10/02/2026
There are moments in life when you look back at everything you have survived and realize that God was writing a story you could not yet see. ❤️🙏
I had the incredible privilege and honor of being interviewed and videotaped by Univision for a special story about my life journey that will premiere nationwide.
As I shared my story, I was reminded that I am more than a survivor—I am an OVERCOMER.
My journey has included pain, adversity, brokenness, and moments when I could not see what was waiting for me on the other side. But I was never truly alone.
Throughout my life, God placed angels along my path.
Some came with an inspiring word when I needed hope. Some extended a helping hand when I needed strength. Others simply gave me the gift of a loving human connection and reminded me that I mattered, that I had value, and that my story was not over.
Those moments changed my life.
And somewhere along the journey, my pain became my purpose.
Today, I have the extraordinary blessing of paying forward what others once gave to me through Angels of Grace Foster Family Agency.
Every day, we have the opportunity to reach into the lives of children who have experienced abuse, neglect, trauma, fear, and uncertainty—and remind them that what happened to them does not have to define who they become.
Someone once reached out a hand to me.
Now, through Angels of Grace, I get to extend that hand to a child. ❤️😇
That is the beautiful full circle of my life.
I cannot change everything that happened in my past, but God has allowed me to use those experiences to help change the future for children who desperately need someone to believe in them.
My prayer is that when this story airs nationwide, there is a woman somewhere who needs to hear it. Someone who may be hurting, afraid, or wondering whether her circumstances will ever change.
I want her to know:
Your story is not over.
There is life after the pain.
There is purpose after the struggle.
There is hope after the darkness.
And one day, the hand that someone extends to help you stand may become the same hand you extend to lift someone else.
Thank you, Univision, for giving me the opportunity to share my journey and to shine a light on the mission that God placed upon my heart.
And thank you to every “angel” God placed in my life along the way. A piece of each of you lives in every child we serve.
Today, I don’t simply look back and say, “I survived.”
I can say with gratitude:
“I overcame. I found my purpose. And now I get to pay it forward.” ❤️🙏😇
— Lisa Casarez-Austin
Founder & CEO
Angels of Grace Foster Family Agency
