When I was six years old, my parents would often leave my two younger brothers and me alone for days and nights at a time, often without food or water. I stole my first loaf of bread for us at that time to keep us all from starving to death. This parental abandonment continued until the age of seven where our mom briefly returned and took us to a babysitter we didn’t even know. We were left with a complete stranger, and little did we know, that would be the last time we were to see our mom for 29 years.

During those younger years, I started attending Vacation Bible School, where we learned about Jesus, his teachings, and his genuine love for children from some wonderful volunteers. I’d come home after VBS, and my stepmother would tell me that nobody wanted me, and she for sure didn’t. One night, I said a prayer that changed everything. On my mattress between silent tears, I prayed, “God, since nobody wants me, let me be your child.” He answered my prayer, and since then, my journey with Jesus has been filled with his marvelous light in dark valleys and peak moments of mighty wonder. I went from abandonment to discovering Jesus’ loyal love through trials, temptations, and tremendous successes. Because I was introduced to Jesus and the life he offers by women volunteers in Vacation Bible School, I was never alone again.