Lillian – 2017 Graduate

When I was 18 months old, my biological mother left my family, leaving her boyfriend to take care of my siblings and me. As children, we were neglected and abused. At a young age, I developed a problem with food, and around 13 years old, I developed an eating disorder as a way to gain control. I started self-harming and attempted to take my own life. I struggled with depression and began to feel ashamed of my abuse. I never mentioned to anyone the war that was raging inside me. My senior year of high school, I began to date and sneak around a lot. This caused my anxiety to be extremely high, to the point where I could hardly function. My grades were suffering because my brain couldn’t attain any information. I had multiple panic attacks at school; nothing was going well. After a few trips to the emergency room, I heard about Mercy Multiplied.

I learned about Mercy Multiplied because one of my sister’s friends in college was a Mercy graduate. I applied to Mercy because I had no hope in any other secular treatment I would receive. I arrived as a broken, confused, little girl trapped in an adult’s body, anxious, hopeless, and exhausted.

A huge turning point during my journey at Mercy was a time when we residents went to a conference. At the conference, I was having a very hard time. I had no other option but to cry out to God, and He showed up in such a tangible way. My spirit was completely changed. I had never experienced the power of God so strongly before.

God has turned my mourning into dancing, and He has given me the authority to call out lies. I’ve learned that God is all about healing. I always thought of Him as wanting me to strike out, but He is far from that. I’ve learned the meaning of the cross and what Jesus dying on the cross has done for me.

After Mercy, I plan to finish high school and to work. My goal is to go to school to become a doula.

Mercy donors, thank you so much for all your support, whether it is through finances or prayers. Without your support, there is literally no way I could ever be saved right now, saved by God. Thank you so much!