Local women finish 40-day walk for addiction awareness

Two Brown County women recently capped off a 40-day journey around Highland and Brown counties to promote the use of prayer in healing the “territory of addiction” in southern Ohio.

Gina Green and Tonya Stamper spent June 18 through July 27 walking to each community in Highland and Brown counties, meeting with individuals from over 200 churches along the way. Green said the trip was “God-inspired.”

“God just put it on our hearts to go,” Green said.

“God showed us a territory of addiction,” Stamper said.

The women have shared a flier detailing their mission with churches across both counties and said they have been well-received throughout their travels.

The mission of their project, Hope Mountain Ministries, is to promote prayer “for the release of the bondage of addiction in Brown County and the surrounding areas.” Local churches were invited to participate in a special day of prayer with the women.

“We asked everyone in the area to pray with us August 4 at 6 p.m.,” Stamper said.

The day of prayer will be held at the Brown County Sheriff’s Office in Georgetown, but Stamper said that churches and individuals unable to make the drive are encouraged to pray from wherever they are.

“I know God is going to move that day,” Stamper said. “I just hope a lot of people are there to see it.”

Both women are originally from Sardinia, but they met each other several years ago after starting a conversation on Facebook.

“We knew of each other but didn’t meet until a couple years ago,” Stamper said. “She posted something on Facebook and I left a comment, and she picked me up for a Bible study.”

While Green said the two are “complete opposites,” they immediately hit it off, and eventually were inspired to start the Hope Mountain Ministries project together.

“God put it on our hearts to open a rehab center in Brown County,” Stamper said. “We want the focus to be prayer to lift the bondage of addiction.”

Hope Mountain Ministries, with the motto “Delivered, Recovered, Redeemed, Saved and Sanctified,” is a part of the women’s vision for “a hope-filled, Spirit-filled, drug-free Brown County.”

Their mission is “to restore purpose and hope to those who have lost their way in the battle with addiction, through Christ-centered activities and relationships.”

Green said that they want addicts to know that once God sets them free from addiction, then they truly will be free.

Stamper said that she and Green left their homes in mid-June with “nothing but our Bibles, our journals and a change of clothes,” but they have been provided for every step of the way.

The women met Becky Gotherman, co-organizer of local interdenominational ministry Highland County House of Prayer, while visiting Our Daily Bread, and shared their message with her. They ran into Gotherman and her husband, Marvin, at the Hillsboro McDonald’s in the last few days of their walk, and the Gothermans immediately welcomed them into their home.

“God has put us up,” Stamper said. “We’ve stayed either in churches or with church families, like the Gothermans. We’ve been well taken care of.”

Becky Gotherman also told The Highland County Press that she is praying that the Highland County House of Prayer can get involved with the women’s project and is encouraging local churches to participate.

The women have braved cougar and black bear sightings, along with unpredictable weather, throughout their 40-day journey. The women said that despite the frequent thunderstorms that have hit the area this summer, they were always protected.

“God put us in a building every single time,” Stamper said.

“There were also days we walked where it looked like it would pour, but it didn’t,” Green said.

They said the hardest part was walking state Route 138 from Hillsboro to Greenfield early in the trip, as they “weren’t conditioned yet” and struggled with the 13-mile trek. They have walked at least seven miles each day since the project began.

Both women also said their families have supported them throughout their journey. Stamper is the mother of four children ranging from age 17 to age 24, while Green and her husband have six children between the ages of 14 and 26.

Stamper said she also has twin 4-year-old grandchildren who visited her during the 40-day project.

“On my birthday, my grandkids brought me cupcakes and we had a birthday party on the road,” Stamper said.

Green said the women’s families “thought we were crazy,” but they are seeing the results already from their project.

“They’ve seen what God’s done, and they’re very supportive,” Green said. “God’s been moving a long time.”

Working on the Hope Mountain Ministries rehab facility project will be the focus of the women’s ministry once they return to their homes, but Stamper and Green said they are amazed at the response they’ve received already.

“We’ve been treated like kings everywhere we’ve gone,” Stamper said.

“We’ve developed a relationship with Lord that’s so close,” Green said. “It changes things. I can feel the Holy Spirit within me.”

Both women said that they credit God for the experience.

“The entire time we’ve prayed, spoken the Word, repented for us and for the community and praised God,” Stamper said. “All glory goes to God, not us.”

For more information or to assist with the project, call Green at (352) 322-6752 or Stamper at (937) 515-5353.