Hello, my name is Sarah Evans. I am 29 and single mother of 3 beautiful children. I was born in Central Oregon into a vey dysfunctional family! My mother’s life was taken the night of her 18 birthday when I was only a year old. As far as my father was concerned, he was never around. He lived a lifestyle of drugs and crime.
I was living with my Grandfather when had found that he was molesting me. So at the ages 4 I became Award of the State and was in and out of group homes and in at least 15 different foster homes. Living in these circumstances I encountered every form of abuse imaginable. From being raped to being beaten; this forced me to turn my feelings inward. I became a very angry and rebellious teen. Knowing nothing about the real world but desperately wanting to be on my own. Needless to say from the ages 13 to17 I spent running the street, being a runaway. This is where I got introduce to the drug world, which would consume my life for the next12 years. At the age of 15 I was introduce to methamphetamine and that was it, my life no longer belong to me. I had a little girl at the age of 17. So I did what I knew best I turned to selling drugs in order to support my daughter and me. At this time I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t let anyone hurt me ever again. I had turned cold hearted; my life was filled with nothing but drugs, crime and money
Then it happened; I did something that almost put me in prison. For me, this was my turning point. As I sat in that cold jail cell; tired, lonely and empty I cried out to the Lord and from that moment on it really didn’t matter where I was because I was filled with his presence. The only way I had was to look up. I accepted him to be my Lord and Savior in that cell and from that moment on he had ordained my step. Instead of going to prison the courts sentenced me to the Walter Hoving Home program which is where I was introduced to the Rainbow Family Ministry. Miss Lee is teaching me how important it is to have a strong foundation in the Lord and I am attending accounting courses, I have also been able to start the restoration with my children and learning how to lean on him for guidance when it comes to my parenting skills. I realize now that I do not have to endure this journey on my own. As long as I seek him in all that I do, I will persevere beyond my means. The Lord has called me to be in the ministry so I hope and pray somehow that I will have the opportunity to attending Bible College and pursue my vision to one day open a home for teen mother on my reservation back in Oregon. But for now I am taking accounting class.
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord had anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.

Testimony

My name is Michelle Aguirre.  I am a 23 year old mother of two daughters ages 8 and 6 and two sons ages 3 and 2.  I was born and raised in Boyle Heights, CA.  My mom and dad separated at the age of 3. At the age of 4 my mom remarried and I grew up in an alcoholic environment with her and my step dad.  I felt my childhood was all right.  At the age of 14 I had a relationship with my first boyfriend which lasted for over four years.  It was an abusive relationship but my first two children were born from it.  A few months before I gave birth to my second daughter my biological father passed away due to drug and alcohol abuse.  I was very hurt and sad because of his death. Then my life turned for the worse, I began to use drugs and hang out with gang members.  I started selling drugs and not caring about nothing else but myself.  My children and family were not part of my life during that time.  It came to a point that Children Protective Service took my children to foster care.  I then realized I needed help and I had to stop living a destructive lifestyle.  First I tried an outpatient program, but it didn’t work for me.  My social worker demanded that I had to do a residential program.  She found Rainbow Family Ministry.  When I went to see the home their was a room available by the grace of God.  So I entered the program with my youngest son Angel.  At the home I finally surrendered and gave my life to God.  I attended church for the first time.  I began reading the bible on a daily basis, where I found my identity in Christ.  Because I have a personal relationship with the Lord and had the willingness to change, God restored my relationship with all four of my children.  I now have my kids with me and I thank God. I have been sober and plan on staying sober and living a godly life.  My future plans for my life are to complete the accounting courses and enter school to be a medical assistant.  I will always serve the Lord with my children.

