Ciara
Pasadena, California
We see the ruthlessness of drugs every day at Hoving Home.
For Ciara, the tragic decision of simply “trying” drugs led her down a three-year plunge into addiction. Even though she grew up in a loving, stable home, the tragedy of being exposed to drugs threatened to destroy Ciara’s life—and it did for a time. 
Heroin took Ciara to very dark places. She would do anything to get her next fix. The toll was emotional, physical, and spiritual.
All the while, God pursued Ciara, even speaking to her during a detox attempt.
“He told me he wanted me to change my life,” Ciara remembers. “that what I was doing was taking me far from my family and leading me to death.”
Within 24 hours of hearing God’s voice, Ciara learned about our Las Vegas Hoving Home from her mom, and they drove over to our Home.
Unfortunately, our Las Vegas program was full when they arrived, but apparently God had other plans!
As Ciara and her mom were getting ready to leave, in a God-ordained moment, John Benton happened to be stopping by. He told Ciara our Pasadena Home had an opening. She didn’t wait a moment before getting back in the car and heading to L.A.
“My mom drove me there immediately,” Ciara shares. “And I took the next 12 months 100% seriously.”
God honored Ciara’s commitment by freeing her from withdrawal pain.
Just like Jesus threw off the chains of sin, he rescued Ciara from the chains of addiction withdrawal.
With time to focus on her faith without interruption, Ciara poured herself into Scripture reading and devotions. “It really transformed my heart,” she says.
All the while, Ciara prayed for God to choose a husband for her.
After completing the program, she took a job at a department store and there, at work, God answered her prayer with a kind, gentle, God-loving man. They got married and today they’re raising two beautiful girls and growing more in faith as a family!
Ciara eventually earned her degree and now works as an early childhood education teacher, too.
“I’m thankful to the Hoving Home, because they gave me a safe place to get to know God. It was just me and God,” Ciara explains. “The hours I spent studying the Word and better understanding how to become like Jesus was most impactful.”
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