A Quest to Belong Somewhere: From Gang to Grace

In this episode:

Maureen Hager understands what it means to land in the wrong place when searching for connection. Her search led her to a motorcycle gang, two gunshot wounds, and eventually to Jesus. 


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Inspired Life

A misguided search for love and acceptance lured Maureen Hager into the life of an outlaw motorcycle gang. Caught up in a violent gang war, she sustained two gunshot wounds when a rival gang opened fire on their clubhouse with M16 rifles. While severely wounded, this act of violence was a catalyst for God to work in her life and gave her a way of escape from captivity. After suffering physical, emotional, and spiritual trauma, she heard the gospel and accepted Christ, and her road to a restored life began. 

This week, Maureen tells her story.  

More About Maureen Hager 

Her book, Love’s Bullet, is based on her journey through emotional, spiritual, and physical trauma. She is an advocate for anti-human trafficking. Maureen has helped lead self-esteem building workshops for at-risk teens and mentor girls who have been victims. She continues to raise awareness about domestic sex trafficking. 

Life, Repurposed

“I was on a quest to belong somewhere,” Maureen said. She shared how she found belonging when a friend brought her to church and gave her a Bible. She discovered the power of what it means to be transformed.  

Breaking the Cycle of Family Dysfunction 

Maureen understands what it means to land in the wrong place when searching for connection. She says, young people who are disconnected from family, as Maureen once was, and who are looking for a place to belong are especially vulnerable to human trafficking. She talked about how having low self-esteem and low hope for your future predisposes someone to becoming a victim. 

Maureen talked about being a “prisoner of hope” (based on Zechariah 9:12) where we are surrounded by hope. Whatever God throws our way, we can remain in hope because we know who Jesus is and we know who we are. It means we have a barrier, and despair cannot permeate it, no matter what happens. 

Recommended Resource

Mentioned in this episode: 

We have a "Life Repurposed" fundraiser for Destiny Rescue to rescue girls from trafficking  

Maureen mentioned Life 107 

Shared Hope International 

 Maureen’s Book:

Love's Bullet: A Wounded Victim in a Biker Gang War Transformed by God's Love

The victim of a rival gang attack, she lay for months in a hospital bed abandoned by her abusive husband and with little or no reason to live. Yet, she did. Her father took Hager home to recover. There, she heard the gospel from an old friend who had recently come to faith. Love’s Bullet shows the depth of God’s redemptive love for those who seek him. 


Read Maureen’s chapter in Life, Repurposed: Stories of Grace, Hope, and Restored Faith. 

You’ll find comfort, inspiration, and wisdom in these stories from women just like you. Every encouraging account shows hope and renewed faith as they have come through trials and tough times, including family struggles, infertility, health challenges, doubt, fear, human trafficking, depression, heartbreak, loss, and more. 


Consider joining our Life, Repurposed Facebook community to build connections and engage in conversation about topics from each episode. 


(Please note: books posted here on my blog are purely because I want to share them. Sometimes I receive free copies for review, and other times I purchase the books. Some I get from the library. Either way, any endorsement I offer here on the blog is simply because I want to talk about the book. )

Michelle Rayburn is the author of The Repurposed and Upcycled Life: When God Turns Trash to Treasure, as well as a small group Bible study to accompany the book. Learn more about these and her other books here. A sample chapter of the book and Bible study are available for free download.

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Posted in Articles, Books & Resources, Podcast Episodes.