At the age of 12 years old, I left home due to alcoholic parents, a very violent, cruel, and sexually abusive stepfather by the age of 13, I started smoking PCP, weed, and using heroin.
My first child was born when I was 16. By the age of 19, I was addicted to heroin and methadone. Living the drug life alongside my husband was a nightmare; being by myself now with four children, every time he went back to prison, I learned to get by.
Until one day, CPS took all four of my kids into foster homes. Thankfully, my mother-in-law kept our four kids while my husband and I went into Victory Outreach, San Francisco, men’s and women’s recovery home.
We knew the courts, the system, the social workers, the parole officers, the outpatient programs, and the methadone program could not help us.
It wasn’t until we found Jesus and asked him to come into our hearts and our lives, God was able to change everything around.
He gave us peace and hope, and a purpose for our new lives.
Our children were returned to us, even though the social workers were recommending putting our four children up for adoption. The judge told us she had seen something different in us and that if Victory Outreach was part of the change, she advised us to stay with Victory Outreach.
We raised five children in the Mission District by taking them with us to church. My children never went to gangs, drugs, or alcohol. Some of them are now leaders, singers, worship leaders, teachers, and musicians in their churches.
I am blessed to see the same in my grandchildren. What I thought was impossible for me to get out of, God was able to do.
If you would like to see more lives change, you an sponsor me for our Run 4 Hope.