“By the grace of God… I’ve been so blessed.”

Ella’s parents battled mental illness, so she was adopted and raised by her grandparents. But that environment was troubling as well. “There was a lot of substance abuse in the home,” Ella says. “But no one would talk about it and eventually I just buried it.”

Her pent-up pain and confusion led to her own cycle of self-destruction. “I was drawn to my partners because there was something about them that was familiar since childhood – they were closeted abusers.” When her son’s father became a threat to their well-being, she knew she had to leave to protect her little boy. The 6-year-old went to live with his aunt. But Ella became homeless… her drug use escalated… and so did her anger at what her life had become.

“I was tired of being tired – of waiting, waiting, waiting for someone to help me. Finally I helped myself.”

Ella enrolled in rehab and went to church for the first time in years. There she met a man who had worked for the Rescue Mission, and he encouraged her to join our recovery program.

“The Rescue Mission brought me a sense of peace and stillness that I desperately needed.”

In our faith-based environment, Ella felt a sense of community she’d never experienced before. Through therapy and prayer, she feels God healing her anger and pain. “I have received so many blessings that come just at the right time.”

In our Mission Academy she embraced our coursework, including budgeting and parenting skills, and received assistance with housing and employment. She joined the Plumbers Union and is looking forward to an apprenticeship to build a stable life for herself and her son.  

This Christmas, Ella is experiencing all the joy this season has to offer – because YOU believed in the power of a fresh start and the promise of God’s unending love. “Through the grace of God, I am sober… my son has been returned to me… I’m back to working. We are so very, very blessed.”

To read this issue of Mission in Motion, click to download.