The Story Behind We Are Exiles and Saints.
A few years ago, someone asked me about what it means to find meaning. For a long time, I thought that was the right question – searching for what life was trying to teach, what God was saying in each season. But now, a few years on, I wonder if that’s the wrong way to see it.
Maybe meaning isn’t something we find. Maybe it’s something we create.
I’ve walked through some difficult seasons, ones I never saw coming, ones that left me questioning everything.
But I’ve never taken them sitting down. And if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s this: it’s not about understanding every lesson or figuring out the ‘why’ behind everything. It’s about what we do with it – how we take even the hardest things and turn them into something meaningful.
Exiles & Saints was born out of realisation.
It’s not just a blog – it’s a space to wrestle, reflect, unlearn, and rediscover faith beyond fear and empty striving. Because at some point, most of us have felt like exiles – questioning the faith we inherited, feeling like we don’t quite fit into the neat boxes others expect. And yet, we’ve also carried the weight of sainthood – trying to live up to expectations, playing the part, even when it doesn’t feel real.
"Exiles & Saints was born out of realisation."
But isn’t that everyone’s story? From Adam to Abraham, Jacob to Moses – even in the earliest human literature – our history is woven with the tension of exile and belonging, wandering and being called home. And isn’t that the heart of God? That He constantly reclaims the outcasts, renames the broken, and reshapes the rejected?
So here’s what I know now: Faith isn’t about finding a place to fit. It’s about finding the courage to be honest about where you are. It’s about choosing meaning even when things don’t make sense.
That’s what Exiles & Saints is.
A space where we don’t run from the hard questions – we lean into them.
A space where faith is not a cage but a journey.
A space where we refuse to be defined by the labels given to us and instead choose to redefine what faith means for ourselves.
Maybe you’ve felt it, too. Maybe you’ve been waiting for someone to say it out loud.
If you’re here, you’re not alone.
What You’ll Find Here
This space is for the seekers, the wrestlers, and the ones who refuse to settle for easy answers. Here, we explore:
- Faith Beyond Fear – Questioning isn’t losing your way; it’s finding a deeper one.
- Unlearning & Rediscovering – Breaking free from religious conditioning and discovering a faith that gives life.
- Scripture in a New Light – Rethinking old interpretations, engaging with stories through fresh eyes.
- Lament & Hope – Sitting with the hard stuff, allowing faith to be big enough for sorrow, doubt, and healing.
- Personal Stories & Reflections – Honest experiences of wrestling with faith, love, loss, and meaning.
Meet the Writer
I’m Ileola Feyisetan – a mom of two amazing kids, a writer, a creative mind, and an author of two early-year Christian books (Who God Says I Am and What Would Jesus Do).
I’m dyslexic, but I’ve learned that the way I think is never a disadvantage. I love the church (but not its walls).
I’m married to the better half of me. Right now, I’m on a journey of rediscovering faith in a way that is raw, real, and deeply freeing.
A year ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and the past few months have been filled with relentless treatments and unexpected reckonings. But if anything, cancer has reminded me of the beauty of community – the friends who hold space for me, who remind me to return to the joys of the little girl I once was. It’s funny how life has a way of bringing you back to the things that always mattered. And maybe, just maybe, that’s part of what faith is, too.
There’s a blog coming soon: “Where is God When It’s Dark?” Because I know what it’s like to ask that question. And I want to create space for those who are asking it, too.
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