One of the things that stands out about this weeks Testimony Tuesday is that addiction and homelessness do not respect age. Maria was thrown into a life of violence, drug abuse and homelessness at just 13 years old. Check out her story below and see how God has reclaimed her!
“I was born in San Jose California. I am the oldest of 3. I had a normal childhood with lots of family outings and great happy memories, but at the age of 12, my family split up and that’s when things took a turn for the worst. My mom’s boyfriend tried to molest me and when I told my mother she did not believe me. It really hurt and I felt unsafe and unprotected. From there on I started using drugs and I became defiant. I turned to the streets at 13 years old because my mom could no longer control me. Drugs, gangs, and the streets became my home. One day I showed up at the Women’s center at the Modesto Gospel Mission seeking shelter from the cold, soon after I went from being a shelter guest to joining the New Life Program. God guided me into recovery and saved my life. I was broken, weak, and lost but now I am healing, I am stronger and I have found my light in Jesus Christ. He helped me with my addiction and has given me purpose. He has blessed me by bringing my children back into my life since I’ve been here! I wake up with joy, peace, and gratitude in my heart each morning. After graduating from the program, I plan on staying connected with the Mission so that I can uplift and encourage others and speak life into their lives by sharing my testimony just as it has been done for me.”
#testimonytuesday #mymissionorg #modestogospelmission #modestomission #nlp #newlifeprogram
