“I went from having everything to having no one…”
When Ashley was young, she was diagnosed with a learning disability and it took a heavy toll on her self-esteem. “Other kids made fun of me and I grew up feeling like I was never enough.”
Eventually, Ashley fell in love with a man who introduced her to drugs and she quickly discovered that they numbed her pain. “I liked not having to feel anything,” she says.
Over the years, her addiction escalated and Ashley wound up losing her home, custody of her daughter and, finally, her mental health. “I went from having everything to having no one, homeless, suffering from paranoia. I lost myself.”
Then, one day, Ashley’s maternal love broke through her despair and confusion, and drove her to seek help for the sake of her daughter. “She needed me, so I wanted a new life, hope and a future,” she says. “I needed to know who God was.”
Ashley found Him here at the Mission through our Christian Life Training Discipleship Program. “Now, He’s my Savior, my Father and my best friend.”
Her newfound faith, Christian counseling and addiction recovery classes have helped Ashley heal from her emotional wounds and learn to live her life in a new way. Now, her daughter is living with her at our Recovery Home for Women & Children, and they’re growing closer every day. “The Mission equipped me to be a better mother and helped build our relationship.”
“My daughter has her mom back.”
Through life skills classes and vocational training, Ashley is also learning all she needs to live a successful, independent life. When the time comes, she’ll find a job and a home where she can raise her daughter in the love of the Lord. “I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I know it’s going to be something great.”
Ashley has hope this Christmas – and she wants to thank YOU for supporting her journey toward a new life. “The Mission saved my life and gave me back my daughter.”
Read the full Holiday 2023 Newsletter here.