Stories

Sarah’s Story

Sarah’s mother was 14 when she was born — her father was 15 and addicted to drugs. She bounced between two homes and two completely different worlds, but neither were stable. As a child, she witnessed both her mother and grandmother endure brutal physical abuse.

Once Sarah was a little older, she was forced to spend time with her father and step-mother. At their house, she was surrounded by drugs, screaming and horrific domestic violence.She was rarely fed and remembers being so excited when they would actually eat.

When Sarah was only 9 years old, she was molested by a family member. The abuse continued for several years. Just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, she was violently raped by another older man, when she was just 12 years old.

For years Sarah tried to fill her life with things that she hoped would make her happy, but the new home, fancy car, great job, and doting husband couldn’t fill her hidden emptiness. She would repeatedly walk away from every good and stable thing she had. Years of domestic violence, emotional and sexual abuse, left Sarah struggling to cope with reality. She knew that even the outrageous love that she had for her children couldn’t fill the gaping void and break the cycles of trauma.

It wasn’t until God brought Sarah to Shepherd’s Gate that she found the overwhelming love of Jesus Christ and the encouraging support of her “house moms.” For the first time in her life, she felt whole. She was able to finally receive healing and work through the abuse and abandonment she faced as a child. In the many classes she took in our Road to Freedom program, Sarah learned how to be a mother, and how to live with integrity and purpose.

“I know how to keep commitments, how to manage my day, how to get my kids to school on time, how to push through hard times. I know how to set healthy boundaries, for both my kids and for myself.”

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