Heidi - September 2015

​Heidi, former guest in bed #33

​Heidi was 13 and had whelps on her back from the whipping. In his guilt, her dad handed her the belt and told her to return the blows. She refused. He took her to the kitchen and turned on the flame at the stove and threatened to burn himself if she didn’t do it. All this after her mother abandoned her and her two siblings in the same year. She ran away and the nightmare went on into her adult life including an 8 year addiction to pain medication. No wonder. There was a lot of pain. Meet Heidi, our testimony of the month.

“This last summer was the most difficult time of my life because I had to sleep where I could find and that was hard because I didn’t know where to go or what to do. Finally, I came to Watered Gardens. The mission got me off the street and gave me a bed to sleep in. A volunteer Kathy took me to court every time I needed and now I don’t have to go anymore. And April, Casie and Beth greet me every morning and ask how I’m doing. I’m taking GED classes now and praying God to heal me and give me strength to carry on. I hope to get my own place and get off disability and get to where I can see my daughter, Jo-lea and my son Paxton someday.”