Hello my name is Jennifer Massey.  I am 28 years old.  I was born and raised in Orange County.  I have two sons, Adrian, thirteen and Jacob five years old.  I grew up in an abusive household, with two sisters and one brother.  I had Adrian at the age of fourteen years old.  It was very hard having a child so young.   Caring for a young child so early made me wants to go out and have fun.   I lost him at the age of sixteen.  I fought to get him back but at the same time I was still partying, not thinking about the consequences of my actions.  By the grace of God when he went up for adoption he was adopted by my immediate family.  It hurt me so much that I got even deeper into my addiction.  Then at the age of twenty my boyfriend shot himself.  Then I found myself doing more drugs.  Then my addiction led me in and out of jail to the point where I was throwing my life away.  My family started to resent me.  Because I didn’t care anymore about my life, all I cared about was drugs and where my next high was coming from.  My five year old son went through everything with me from sleeping in cars to staying in hotels.  I myself became an abusive parent toward my son.  Then finally the last time I went to jail which was in May 2009.  I did three months housed in IRC Mod N31.  That was the longest time that I was away from my son Jacob.  Then reality hit me.  There was a woman by the name of Liz Lee who came to speak about the Lord at the Orange County Jail.  She spoke about Rainbow Family Ministry.  I was so inspired that it gave me hope.  So I gave her a call and she mailed me an application and I responded back.  And I prayed so hard to get in the program because I knew that if I didn’t I was just going to go back into my old ways.  And on the day I got out which was June 23rd 2009, I called Ms. Lee to let her know I had been released from jail and I was still interested in coming to the program.  She came and picked up Jacob and myself immediately.  I have been part of Rainbow Family Ministry for the past five months. It has brought me and Jacob so much closer because of my personal relationship with the Lord.  Now I will be starting school for medical assistant this month.  I want a new way of life with my son Jacob. Through reading the bible and learning God’s word, he will direct me down the right path.  So just remember never to give up hope.  God is the way.  If you ask you shall receive.

Mark 4:10

Jesus said to him away from me Satan.  For it is written worship the Lord your God and serve him only.

TESTIMONY

My name is Jeanine Sanchez. I’m 25 yrs old and I have two daughter’s ages 3 and 1. I was born and raised in the city of Pico Rivera. I grew up in a very sheltered and loving home with both parents. And never knew what was out there in the real world. Until I turned eighteen then I became wild and wanted to experience new things. It was then that I started to use drugs and became addicted to Meth. Shortly after that I met my husband who also was addicted to drugs and was a drug dealer. Our life became worse and a year ago I lost my husband to life in prison. After he left I felt as if there was no hope my drug addiction led me to using more drugs and selling them to support my habit. I wound up losing everything and became homeless. I became tired and came to an end. I told myself that I couldn’t live like this any longer and I was terrified of losing my children. My brother asked me if I was ready to surrender and start over again. I replied yes! So I entered my self into a program named Rainbow Family Ministry a home for women and children. It was there that I first opened the Bible and began a relationship with the Lord, and it was there that I found hope and a new beginning for my children and myself.

Now I will be attending Everest College to complete my studies in Massage Therapy. I know that as long as I am walking with the Lord I will continue to be successful. I give all glory and honor to the Lord, and give thanks to Rainbow Family for opening up their doors and hearts to my children and me, and giving me the guidance and support that I needed to get my life back.

Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of god.

