Lighthouse Ministries Resident

Heidi wasn’t completely unfamiliar with the concept with Christianity when she entered Lighthouse Ministries. In fact she was raised in the church. Saved at six-years-old, she had a foundation in Christ, but her rebellious streak started young and only intensified with age.

Age 18, Heidi got married as a way to get out of her home. What she thought was her salvation ended up becoming a nightmare as the relationship turned violent and abusive. A few months after the wedding, she attemped suicide. “With all the estress of my parents trying to help me get out of the relationship, me losing my job because I was in a bad relationship, and him trying to keep me there, I could not handle it anymore.” By the grace of God, Heidi survived the attempt, but she stayed in the relationship, leaving her just as scared and stressed as before.

When she became pregnant in 2005, she realized she had to make a change for the sake of her child. She left her husband and moved in with her grandmother until she could join a local shelter. She rejoined the church, singing in the choir, helping in Sunday School, and guiding her son, Mark, in the ways of the Lord.

But she found herself relapsing when things got hard. She lost her job, quit attending church, and started making choices that were harming her. Her poor choices caused her to lose everything she owned, and she was forced to move in with her dad just to stay off of the streets.

Heidi and Mark came to Lighthouse in November 2009, but she struggled a lot when she came in. The schedule and self-discipline were difficult, espcially since she never had those things growing up. Having daily classes and listening to the Gospel has really changed her. “Being here made me realize it didn’t work before, and it’s not going to work now.”

After battling with suicidal tendencies for years, she found peace from through an evening chapel. A preacher made her realize how selfish that mentality that was. She’s never thought about that since. She could never love anyone (including her son) until she loved herself – she can’t destroy what God made.

“Through the recovery class, we are taking different steps to recovery. One week we did T.U.R.N. (committing your life to Jesus Christ and giving it all to Him). I didn’t even think about it, but the next weekend, I recommitted my life to God. My way did not work, and I’m going to do whatever you want me to do. It’s been kind of hard, but I know His way’s better. The end result will be better. I’ve been counseling with with the staff, and they have really encouraged me to not give up.”

Heidi and Mark both celebrated graduations in June 2010; Heidi from the Adult Learning Center, Mark from the Community Preschool. While Mark’s plans are short-term (they include kindergarten), Heidi is beginning work on her long-term plans: earning her GED and getting a degree in occupational therapy. For now, she’s working towards her internship phase of the program, and she wants to get her food handling certification so she can work full-time in the kitchen.

“Sometimes we don’t think God’s working, but he is. If we just stick with him, he’s definitely going to make some amazing changes. He’s going to do amazing things you never thought possible in your life.”