Isolated to Connected: The Comfort of Having Women Who’ve Been There

A quick text. A social media comment. A podcast episode on Christian parenting. A voice note that drops at a key moment in your morning. Even a FaceTime call amid the chaos of your toddler’s missed nap, wrapping up work emails, and dinner is starting to boil over on the stove.

Modern moms are more connected than ever before in history—through technology. But what is the depth of these connections? 2025’s State of Motherhood Survey* found that 70% of women said motherhood was lonelier than they expected it to be. In 2023, 48% of parents surveyed* said their stress levels were “completely overwhelming.”

Motherhood is a holy journey, but any endeavor worthy of God’s blessing comes with a certain amount of resilience-building opportunities. Honestly, moms, it might be time to admit—we’re feeling overwhelmed, alone, and—on some days—like throwing in the towel!

“No mom is an island.”

“It takes a village to raise a child.”

“You were never meant to mom alone.”

While these generally accepted maxims hit the target and all heads nod in agreement, it’s an entirely different matter to change social structures to better support mothers. For my tenure as a mom—17 years and counting now—I have been desperate for the Lord to sustain me more times than I can number! Of course, there were always friends surrounding my family who were parenting in the same season—drowning in diapers, sleepless nights, buckling toddler car seats, packing school lunches, navigating the “Can I get a phone?” conversation, and even college preparation. In every phase, I’ve found it super important to lean on the godly wisdom of those older than me.

Scripture speaks of God’s heart to nurture families by weaving a multi-generational tapestry and wrapping it around a growing girl. Psalm 78:4,6-7 peels back the veil to reveal the Lord’s heart—passing down a faith lived out from one generation to the next so that every generation would know the Lord and His ways.

We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of  the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. So the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments. Psalm 78:4, 6-7

How this happens has always been layered, even echoed in Titus 2 as older women are called to be an example for the younger, giving them a clear path and support. Many Christian families today are looking for a place where girls can grow in their faith, learn to joyfully serve, and find loyal friendship and lifelong memories. American Heritage Girls^® (AHG)  is such a place.

My connection with the AHG Ministry has been somewhat of a lifelong journey. You see, my mother, Patti Garibay, founded the ministry in 1995. I was just 16 years old at the time. We had been a ‘scouting family’ but my mother, two sisters, and I saw Girl Scouts of America navigating a path we couldn’t follow in good conscience. I saw my mother and father weather doubt, step out in courageous faith, and build something with implications we didn’t fully grasp at the time.

Many Christian families today are looking for a place where girls can grow in their faith, learn to joyfully serve, and find loyal friendship and lifelong memories.

Fast forward 30 years later. In 2025, after volunteering with the ministry and serving on AHG Staff for 18 years, I stepped into the role of Executive Director, a sacred transition when Patti passed the keys of ministry leadership to me. Do I have it all figured out? Not even close! Her continued resolve, wisdom, and counsel are a resounding blessing to me—often!

Between my mother and I, we are keenly aware that God has been cultivating and multiplying His plan for multi-generational impact over the last three decades. But the Lord had something much farther-reaching in mind than one mother and her daughters. AHG now has a membership of over 70,000 volunteers and girls in all 50 states and currently in eight countries worldwide—all with a shared mission to build women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country. Chances are, there is an AHG Troop near you!

In the United States, girls aged 5 to 18 face a myriad of challenges. Cultural pressure to fit in, a push to cave to deceptive gender ideologies, the temptation to develop an online persona reflecting perfectionism—they’re bombarded by all this and more. Moms are caught in the crosshairs of culture wars that threaten to steal their family’s peace, joy, and the precious resource of time.

Moms are desperate to know that they are not alone, that they have a community to lean on, and when their girls trudge through tough things, God will provide voices of love and wisdom.

In the midst of a landscape that seems murky, the AHG Ministry is pushing back the darkness with the light of Christ. Girls today are in great need of a godly woman’s presence, her influence, and her love, and I am committed to continue what the Lord began 30 years ago.

In leading the AHG Ministry, I want to lean on God’s Word, trusting His timeless wisdom in Jeremiah 6:16—to learn about the ancient paths from those who walked them, then move forward in the same way. As an Executive Director, a mother, an AHG Troop volunteer, and as a woman, may my life be known for walking in the wisdom of those whose example continues to lead me in the Lord’s ways.

If you’ve weathered seasons across the years and come out stronger in the Lord, then He may be calling you to share this wisdom with a giggly seven-year-old. As a teen girl, if you remember facing the pressure of impending adulthood, share the peace that God once gave you with a 17-year-old girl in your community. What you’d be sharing with these girls echoes far into eternity and lends back to you the gift of a cherished place in her life. As one AHG volunteer said, “I know the impact that I’m pouring into these girls. I want to dance at their weddings and hold their babies someday. I know what we do matters.”

Pray with me

Heavenly Father, You are the Ancient of Days and Your plans have been unfolding since before time began. I thank you for Your faithful presence in the lives of the Moms in Prayer International families, the American Heritage Girls families, and Your magnificent Gospel message. We pray for hearts that are humble before You, open to following the wisdom of steadfast ones before us, and resolved to pass faith on to our children and generations to come. In the Name of Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.

*2025 State of Motherhood Survey      *Parents surveyed in 2023, Surgeon General

Discover the adventure and connected community God has waiting for you and your girl this school year! Learn more and find a troop at American Heritage Girls.

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Rachael Culpepper is the Executive Director for American Heritage Girls (AHG), the premier character and leadership development program for girls ages 5 to 18. Rachael has been involved in AHG’s mission to build women of integrity since the ministry’s founding in 1995. She received her degree in social work from Miami University and garnered nearly 15 years of youth-serving organizational experience with YMCA Camping. She and her husband, Jeremy, live in Cincinnati, Ohio with their three children; Holden, Maeble, and Oliver. Rachael enjoys hiking, camping, and experiencing AHG alongside her Pioneer-Level daughter.