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God Wants Me Just As I Am
 Men and women come to Hope Ministries with broken hearts, broken bodies and broken lives. There’s no need to fake a smile or pretend everything is okay when you walk through our doors—we’ll take you just as you are because that’s how God takes each and every one of His children. Here, Jenni, a resident at Hope Family Center, shares how she’s gone from brokenness to blessing.
Welcome
When Jenni first came to Hope Ministries, she really didn’t want to be here. Being homeless and temporarily losing custody of her children was too much, and Jenni says, she broke down and cried. “The staff at Hope Family Center comforted me,” she recalls. “They let me talk about my problems and helped me find solutions.” Now Jenni feels better every day. “I always feel like I’m being heard and that’s why I’m feeling more positive. Being here is a hard thing, but a good thing. The staff here is awesome.”
Pardon
God’s forgiveness is a new idea to Jenni, but she’s excited about learning more. “I’m slowly getting it,” she says. “At first I thought I just didn’t want to hear anymore about it. Then, even while I was struggling with being here, I realized I was listening to Christian music on the radio and enjoying reading my Bible. I wasn’t doing it because I had to. I wanted to do it for myself.”
Cleanse
Jenni may understand more then she realizes about God’s love and forgiveness. In a recent telephone conversation, she told her children’s father, “You have to pray. You have to surrender your will to God.” Jenni is now taking a Grace 101 class at Hope Family Center and is looking into the meaning of baptism at the church she now regularly attends.
Relieve
Jenni knows the journey has been worth the cost. “I got my kids back at the end of October, just in time to be with my 6-year-old, Dylan, on his birthday,” she says with delight. Her daughter, Alyssa, will be 5 years old in January. “I have an awesome family,” Jenni says. “They’re very supportive. My parents are getting older and I want them to know everything’s going to be okay. I am blessed to have my family and the people at Hope Ministries. They’re my friends.”
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