My name is Krystina, I’m 32 years old. I am the mother of 3 beautiful children, Amber 12 , Dylan 8, and Johnathan 6. My drug of choice is meth. I started using at 12, ,I was connected to some drug dealers that showed me the reaps, it was all fast track from there. At the age 16 I was gang raped by 7 guys, I was a virgin and they beat and raped me for approx. 13 hours I told no one other than my best friend who found me. After this my use became greater to try and numb the pain and fear. At the age of 17 I went to prison for a violent crime tried as an adult I did a year and a half in prison and six months in a mental institution I used drugs the whole time is was in prison and as soon as I got out I was back to the same old thing. soon after I had my daughter after she was born I used again up until I got pregnant with my son stayed clean long enough to give berth and began using again just before Dylan’s 2nd birthday I got arrested for drug trafficking, my kids were taken I was released without any conviction but still couldn’t have my kids back, a short time after Dylan wad diagnosed with cancer, I was there for him but I couldn’t stop using. At the same time I found out I was pregnant again. This time I couldn’t get clean long enough to have my baby so I used the whole pregnancy. By the grace of god they didn’t take him from me. When john was 1 in 2004 I was in a motel had a bunch of people there all night and a pocket full of dope and as I looked around I realized that I just wanted to die I needed to get out of this life and death was the only way , I called my sons dad and told him to get the baby and take care of him he caught on and got me into a drug rehab, I had done so much dope that I had to be hospitalized for a week I couldn’t eat I couldn’t hold my bowls or urine my whole body was shutting down because it didn’t know how to function without drugs. I stayed clean 3 years and had a relapse Jan 08 I was out for 4 months and it was like I never stopped. I ended up in another rehab and started doing the an program again but this time it just wasn’t enough I had a dark fear for my life overcome with emptiness. I was clean 6 months when I found liz lee that day was the beginning of my life. When I moved in here and god began to work in my life things began to change and I was out of control of them , my thinking, my language , I started to get convicted , was able to start to forgive , my life is so different now and I know that has not even close to being done with me , I have a wonderful relationship with my children , johnathan is a totally different kid as well, I’m restoring the relationship with my mom, I’m going to college to be a drug and alcohol counselor , so that I can help lost souls like me find gods glory, so many things happening and all the glory goes to god, I believe that nothing happens on accident and god put liz in my life to show me why I was empty today I’m no longer Krystina an addict, I’m Krystina a child of god whose delivered from addiction.
ROMANS 7:18-19 says, I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.
For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do ,NO, the evil I do not want to do-this is what I keep doing. Now, if  I do what I do not want to do then it is no longer I who does it, it is sin living in me that does it… That was so true to who I was, and who I never want to be. I will leave you with my favorite verse, ROMANS 8:38-39 I’m convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that’s in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My name is Niki I’m 21 years old and I have three children.

My childhood was very hard because my dad was a drug addict and an alcoholic I never seen him do drugs it was just his actions towards my mom and the rest of my family he abused my mom physically ,emotionally , and verbally. My mom finally left him when I was nine years old my mom my sisters and I all moved into a new place that’s when my mom started going out and wouldn’t come home at times. That’s when I started to rebel against my mom I stopped going to school and having no respect for her.

I got pregnant with my first child at the age of 15. I started using drugs at the age of 17.
At first it was just to lose weight but then at the age of 18 I started using everyday of the week. I moved out of my boyfriend’s house and moved into his sister’s house and that’s when I was introduced to her dope dealer which is now my husband. I started leaving my son with my little sister which was only 13 at the time. And then at the age of 19 I got pregnant with my second child I used drugs through my whole pregnancy and when I delivered her she tested positive for meth. At the time I was in the hospital my husband was abusing my son he had bruises on the right and left side of his face a black eye and scratches on his forehead. My son and daughter were taken from me and placed in children protective services. I lost my parental rights to both of my children because I still wanted to get high my son now lives with his father and my daughter is being adopted by my aunt. Then in 2004 I was arrested on drug related charges. I spent 4 months in orange county jail. I was later sentenced to the Walter Hoving Home for 6 months that’s where I met Liz. I found out that I was pregnant with my third child. Later violated my probation and had one week to enter into another program that when I called Rainbow family ministry explained my situation and Liz accepted me same day I spoke to her. I have been here since. Rainbow Family Ministry has helped me to be a better person and also teaching me to be a godly mother. Liz is always there for me when I need someone to talk too. My future plans are to go to school for my GED and my cosmetology license. I have a brand new baby named Justin. Now I have the chance to be a Godly mother and to raise him with the Lord. Thank God that I have a place like this to come to.

