Ariana – 2017 Graduate

I was born to two young parents. When I was very young, my biological mother left my dad and me. My stepmom came into my life when I was three years old and has treated me better than anyone could ever treat me. A very close family member abused me, took pictures, and called the police to blame it on other close family members. I was threatened to be hurt if I didn’t go along with the lie. The family members that were accused went to jail for a crime they didn’t commit. I continued to be abused by the same family member. I started being touched inappropriately, too, by someone I should’ve been able to trust. My abusers would bribe me and threaten me so I wouldn’t tell anyone what was going on. I was mentally and verbally abused. Eventually, I started to believe the lies. There were times I would go without eating because I wasn’t given food. Later, my dad got full custody of me, and a while after that, I started going downhill. I was disrespectful, very promiscuous, manipulative, and began to run away.

I learned about Mercy Multiplied through my counselor. I decided to apply so I could get better. I was scared but excited at the same time.

During my time at Mercy, I’ve learned boundaries and the ability to say “no” when I really need to. I’ve gotten very close with God. I’ve learned more about forgiveness. I moved past blaming myself for my past, and I forgave my biological mother for everything!

I learned that I don’t need any guy to make me feel worthy because I have God, myself, and my family to love me. God has shown me that I am worth a lot more than I thought, and I’m free from my past.

After Mercy, I’m going back to high school and might play basketball. I’m going to show my family how much I love them. I’ll be vlogging with my family and cuddling with my dog.

Mercy has had a huge impact on my life, and I want to thank everyone including God, Nancy, Mercy supporters, and my family for giving me another chance to change my life.