I was sexually abused at the age of 5 by someone who was supposed to love me. I was very hurt and angry inside. I felt abandoned and at age 11, I started using pills to numb my pain. I became promiscuous and lost my virginity at age 12. I was very suicidal and after one of my attempts with over 200 pills, I ended up in the emergency room. I knew that God was the answer to my pain; I just didn’t know how to get help. Continue reading “Katelynn – Mercy Multiplied Graduate” →

Before Mercy, I spent most of my time trying to escape reality. I was very anxious, especially in social situations, and afraid of failure. I came out of a lot of poverty and confused thinking. I used self-harm out of frustration and thought it would make people see how much pain I was in. I hated my family and I thought they hated me too. I felt dead inside and believed that there was no hope for me. Continue reading “Heidi – Mercy Multiplied Graduate” →

I always struggled with my weight but covered it up by striving to be a good Christian girl. At 12 years old, I was introduced to bulimia by a basketball teammate. I innocently tried it, and soon it took control over my life. I sought help from nutritionists and counselors and was even put on depression medication—but nothing worked.

I convinced myself that if I could just graduate from college, get married and become a teacher, the depression would go away and I would love myself. After getting a couple of D’s my junior year due to the darkness I was entrenched in, my mom gave me an ultimatum. We found out about Mercy Multiplied online, and I applied. While on the waiting list, I was in a car accident and felt as if I was at the end of my rope. Three hours later, I received a phone call from Mercy Multiplied saying I had been accepted. Continue reading “Cacey’s Story” →

At the age of four I remember looking in the mirror and thinking my legs and stomach looked fat, and by the time I was eleven I stopped eating. I loved sports and would exercise constantly. My parents took me to a doctor who diagnosed me with anorexia. Continue reading “Cara – Mercy Multiplied Graduate” →

When I was very young, I was sexually abused by a family member. At that same time, my grandparents died. I didn’t understand what was happening and I began to distance myself from everyone. My parents divorced and things got worse. Continue reading “Blair – Mercy Multiplied Graduate” →

I was sexually abused at a young age and quickly learned how to keep secrets. I was molested, abused, and raped multiple times throughout my life and used drugs, alcohol, and self-harm to cope. I also attended a strong performance-based school where I developed an eating disorder. Continue reading “Beth – Mercy Multiplied Graduate” →

When I was in 8th grade, my family split up and I moved in with my mom. I was very depressed and believed my family didn’t really want me. My senior year of high school, I dropped out and moved in with my boyfriend. I got pregnant and decided to give my baby boy up for adoption, but I was devastated. Continue reading “Ashley – Mercy Multiplied Graduate” →

Growing up, my family went through multiple divorces. We moved a lot and I had no real sense of family. I began to self-harm at the age of 13. I didn’t have anyone I felt I could talk to so I used the physical pain to deal with my emotional pain. Soon, I was cutting every day. At the age of 14, I was sexually abused by a much older man in my community. Continue reading “Amanda – Mercy Multiplied Graduate” →