Ruth – 2017 Graduate

I was born into a Christian home and accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior as a little girl. I was the middle child of nine kids and was picked on frequently. My environment was very unpredictable, and there was a lot of fighting in my family. I learned to shove my feelings down and hid behind a tough exterior. From the age of eight into my early teens I experienced sexual abuse. When it finally ended, I became very depressed and started self-harming to punish myself. I coped by being the strong one in my family. Because of what my parents were going through, I took responsibility for raising my three little sisters and running the house, in addition to getting a few jobs. I always took care of everyone and avoided facing my own life.  I entered into a relationship that was very abusive in every way. All the abuse from my childhood manifested in that relationship. Shame and fear consumed me, as I believed that my worth was reflected in the abuse I received. My depression worsened along with the self-harm, and I started drinking heavily. I started living a reckless life, which led to multiple attempts at taking my own life, being raped many times, and spiraling down further into depression, self-harm, and drinking. I went weeks without being sober and planned ways to take my life. I lost my job, my apartment, and everyone’s trust.

I heard about Mercy through my business team, but never thought it was something for me. Eventually a friend told me I needed to apply. I knew I wouldn’t live much longer if I didn’t. I started the application process, and five months later, I arrived at the Mercy home.

One of the biggest turning points during my Mercy journey was being able to receive God’s love and allow Him to heal me. I learned to find my worth in Him, to humble myself before Him, and to surrender to Him.

Through my time in the Mercy program, God has truly healed me and has given me a new hope and joy for the future. I’ve learned that I’m not worthless, and God has a plan for my life.

After graduating from Mercy, I plan to move home and begin working with my business team there, as well as get involved with my church. I want to start pursuing the dreams that God has restored in me.

I am so thankful to Mercy for the support they provide. This was my last hope, and had it not been a free-of-charge program, I would’ve never been able to afford something like this. Mercy gave me a second chance at life. Through it, God has done so much healing, and I feel so blessed.