Sophonie – 2012 Graduate

I was raised in an extremely dysfunctional family. At the age of five, I had my first sexual experience with a close family member, and this kind of thing went on for about 10 years. I was verbally and physically abused throughout my childhood.

At the age of eight, my abuser began paying me for sexual activity. By the time I was 12, a member at our church started to molest me. At that point I felt like I walked around with a sign on my head that said “Here’s my body, do as you please.”

By the time I was 19, I had already had two abortions, and gotten married and divorced. For the next five years I was trapped in a world of sex, alcohol, and drug addictions, and even started prostituting. I felt like that was the life I was destined for. I truly hated myself and tried to commit suicide several times.

Deep inside, though, I wanted to be a wife and a mother. I wanted to be loved. So my attitude was, “If someone will take me, I will take them.” That’s how much I hated myself. Eventually, I got engaged again to a man who treated me horribly. Just months before we were supposed to get married, I found out that he was sleeping with other people. I was hurt and shocked enough to call off the wedding, but at the same time I felt like I deserved it. Shortly afterward, I overdosed on drugs and alcohol. I felt like there was no point in living.

When I woke up in the hospital room, I was so mad at God because I wanted to be dead. But there was still something inside me that wanted to live, and that’s when I applied to Mercy.

I walked through the doors of Mercy at age 25. My whole life, I’d been looking to the world to give me something that only heaven possessed. The people at Mercy loved me unconditionally and treated me like I was worthy of respect, kindness, and dignity. The more I told them about my history, I was sure they would back away from me, but they came even closer. God’s love really was revealed through them.

I learned so many things at Mercy, but I think the most important thing I learned was that God has always seen the best in me! There’s nothing in my past that can make Him love me any less.

I thought I would live an impure lifestyle for all of my life, that I would never be able to escape it. But that’s not the case. At Mercy, lives are transformed and hope is restored. I’m a living testimony!

After I graduated from Mercy I began to put the tools I’d learned into practice. I am now studying Worship Arts and Biblical Studies. I am passionate about living out the dreams the Lord has placed on my heart and continue to see redemption all around me.