The scripture I leave you with is proverbs 3:5,6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

Hello my name is Nickole, I am a wife and mother and I currently resign at Rainbow Family Ministry. I want to thank you for the opportunity to be able to write my testimony and share with you what the lord is doing in my life.
I was born in North Hollywood but raised in Highland Park and lived in Glendale. My father was from some part in Mexico and my mother was from LA.I have one sister from my parents, When I was around seven years old my parents divorced. I moved in with my father, who remarried, as for my mother I have not spoken or seen her in over thirteen years. That’s when I started looking for love in all the wrong places.
I met my husband Jonathan in high school, we became high school sweet hearts and soon after I graduated and I experienced drugs with him and began an unhealthy life style, consumed with drugs, sex, and partying, stealing and gaining many other addictions. Running the streets became a normal thing for me. Jonathan and I not only were boyfriend and girlfriend but he was my love, my everything and my partner in crime. I started to like the life style the freedom and the authority of no parents.
Jonathan and I grew inseparable and we not only had a love like no other that changed us from when we first met into people we could not even recognize in each other let alone look in the mirror and know who we were any more. Soon, after a couple of years of that life style at age 22 years old I got pregnant. I wore baggy clothes and wanted to hang out in the scene still. Soon after the Dr told me I was in high risk of loosing the baby and In order for her to be ok I had to go in the hospital that night. So I did and they ran test on the baby and me and they filled me with fluid that I was loosing and the Dr said I was able to have a healthy girl if I take care of myself. So I did and thanks to God he put people in my path that lead me to a pregnancy house called Elizabeth House. Four months later I had a beautiful healthy baby girl, named Alyssa Grace Hammond.
I stayed on my best behavior for eight months after the birth of baby Ally, but I moved to Barstow because of my starting to use again living with her father. So I left to live with my sister. My sister would baby sit while I started College to get my teachers associate certificate. I began to use there in Barstow and made my own stomping grounds, soon after my addiction became way stronger then I could handle. I began to leave my daughter with my sister to hangout, smoke dope and be with whom ever
I wanted to surround my self with. I experienced guilt and a part of me wanting to do well. Those two feelings pulled me in different directions. Finally I couldn’t handle it any more and I found Rainbow Ministry. A place where I could take my daughter and it was a Christian program.
I lived with women that had children and the same problem as me. I attended Rainbow Ministry and stayed there for four months. I learned so many things and the lord was truly working on me, I thought I learned it all and could be strong enough but the enemy can work in so many ways against us and drag us down again, and I left the program. I remained strong for six months and got my own apartment and attended college and wanted to continue my teacher’s associate goal. I did everything I said I was going to do and stayed strong while my daughter’s father was doing a year in prison. Jonathan was released May 5, 2008 and I was so happy we wanted him to be near his daughter and me. So Jonathan and I got married, again I had my partner in crime. This time we were married, the drugs consumed our life again. We didn’t steel, we did just did drugs very heavenly and were in great denial about the way we were living. Our fights got worse and our hate grew worse. We were married on top of all the and the pressure of all of that stuff made the days worse and I hated my self even more in every possible way. My world was dark without the lord in my life and I would never want it like that again.
Recently my husband Jonathan violated parole and had to go into Victory Outreach Ministry. God truly answered my prayers. I then realized what I was missing in my life, love, laughter, God. So for the second time I willingly called Liz Lee form Rainbow house Ministry and asked her for help and we prayed on the phone and my heart filled with joy and that there was hope once again for my family and I. Although Living with women and there children was adjustment for me, besides I am willing to do what ever it takes to get the lord back in my life as well as my family’s. And Rainbow Family was the perfect place for me, they have helped me once again to redeem myself and become a child of God. They have helped me to better my self as a women and a mother, also enroll back in college to continue what I started on getting my teachers associate. The greatest part of all I can do it in a God filled environment with women that are shooting for the same goal as me.
The best part is waking up everyday with peace in my heart ,and my beautiful daughter also having staff in the home help me save my marriage and helping me to rebuild my family to have Christian family values. We start off the day with a 9am structured environment focusing on the lord and having to do the curriculum working on some of the issues that have been holding me back in life. At the end of the day we read our bibles and pray with each other and I cannot believe there is so much wisdom in the word of God. I just want to be connected to Rainbow ministry and serve the lord as one of the teachers at the youth center. My goal is to please God and obey his word.
While working on my program I realized I had a breakthrough and from now on I will take responsibility for my actions.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convicted that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creations, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our lord.