04 Mar A New Life Filled with Purpose

“I’ve learned that God loves you right where you are, but He loves you too much to let you stay there.” —Brea

Only weeks after losing her mom, Brea—who’d struggled for years with drug addiction—was arrested and sent to jail.

“I was addicted to heroin and deep into the lifestyle,” she says. “Life had been pretty bad for a while, but it finally came to this head-on collision.”

Brea’s lowest point, though, became her turning point. In her jail cell, she made two decisions that would change her life. First, she gave her heart to Christ. Then, she decided to come to Hope Ministries, arriving at our Hope Center for Women and Children in early 2019.

“At first, all I could think was, ‘What did I get myself into?’” she shares. “But once the initial scariness wore off, it was really comforting.”

“This isn’t just treatment—it’s life recovery,” she adds. “You work on every area of your life. Everybody’s really loving, and they give you grace . . . like God does.” Her favorite thing about being at Hope Center? “Doing life with the staff. They share their struggles and how God has helped them through everything. That’s amazing to me.”

In her determination to overcome addiction, Brea says she’s changing the way she thinks. “I’ve learned to look to Jesus and keep my focus on him instead of my sin or shame.”

This month, Brea will celebrate her 20th month of sobriety—the longest stretch of time she’s gone since she started using. Brea purchased a car, and she spent Christmas at her sister’s house for the first time in three years.

And she’s looking ahead with great excitement. “I want to go back to school for psychology so I can help children with trauma. I feel like God laid that on my heart.”

She knows that in order to do so, she needs to stay on track. Brea’s counting on the support of Hope Ministries and her church family to provide continued accountability, even after she leaves Hope Center.

“Before I came to Hope Ministries, I felt worthless. Since coming here, I know I have a purpose.”

Thank you for changing Brea’s life—and many others—through your Easter gift and prayers! With your support, they’re finding a new life filled with purpose!

Provide Easter Meals & HOPE