HISTORY OF THE MISSION OF YAHWEH

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Born: August 11, 1919 — Passed: August 29, 2008
Birthplace: Beaumont, Texas, daughter of Dora and Red Simmons.
Legal Name: Helem Simmons (Sister Helen Gay)

Sister Helen Gay’s life and ministry began with a profound calling from God. She often described her work simply as “doing the Lord’s work.” Growing up in a community marked by deep poverty, hunger, and broken families, she witnessed immense need all around her, especially among abused and homeless women and children. Guided by compassion and unwavering faith, she opened both her home and her heart to those in crisis.

In the early 1960s, Sister Gay moved to Houston and, after marrying in 1961, left her job as a hairdresser to fully embrace God’s calling. She and her husband, Fisher Gay began by feeding children in their neighborhood, eventually taking them into their home when they had nowhere else to go. Over the years, they adopted 24 children, and fostered many who came through the mission. Their home became a sanctuary, providing food, shelter, clothing, prayer, and counseling, laying the foundation for what would grow into The Mission of Yahweh. Fisher Gay passed away on January 13, 2007.

As the ministry expanded, local churches joined in support. In 1971, a board of directors was established, and in 1972, the Mission received its corporate charter from the State of Texas. What began in a single shotgun house in a struggling neighborhood has since grown into a 12-building campus serving thousands each year.

Sister Gay endured significant health challenges later in life. A brown recluse spider bite in the 1990s led to the amputation of one leg, and in 1997, an additional infection required the amputation of the other. Even so, she remained active in ministry, moving through the campus in a motorized wheelchair and continuing to lead with strength, grace, and steadfast faith.

Sister Gay went home to be with the Lord on August 29, 2008, yet her legacy continues to thrive. Today, The Mission of Yahweh provides safe housing, meals, spiritual care, and life-changing programs for more than 120 women and children. 

Beyond founding The Mission of Yahweh, Sister Gay established Yahweh’s Children Foundation, became guardian to infants born in prison, and cared for them until they could be reunited with family. She visited prisons to pray with inmates, led weekly prayer meetings in her home, and brought comfort to the elderly, widows, and blind within the community. She also prepared and handed out sack lunches on street corners to the less fortunate.

Sister Gay received numerous awards recognizing her humanitarian impact, including the Savvy Award, the Mickey Leland Humanitarian Award, two City of Houston Proclamation Day honors, and the Jefferson Award. 

In 2025, two new dormitories were completed, expanding capacity to serve 40 additional families, further

carrying forward the vision Sister Gay began more than six decades ago.

Her life remains a powerful example of faith in action. Everyone who crossed her path, her children, her community, and the many women and children she served, continues to be touched by her extraordinary legacy of love, service, and compassion.