“Most of my life I have spent not wanting to live. I never wanted to harm myself, but I didn’t like waking up. Now I can say that I am excited to live. I go around looking for ways to help and serve others. I’ve been restored.”

My life before coming to House of Cherith was very difficult.  I married my husband with hopes of obtaining land and a home. Instead, I ended up in a hotel where I was labor trafficked in the midst of sex trafficking and drug trafficking. My husband had no intentions of building land or a house. He was hiding his addiction to meth. After my husband willingly left me, I had the police remove him permanently.

I was then alone—abandoned, with no money and no one to help me. He had full knowledge of this and increased my hours from 8 to 10 to 12 to 14 hours just to pay for my room. I was insulted, abused, and incarcerated daily. There was no escape. I had no resources other than my room and food stamps.

I went to the hospital with a bacterial and fungal infection due to neglect and reported what was happening. The hospital’s caseworker was appointed to me and usually sends help. She gave me a list of resources, and I was eventually able to get a bed in a shelter. By God’s grace, I was sent to a new safe house in the Chicago area. I was very ill physically and did not receive medical care for three months there.

Although they still had not received my trauma case, I continued to cry out to God, telling Him I needed rest. I was sent to House of Cherith at City of Refuge. What relief. Thank you, Lord.

There are so many highlights from being here. The love and care from the staff has radically changed my life. I have never received love like this in all my life.

For the first time in my life, I am understanding my worth. Dignity has been given to me. The joy of being a beautiful woman is a gift I am still opening. I have realized that I have a lot to bring to the table, and I will never settle for anything less than God’s best.

Most of my life I have spent not wanting to live. I never wanted to harm myself, but I didn’t like waking up. Now I can say that I am excited to live. I go around looking for ways to help and serve others. I’ve been restored. I will always do my very best helping women find their true beauty and walking in all of their value and dignity.

There are so many things—big things—I have experienced here. I could go on and on. House of Cherith is my home and my family. The women at HOC are my passion.

-M