Graduate Stories
Keysha
Raised by an alcoholic mother and no father, Keysha became a survivor. She turned to an abusive relationship and eventually an addiction to cocaine.
As a result of both, she shook and injured her baby out of frustration, ended up in jail and lost her five children. She had hit the bottom.
That was eleven years ago. She spent 6 years in prison, her last year as a resident in the faith based dorm.
During that time God became very real to Keysha. Through her relationship with him, she overcame some fears, experienced healing both mentally and spiritually and began the journey back to freedom.
On the day she walked out of prison, Keysha was met by a God of Hope mentor who walked with her step by step for the next year as she lived at a transitional house and reestablished herself as a responsible citizen.
She landed a job where she performed well and received regular raises and a promotion to a supervisory position.
She has reconnected with two of her children and recently became a proud grandmother. She has stayed active in church and travels on speaking engagements.
Keysha’s latest accomplishment was to go outside the country as a missionary and share the love of Christ to those less fortunate, including those imprisoned as she once was.
Today, five years later, she still stays in touch with her mentor and is grateful to The God of Hope Ministries for drawing her closer to God.
Christina
Christina once wrote a “hot check” on her account in prison when she ordered a magazine subscription. She had enjoyed a lifestyle of having new vehicles and a nice house and buying anything she wanted. Her desire for things finally led her down a path to a prison sentence for burglary.
She felt relieved the night she was arrested because she knew she was going to begin her recovery. Christina prayed that night with a Christian jailer who led her to Christ.
She eventually ended up in the Faith Based dorm, spent time learning about the love of God and how he can make relationships real through his love.
During her 18 months in the dorm she learned to trust and open up to others and she began to grow.
Christina was released to parole in 2011 and faced much struggle because of heavy child support obligations. She landed a job and has continued to work although her paycheck does not even cover her now frugal lifestyle since most of it goes to child support and parole fees. She continues to trust God day by day for her needs and spends time with her children on weekends.
Her old truck died so she is without transportation but continues to trust God for provision. Her job ended due to employer bankruptcy but she is pushing through and establishing a business to provide a service to inmates.
Through the ups and downs of trying to survive she has never lost her faith in God. Christina is grateful to The God of Hope Ministries for their faithful involvement with her and their encouragement and love of Christ showered upon her by the volunteers.
Johnny
With a $300 per day drug habit and gang involvement, Johnny reached rock bottom. He cried out to God and was arrested the next day.
He found his way to the faith based dorm where his life was changed by Jesus. He spent 1.5 years in the faith based dorm learning more about God and how to share his faith with others.
Once released, Johnny concentrated on showing his family the true change that God had done in him. He strived to teach them what he had learned. God has been faithful to provide family reconciliation and an excellent job where he directs others.
He has returned to the place that once held him behind bars and now ministers to those still there. Johnny is thankful that God put him in prison and in The God of Hope Ministries faith based dorm. There God had his attention and made him into a totally different man.