"Since the first night I came to the Mission, I felt safe and loved."

September 30, 2022

A Testimony of Redemption & Restoration

My name is Sarajane, and I never imagined that I would find myself homeless. I was living in Texas when I found myself in a very unhealthy, toxic marriage. I soon gave birth to my son with no knowledge of what postpartum depression was or the havoc it would wreak in my life. My life was so overwhelming and chaotic; I felt so helpless. I was emotionally abused to the point that I felt like I was going crazy. I continued to decline until my depression led to anger. At my lowest point, I became so angry that I blacked out. I just couldn’t take it anymore; life was too much for me to handle.

 

    We soon moved back to Rhode Island and knew my life couldn’t go on this way. I was so desperate that I moved out and rented a room for myself until I could figure something else out. I completed a program at another Christian facility to spend time with God and work through the emotional issues I was experiencing. I believed that once I did this, my husband and I would come together to make our family stronger. However, much to my surprise, he filed for divorce, leaving me unsure of how to move forward. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew I needed to find a way to pick up the pieces of my life.


    I was now homeless and alone, desperate for a change. I now see that God was closing all other doors in my life and forcing me to focus on Him alone. A friend of mine suggested I stay at the Mission. The first night I arrived, I just thanked God for providing this safe place for me to stay. When I came to dinner that night, someone came and served me my plate at the table. I felt so blessed and cared for! Every night I prayed and cried out to God to give me guidance. I stayed as a guest at the Mission for about a month until God put it upon someone’s heart at my church to give me a place to stay. I began volunteering at the Mission with my church. The more time I spent here, the more I felt God’s heart for the poor and destitute. Imagine how excited I was when the opportunity arose to be hired by the Mission! I have been on staff at the Mission for three years now, and I am so blessed to help others who are going through what I did. During that time, God used the staff to encourage and support me as I learned to walk in the gifting the Lord has given me. They gave me a safe space to rebuild my relationship with my son at Grace’s House, where he can visit me and spend time. I continue to minister with my church, Kingdom Lighthouse Ministries, serving dinner and facilitating chapel service.

 

    Partnering with the Mission is partnering with the heart of God. God allows the Mission doors to remain open to serve and be a blessing to the community every day. As someone who spent time here as a guest, and now devotes my heart to taking care of those who come through the doors, I can say that nothing is more powerful than your support. God will use those who are available and have a heart turned toward Him! Since the first night I came here, I felt safe and loved. This is all thanks to you! May God bless you as you continue to reach out a lending hand to those in need.


Thank you!

"I could never have imagined the life that I am living now: 6 years free of addiction and full of hope!"

July 25, 2023
Hi, my name is Jennifer, and my story has been anything but what you would consider easy. Growing up, I faced every form of abuse you could possibly imagine. After a lifetime of being violated and hurt, I decided at the age of 17 that I wanted nothing to do with God at all because if He really loved me, He wouldn’t have put me through all that. I was so angry, and I felt like I could handle life better on my own. After getting married and giving birth to my daughter, I became addicted to the pain pills the doctor gave me while recovering from my c-section. This began many years of chaos and turmoil as my life fell into shambles. I completely lost my relationship with my daughter, McKenzie. All the while the unresolved trauma from my past fed my addiction and I felt like I just couldn’t stop. However, I now see that God saw me in my despair. After surviving human trafficking, overdose, and a lifestyle of destruction I found myself in prison. As soon as I was released, I completed another residential recovery program in Rhode Island. There I learned how much God loved me and for the first time found myself staying clean from harmful substances. However, the Lord was still not done working on me, and my journey was only beginning. Eighteen months into my recovery, I suffered a life-altering injury when I shattered my knee in four places. I was in and out of hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabs for months. I felt depression and darkness overcome me as I couldn’t figure out how I could possibly move on from this. It seemed as though God had abandoned me again. It wasn’t until one Sunday at church when someone gave me the name of Marbeth Carew, the Director of the Women’s Program at the Mission, and said they were hiring. The Lord showed me that he had an amazing purpose for me and opened all the doors for me to take on a position in ministry there. Since coming to the Mission in 2019, I have experienced so much growth in every aspect of my life. I have never felt like just another employee on a list. Sean and Marbeth have invested so much time and energy into my spiritual and emotional growth by encouraging me to seek Christian counseling, walking me through the Genesis Process, and pouring truth and wisdom into my life. They have been with me every step of the way, and I cannot even begin to describe how my relationship with my daughter McKenzie has transformed in the past four years. I was given the space and time to prioritize the restoration of our mother daughter relationship. The Mission has 100% made it possible for that to happen. We now see each other often, talk every single day, and the relationship that we have now feels as though we never lost those years due to my addiction. She now tells me that she looks up to me! Wow! I never thought I would hear her say that. I am so thankful to my leadership for giving me hard truths, lessons, and knowledge to navigate these new phases in my life. I have so much love for Sean, Marbeth, and the Mission. I truly believe that the Lord led me here in a time of deep darkness. I now work as the Development Coordinator at the Mission, overseeing fundraising and planning events. God has provided the means for me to have my own apartment and my own car, something that I never thought would be attainable for me. I could never have imagined this life that I am living now: six years free of addiction, full of hope, and having a true, genuine relationship with my daughter. I want to thank all of you who donate to the Mission to make stories like mine possible. I feel so grateful and blessed! Thank you!

"The Mission has been such a blessing to me and my family!"

April 10, 2023
My name is Kelsey, and I am so blessed to be able to share my story with you. I am a graduate of another recovery program in Rhode Island. When I graduated from that facility, I thought I had dealt with all my past issues and trauma. I soon realized that there was some more struggles I must work through. I became pregnant soon after leaving the program, and I didn’t know where to turn. I had spent a lifetime in dysfunctional and abusive relationships, it was all I knew. Thankfully, God gave me my now fiancé Darnell, who taught me what a healthy relationship can be. After I gave birth to my son, I lost my father in a tragic accident. I was deeply struggling with postpartum depression and didn’t know how to cope with the loss of my dad. While I stayed clean from my previous drugs of choice, I didn’t know how to go on with my life and turned to alcohol. When my children were removed from my care as a result of my drinking, I knew I had to get my life under control. I got sober and turned to my church for support. However, I still lacked the financial resources to fully provide for my children. I regained custody of my kids in December of 2022. I was so excited, but I didn’t have the means to provide Christmas for them. The Mission gave me everything I needed to give my family a great holiday. The best part for me was, that my kids didn’t know any of their gifts came from the Mission, they just knew that Santa came! The Mission has been such a blessing to me and my family. They have provided food and clothing during many times when it was simply hard to make ends meet. To have somewhere to turn when I was at a very low point in my life was honestly a gift from God. To everyone who donates to the Mission, I want to thank you for making a way to help people who are struggling. In a time when everyone is having to make tough financial choices, you are still choosing to help others and I am so grateful. Thank you!
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