Kristin – 2006 Graduate
Growing up, my parents were divorced and frequently put me in the middle. To get attention, I started misbehaving and lying. I was sexually molested by some people close to our family, but no one believed me because I had lied so often. I was tormented at school and started doing drugs to escape what was going on in my life. I often got into fights and became very suicidal. I had never felt so alone in my life. After I graduated from high school, my drug use became more extreme. I was using meth, crack and cocaine, wouldn’t eat for days and lost an alarming amount of weight. I blew $7,000 one month on drugs and ended up losing everything. I became an exotic dancer and got involved in some very dangerous illegal activities, which resulted in me going to jail. When I finally got out of jail, some family members told me about Mercy, and I decided to apply.
While at Mercy, my heart began to heal. I understood God’s love for me and that it was unconditional. I fell head over heels in love with Him and became determined to change my life. God removed the shame and guilt, and I learned how to walk in freedom, use scripture to renew my mind and set healthy boundaries with the people in my life. I was completely transformed.
After graduation, God provided everything I needed – a car, a job and a furnished apartment, and I went to cosmetology school. I also did an internship in one of the most well-known day spas in the St. Louis area. I am currently working in an amazing Christian-owned day spa as one of the top stylists, and last year I got published all over the United States for my work in top hairstyling magazines. I love making people feel great about themselves. It’s so rewarding! I am married to an amazing Christian man I met at our church, and I am also a mommy – the best gift I could ever ask for! I love sharing my testimony about what God has done in my life through Mercy. I am so proud to be a Mercy graduate. Life for me is like living a dream that came true. I have never been so happy, healthy and free.
