Rebecca – 2015 Graduate

My life before Mercy was chaotic, unsafe and hopeless. I suffered a lot of emotional and physical abuse as a child from my biological father and dealt with sexual abuse from another distant relative. I had abandonment and trust issues as my biological mother was not in my life, and my birth father was in and out of jail. I didn’t realize how much it affected me until I was older. Growing up I was always afraid of older men. I never trusted anyone to stay by me, and I assumed everyone would leave me. When I was adopted and had consistency and love for the first time in my life, I didn’t know what to do with it. I pushed my family away, assuming that when they inevitably left, it wouldn’t hurt as much. Due to my past I struggled with an eating disorder, self-harm, depression, anxiety and trauma.

I found out about Mercy originally when I was 13. My parents suggested I apply as a result of all I was experiencing. I chose to apply years later. When I arrived I was so angry, hurt and scared. I had no joy or hope in life, and I was miserable.

A major turning point for me during my time at Mercy was around my 30-day mark. After a meeting in which I misinterpreted much of what was said, the staff kindly took extra time out of their schedule to pull me back in and really explain everything to me in love. After that I really started to feel the love and support of those around me, which in turn opened me up to the love God was offering me.

At Mercy God has restored my life and hope for the future. I have learned how to forgive and give it over to God. God has taught me how to love and how to be loved by others. He has opened my heart to crying and showed me His comfort when I’m vulnerable.

After graduating from Mercy I plan on returning to my parents and finding a job. I would like to attend college in the fall and study criminal justice to become a Juvenile Probation Officer.

To all the Mercy supporters I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for your faithfulness and love. This experience has meant so much to me and has helped me so much. I pray God blesses you richly for your support.