I moved around a lot as a child and was sexually abused regularly by a close family member for six years. As an early teen, my virginity was taken by an older man. The abuse in my past laid a foundation for me to believe that I was only loved for my body and what I could give people. I desperately wanted love and thought sex was the only way to get it. I was addicted to drugs and sex before high school. I lived couch to couch until I was 23, chasing highs anywhere they would take me. Then I met the man of my dreams who I was sure would save me from my lifestyle. We got engaged, but it quickly turned into a nightmare fueled by drugs and rage. About two years into our relationship, I woke up to find he had died of a drug overdose next to me. It rocked me to my core, and I knew I wouldn’t be far behind him if I didn’t get help.
My fiancé found Mercy for me before we started using drugs together. After his death, I applied because I couldn’t bear the pain in my life. I began to see that God was the only option I had left. When I arrived at Mercy, I was so shattered that everything I did hurt. I was in a prison of pain and self-loathing for the death of my fiancé and the years of mistakes I had made.
While at Mercy, I cried out to God and He met me one step at a time. He gently led me deeper and deeper until I was able to let Him change my shattered heart.
God taught me how to trust Him. He has shown me that His plan for me is above what I could ever imagine. Wherever I go and whatever I do, I know that the Lord’s plan for me is abundant joy, and anything less is not meant for me.
After graduating from Mercy, I plan to work with my church and raise money for a yearlong mission trip I hope to go on next year. I want to live a life close to my Savior no matter what I do.
I want to say thank you to all the Mercy supporters for not just saving my life, but fully restoring me back to who God always wanted me to be. I had no idea that I would ever be able to enjoy who I am. Now I have hope for my future and trust that God is on my side. I will never be able to say thank you enough.