Sarah – 2014 Graduate

I was rejected and abused throughout my life. Starting at a very young age, I used self-harm as a way to punish myself for things I wasn’t even responsible for. Later, it became a way of releasing the pain I held on the inside. I turned to drugs when my other addictions were not enough to ease the pain of my past and my daily struggles. I gained a lot of weight in an attempt to comfort myself. When it got to be too much, I began purging so I could continue to binge to satisfy my cravings. I was so desperate for love that I turned to promiscuity to find the acceptance I longed for. In the end, it left me empty and broken.

My friend’s mother was the first person to tell me about Mercy. I had been dealing with my addictions for so long that I knew I couldn’t change on my own. All previous treatment facilities had failed. I knew if I kept walking in my ways I would likely soon die. I had no money for treatment and Mercy was the only free Christian program I had found. I arrived at the program hurt and broken, but I covered that all up with anger and rebellion. I was determined to prove that I was worthless, hopeless and unlovable.

While at Mercy, I finally realized that I really couldn’t do this in my own strength. I needed to let God carry me forward. I received a lot of revelation in my counseling sessions. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that I can trust God, and He’ll never abandon me. I’ve learned to believe God’s Word and all it says about me. Above all, I’ve learned that I have overcome and have victory in Jesus.

Through Mercy, God has changed my perspective and completely transformed my life. He has given me truth to combat the lies I once believed. He has erased my past and given me hope for my future. He has set me free from strongholds that crippled me and has made me a new creation. I am blameless in His sight.

After graduation, I plan to get involved with my church and volunteer where I can. I hope to some day attend a Bible college, go on mission trips, and work with troubled youth.

All the world had to offer me was death, and I almost took it. But when I walked through the doors of Mercy, I was given hope and a chance at a new life through Jesus. My heart and mind have been transformed because of the help and direction I received at Mercy. Thank you so much for supporting Mercy and helping change the lives of countless girls like me.