Before coming to Mercy, Camilla was empty inside and full of deep emotional pain that caused her to become depressed and angry. When she was nine years old, her dad, who was a youth pastor, committed suicide. She says that it was the culmination of much emotional and verbal abuse inside her home that no one saw. Not being able to process her dad’s suicide, she suppressed all of her anger emotions because she thought it was bad to feel those things. In middle school, Camilla began experimenting with abusing alcohol, drugs, and promiscuity. This behavior escalated throughout her high school years. By the age of 22, she had multiple abortions and knew she needed to change her life. One night while she was on drugs, Camilla finally decided that she needed help and decided to apply to Mercy.
When she first entered the home, Camilla was both relieved and scared. One morning after reading a Psalm about David being angry at the Lord, she finally identified that what she was feeling all these years was anger. From that moment on, she was able to work through that anger and find forgiveness, specifically towards her dad. God provided a foundation for her at Mercy that she would take with her the rest of her life. After Mercy, Camilla met and married the love of her life. The two of them have been witnessing to others using their stories of healing.