My birth mom was in an abusive relationship, and her boyfriend would sometimes get upset and beat her. I wanted to defend her, but I couldn’t because I was too young to do anything. I was the youngest of four children, and most of the time I felt like nobody really noticed me. At the age of 2, I was sexually abused by a family member. I was so angry at the world and at myself. I was put into a group home for my safety, but even in the group home, I felt like nobody understood me or noticed me. At the age of 8, I was taken in by a family. I was so happy that I was with a family, but I was still angry. At the age of 13, I was adopted but was still bitter and angry about what had happened to me. After the death of my birth mom, I started to self harm. I also started to engage in sexual activities and struggled with suicidal thoughts.
My parents were friends with a worship leader who told them about Mercy. I decided to apply, because I knew I would continue with the sexual activities and eventually would take my own life if I didn’t get help. When I arrived at Mercy, I had all of my walls up and didn’t let anybody in. I would put on so many masks so that people wouldn’t know the real me.
A turning point for me at Mercy was when I was working through choosing to forgive. I had to learn to forgive those who had hurt me. God has shown me how faithful He is, and He shown me how much He really loves me. Never did He leave me behind.
After graduating from Mercy, I plan to go back to school to pursue my dream in childcare. I plan to get a job and save money to buy my own apartment.
I am truly grateful to Mercy donors for the love and kindness they have shown to me. If it wasn’t for Mercy, I wouldn’t be where I am today.