St. Louis Graduates Celebrate their Freedom!

St. Louis staff and residents came together with family and friends to celebrate seven amazing young women as they graduated from the Mercy Ministries program. Here are their stories of freedom:

Bryanna

Before Mercy, I believed that I had a death-sentence because of my addiction to self-harm and my borderline personality disorder. I allowed anger and manipulation to control my life, and I believed everything and everyone should revolve around my needs. I hated my family and I didn’t know how to be a friend. I was desperate for healing and when my parents told me about Mercy Ministries, I made the decision to apply.

While at Mercy, God has set me free from addiction! I am no longer depressed because I know I am a child of God. Hope and healing are my new testimony and I’m so thankful for this experience!

After graduation, I plan to pursue a degree in Art with a minor in Psychology. It is my hope that I will someday use art therapy to help people learn about the heart of God.


Amy

Before coming to Mercy, I struggled with a 6-year eating disorder, alcoholism, obsessive compulsive disorder, and self-harm. Childhood emotional abuse left me hating myself and filled with insecurity. I believed nobody loved me. Addiction seemed to be the only way to gain control over my life when, in reality, everything was completely out of control. I knew I needed change, and I wanted to do it with God’s help, so I applied to Mercy.

Since I have been at Mercy, God has shown me His unconditional love and acceptance. I am His precious daughter, and no issue or disease will ever define who I am. There is so much freedom in submitting to His will! My life is truly changed forever.

After Mercy, I plan to go back to college and pursue a career in Nursing. My future is filled with God’s promises!


DeJon

My life before Mercy was a mess. Choosing to do things my way created a lot of struggle and hardship and eventually, I ended up homeless. Every single day, I woke up feeling miserable, as if my life had no purpose.

During my time at Mercy, God has given me joy that is amazing and powerful! I don’t have to be ashamed of my past because I am a NEW creation in Christ. Following the crowd always left my life in shambles, but I now realize that when I follow Jesus, my life will always be full of peace.

After Mercy, I plan to work as a medical receptionist at a local doctor’s office and eventually pursue a college degree in Criminal Justice.


Abigail

My life before Mercy was filled with uncontrollable anger. I was afraid to fail as a mother which made me feel alone, tired and hopeless. Frantic to escape all my shame and guilt, I exhausted all available resources. At the end of myself, I knew I needed God to open a door for me. I know He made the way for me to go to Mercy.

At Mercy, God has made His awesome presence known in my life! He has broken the cycle of shame and failure and freed me from bondage to my issues. I have learned that my identity is in Christ alone, that my purpose is to further His Kingdom, and that in Him I have full authority over the enemy. I’m also so thankful for the bold and anointed women on staff at Mercy who have made a profound impact on my life!

After graduation, I will teach what I have learned at Mercy to both of my beautiful daughters. I plan to pursue a college degree in the fall and look forward to becoming actively involved in a local church.


Katie

I grew up in a loving, stable, Christian home and my life was devoted to excelling at sports. The approval and acceptance I received for my athletic accomplishments fueled my desire to experience perfection in all areas of my life. After developing insecurities about my body, the pressure to be a perfect daughter, role model, and athlete manifested into anorexia and eventually depression. I applied to Mercy because I knew in my heart that only God could make me whole again.

While at Mercy, God totally transformed my understanding of who He is and who I am in Him. He showed me that the lies I had believed produced a performance driven, legalistic people-pleasing mentality. I am so thankful that God looks at my heart! He patiently and lovingly revealed that He delights in me just the way I am! Applying to Mercy was the best decision I have ever made.

After Mercy, I plan to return home to my awesome parents and be an adoring aunt to my future niece or nephew! I also plan to attend college in the fall.


Ana

Before Mercy, I grew up in a loving home, but my safety net completely shattered when my parents divorced. I began self-harming to cope with my pain and self-hatred and eventually developed an eating disorder and a severe drug and alcohol addiction. After experiencing the heartbreak of losing a child to abortion and damaging close relationships through my chaotic lifestyle, I became severely depressed. Mercy Ministries was my last hope.

At Mercy, I have learned how to love and accept myself the way God does. This has been essential to my healing. For the first time since I was young, I feel whole and full of peace. I am totally convinced that God saved my life through this ministry.

After I graduate, I will go back to school to finish my Psychology degree. I am looking forward to using my career to help people who have experienced the same pain I’ve been through find hope and healing in Christ.


Kelsey

Before I came to Mercy, I was very rebellious. Experimenting with drugs at a young age, I became addicted to all kinds of substances. Eventually, I gave my body away to men in order to support my habit. Completely broken, I tried secular programs for healing, but these programs left me in disbelief that I could ever be free from my addictions. After my mother read the book, “Trapped: Mercy for Addictions” by Nancy Alcorn, she recommended that I apply to Mercy. I was excited to have a real relationship with Christ!

