When I was little, my mom and dad got divorced, and my mom remarried a year later. Even though my family had a fresh start, I still had pain from the divorce that I hadn’t worked through. At a young age, I started to put on “masks” and tell lies. I was bullied in school by boys who called me ugly and fat. When I hit middle school, I became promiscuous and started to self-harm. I also developed an eating disorder. In high school I started hanging around the wrong crowd and lied all the time. I was very manipulative and controlling in romantic relationships too. I also fought my family a lot and isolated myself from them. I thought they would be better off without me. Eventually, I got kicked out of my house and had to live with different family members.
My mom was looking for places for troubled girls that needed help, and she found Mercy. I applied because I needed help. My life was completely out of control. All of my issues were controlling me.
Since I came to Mercy, I have learned so much. I am enough just the way I am. I have a purpose in life. Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the plans I have for you,
declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
He has also shown me that I am beautiful just the way I am and that I am valued. God has also given me many visions during my time here, and He has replaced my unhealthy thought patterns with pictures and visions of freedom.
After Mercy, I am going to go home and work on improving my relationship with my parents and family. I am also going to finish high school. I would love to minister to teenagers who are going through problems, and help them know they are not alone. I want to show them that they can be broken from the chains and be set free. I also want to go to college to study photography and travel the world to share God’s Word!