Rachel
Pasadena, CA
2018
Most people can look back at their childhood and remember fond moments with loving family members. But as a young child, Rachel’s mom kidnapped her and raised her with a gang.
“I was exposed to things children should never be exposed to,” Rachel remembers. “Physical and sexual abuse.”
In need of help, Rachel’s mom was committed to a mental institution, forcing Rachel into unhealthy foster homes throughout her childhood.
When Rachel was a young teen, her mom regained custody, until one day she left the house and never came back.
Miraculously, Rachel graduated from high school and got a job in the dental field. But inside, she was utterly broken.
So Rachel sought love through unhealthy relationships with men, no matter how dangerous they became.
Rachel’s lifestyle exposed her to drugs, addiction, and jail time. For 25 years, Rachel survived on the streets, prostituting herself for drugs. But God never stopped pursuing her.
“I woke up one morning and said, ‘God if you’re real, I don’t want to do this anymore. I need your help.’”
That’s when Rachel remembered a book she read in jail … the story of Hoving Home. She called and came right over.
Rachel allowed God’s love to fill the empty areas of her life, memorizing Scripture and replacing despair with truth.
“It was hard for me to trust people,” Rachel admits. “But volunteers would just love on us. They gave their time, and it was so special.”
Rachel also gained an appreciation for our donors while helping in our financial office on her path to graduating. “I would gather checks from the mail and think how loved we were. Their generosity saved my life.”
Today, Scripture dwells richly in Rachel’s heart. She thanks God for the people He used in her redemption story and now sees it as her turn to help others.
Rachel hopes to serve as a chaplain in a Christian organization, so she can share the hope she found in Christ with other women in crisis. She knows what it is like to go from darkness to light and wants as many women as possible to know Christ’s redeeming love.
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