key to healing her soul and body was forgiveness, and she began by forgiving herself.
“The Lord helped me realize that I had always taken care of my daughters and that I couldn’t control the actions of others,” she says. From that point on, Yolanda and the girls began receiving professional help.
After the long process of suffering and treatment, Yolanda was forced to make even more difficult choices. As a lawyer, she knew what is generally advised in situations like this. But together with her daughters, she decided not to take legal action.
“Subjecting them to that legal process was not something we wanted. We chose to heal,” she says. Even so, her pain gave rise to a purpose: to help free other girls. With her daughters’ permission, she decided to share her story publicly.
Yolanda shares her testimony publicly during the Candidates’ Weekend seminar at the College for Officer training. (Photo/Eli Morgan)
To the glory of God, He has delivered and healed Yolanda and her daughters from much of the suffering they had endured. Although remembering what happened still hurts, bitterness no longer paralyzes or overwhelms them. It is that healing that gives her the strength to talk about what happened.
During the Candidates’ Weekend, a time when senior soldiers of The Salvation Army can explore the possibility of serving as officers (pastors), Yolanda shared her testimony with those in attendance. It was a bold decision that had an immediate impact. Afterward, several people approached to tell her they had been through similar situations or were going through the same thing at that very moment. Her testimony became a source of strength for those who also had to make sacrifices and tough decisions for the sake of their children.
Hope for the future
For many mothers, their children are the most important thing in life, and it’s not hard to imagine sacrificing everything—as Yolanda did—to ensure their safety and well-being. She believes that the most important thing she did for her children was something as simple yet profound as believing them.
“I would tell any woman who is going through a similar situation and whose children tell her about this kind of behavior to believe them,” she says. “Children usually tell the truth.”
Today, Yolanda has begun to see the fruits of her sacrifices. She enjoys the Lord’s blessing and, in her own words, joyfully expresses her satisfaction at seeing her girls free, happy, and fearless.
“Seeing the positive change in my daughters, watching them play musical instruments, talk about the Word of God, and worship at the altar is what I treasure most,” she says with a big smile. “I’m happy because I see my daughters happy.”
When she thinks about the future, Yolanda doesn’t hesitate.
The Word of God is instrumental to Yolanda’s journey and she loves to teach her daughters and discuss it together. (Photo/Kevin Diaz)
“I hope my daughters never stray from God, because that is their safe haven. Don’t be so strong that you can’t accept help. May they learn to be vulnerable with the right people, starting with Jesus. I want them to love without fear and not allow a bad experience to become the standard by which they define life. I want them to be happy and to always speak their truth, because as the Word of God says in John 8:32, ‘… you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
At times, we face trials so overwhelming they seem capable of breaking us. Yet as Christians, we hold fast to the unshakable truth; we serve the Almighty God—a faithful, merciful, and loving Father who cares for us deeply. When we turn to Him, we discover His ever-present help, protection, renewed strength, and healing for our weary hearts. There is no doubt it was the Lord who sustained Yolanda through this trial. With His mercy, and the courage He graciously granted her, she was able to persevere. This journey also taught her the power of forgiveness. As she released the bitterness and pain she carried, she found freedom, healing, and peace. “I’m not forgiving because I want, but I’m forgiving because God forgave me first … God has been faithful.” Forgiveness restored her heart and allowed God’s grace to work fully in her, enabling her to share her testimony to glorify His holy name.
Praise God.
About the Author: Minerva Colón-Pino
