While I was growing up, my family and I moved around a lot. We made a big move across the country when I was starting middle school, and I really wanted to fit in at my new school. I began dating a boy my parents didn’t approve of, and when they found out about the relationship, I got in trouble. We broke up after I learned he cheated on me, and I began being bullied by a girl in my neighborhood. The rumors she spread got back to my coaches in cheerleading, and I ended up leaving that gym. After this, I started another relationship and was expressing inappropriate behavior. My parents started to home-school me, and I felt isolated. Our family ended up moving due to the bullying I was experiencing. Upon arriving at a new school, I became friends with a girl who I thought had everything. I thought if I hung out with her, I could have the same popularity she had. She introduced me to self-harming and promiscuous behavior. I began another relationship, this time with someone I thought I loved. One night we were together, he aggressively took my innocence from me. We later broke up because he was cheating on me, and this left me with very few friends. My parents learned about my self-harming behaviors and took me to the hospital and to meet with my youth pastor. I would say the things I needed to say to make them believe I was doing okay. But, I continued down a path of promiscuity with guys and started drinking alcohol as well. I was also sexually abused by multiple guys at this time too. My mom could sense something was off, and she found out everything I had been hiding from her. My mom, dad, and brother learned about all the lying and sneaking around I was doing, and learned about the abuse I had endured.
I learned about Mercy Multiplied through my youth pastor at my church. They told my parents about Mercy. After everything that had happened, I knew that this was my only choice.
My biggest turning point during my Mercy journey was learning how God has forgiven me of my past. I learned I am a new creation in Christ and I am loved no matter what others say.
God has completely changed my life around. He has showed me how to live freely and not have to worry about the days to come. He has planned my life, He knows everything, and will keep me safe through all things. I learned about healthy and unhealthy relationships, how to say no, and how God has forgiven me from my past mistakes. I have learned how to decipher between good and bad things in life.
After Mercy, I am planning to plug into my church and go on mission trips around the world. I plan to finish school and go to college to become a pastor. I’m also going to rebuild broken relationships at home and make them whole by putting God first and surrounding the relationships with God.
Mercy donors, your donations to Mercy have truly been such a blessing to me. If it wasn’t for you, I would have never had this opportunity to change my life and break free of generational patterns I thought I would have to live with forever. You have truly changed my life, and you are a reason I am here today living free and sharing the good news.