--Pacific Garden Mission /Chicago, Illinois~~

--TRANSFORMED BY JESUS/ SENORA~

-"God's Plan for Me Was to Be Transformed~"

--Senora frequently shares her story of transformation, of overcoming hardships and finding salvation. "I have been through a lot. I grew up in an alcoholic family. at the age of eight, I saw my dad murdered. At the age of thirteen I had been sexually abused by a family member. At the age of sixteen, I started using drugs to hide from the pain I was going through, pain inflicted upon me by my family. At the age of twenty, my mother died. I had three kids at the time. Growing up I had no one to show me love. My mother was there, but she was unable to show us love because she was drunk all the time."

After years of struggling with addiction, Senora reached a breaking point and knew she had to make a decision.
"At this point, I had nowhere to go. It was cold outside, and I was hungry. I just said to myself 'I can't do this anymore', and I asked God to show me what to do and where to go. I went to the police station and said I was homeless and hungry. I just wanted someplace that was safe where I could rest. They said there was only one place they could take me. That was Pacific Garden Mission.

Senora graduated the 'New Day Addiction Recovery' program here and soon after got married. She now lives in her own apartment and often comes to the Mission on Saturday's to join in the church service. Arriving with nothing but the clothes on her back and a little hope, Senora is now content and filled with the Spirit of Jehovah God.

"I didn't know that God's plan for me was to be transformed." Senora told the crowd. "Get to know God. Build a relationship with Him, and I guarantee you will be a totally different person when you walk out of these doors. Please! If you need help, do not leave before that miracle comes."

Nothing speaks of hope to the hopeless more than seeing someone who once struggled so dearly, but is now living a fully functioning life in Christ. Once someone has decided to follow Jesus Christ and to begin a new life walking with Him, that person needs a family of believers to help them.

Helping someone completely rebuild their life can seem like a daunting undertaking, especially individually, but together we can help hundreds of people do just that. It wouldn't be possible without you.

As we look forward to what God has planned for us, let us remember that together we can accomplish great things for His glory. "Nothing is impossible with GOD."

"I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed." --(ISAIAH 63:7)

[Websites: www.pgm.org // www.unshackled.org ]
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