During my time at Mercy, God has shown me that His love is unconditional even when I mess up. I have been healed from grief, depression, promiscuity, co-dependency, addiction and low self-esteem. I also received the encouragement that I needed to have the confidence to walk out my freedom!

After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in the medical field. I’m excited to see how my life will be used to encourage others.


Congratulations ladies! We are so proud of your bravery and maturity and can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for you on your new journey with Him.

Women’s Wellness Weekend – Health Enthusiast Partners with Mercy Ministries

This past weekend, Mercy Ministries had the awesome opportunity to partner with Broccoli Cupcake, a two-day women’s wellness event designed to inspire and educate women to build a healthier life for themselves. After seeing the new BarlowGirl video on our website, they invited us to come and set up a booth to provide our resources and information about our program to the guests attending the event. Wellness enthusiast Cali Shackleford opened Broccoli Cupcake to offer women information and encouragement for a balanced life. Many women came out to enjoy the inspiring speakers, worship, resource fair, and generous giveaways.

The keynote speaker was Jana Joshu, Founder of Middle Tennessee Center for Alternative Medicine. She was joined by Suzanne Baker, Founder of The Spiritual Spa, and special guests from the television series The Biggest Loser. Mercy Ministries’ information and resource giveaways were woven throughout the event to present the message of healing and transformation through Christ.

Here is what Cali Shackleford had to say about her involvement with Mercy Ministries:

"The thing that really attracted me is their holistic approach. I love that Mercy goes beyond the traditional practices found in a secular treatment center to include teaching the girls how to cook healthy and eat organic foods, plus they focus on emotional and spiritual healing! I’m looking forward to supporting them as they are a much needed resource to women in our community and beyond."

Mercy Ministries would like to thank Broccoli Cupcake for their love and support.

To learn more about Broccoli Cupcake and their Women’s Wellness Weekends, visit http://www.broccolicupcake.com/.

Special Visit from Musicians Grant and Brooke Norsworthy

Last Wednesday, Nashville staff and residents were excited to host special guests Grant and Brooke Norsworthy. Originally from Australia, Grant is a Grammy nominated and Dove Award winning musician who originally came to the public’s attention as bass guitarist for the popular Paul Coleman Trio in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Grant also spent the last 3 ½ years as the bassist for the widely known worship rock band Sonicflood. Most recently, he has been gaining a reputation as a speaker - he describes his ministry as a “word and song” ministry which combines his passion to teach with his musical talent. His wife Brooke, also a talented vocalist, accompanied her husband in leading worship together.

Here is what some of the residents had to say in response to their time with the Norsworthys:

Kelly said, “I absolutely loved hearing from Grant and Brooke! Their music and teaching really spoke to me and I was reminded to let there be more of God and less of me.”

Amanda said, “I loved these two! They totally opened my eyes to the fact that my healing isn’t about me stifling my fears and addictions, but instead, it’s about allowing God to fill my emptiness.”

Jessica said, “This was an amazing class. I’m so glad that they shared a message about God’s powerful love. His love is the only thing that can change me and I need to surrender to it.”

To learn more about Grant Norsworthy and his “Word and Song” ministry, visit his website at www.grantnorsworthy.com. Check out some of the pictures from their visit:

Private Concert with The Katinas!

This week, Samoa-born brothers Sam, Joe, Jesse, John, and James, collectively known as The Katinas, showed their love and support for Mercy Ministries with a special private concert at our Sacramento home! Over the past 15 years, the Katinas have become a favorite among Christian audiences across the country, performing hundreds of concerts each year. These tight-knit brothers have an amazing bond that really exemplified to our residents and staff the power of unity.

Not only did they share their inspiring music, but the brothers took time to challenge the Mercy girls to do away with regrets and allow God to forgive their past mistakes. Residents were encouraged to let go of their past and move forward toward fulfilling their destinies. The men explained that God is pleased by our faith, and not by perfection. Our residents really engaged in the worship and connected with the Katina’s heart for God and the sincerity that they pour into their lyrics and testimony.

Here is what a few of the girls had to say about their private concert with the Katinas:

Haley said, “I thought they were great! They reminded me that it is God who brings transformation and I need to recognize all the things He is doing in my life.”

Beth said, “They shared a message about forgiveness. When I don’t forgive myself, I am saying to Jesus that what He did was not enough. I appreciate this valuable reminder.”

Cari said, “I loved having the Katina’s here. They took time to bless us with their music and we all felt really special.”

To learn more about The Katinas or their new album, “Still,” visit their website at www.thekatinas.com.