Kesha November 2017

My name is LaKesha and I just wanted to thank you for this opportunity to hear my testimony and just share how great God is and what He brought me out of.

I was born in Ohio. I was adopted at the age of 2. My biological mother was a rape victim. She was also in drug addiction. I don’t know much about her, I just knew there was a time in her life where she couldn’t take care of me anymore. She left me at a stranger’s house after saying she was going to the store to get groceries and never came back.

I was adopted at the age of 2 to a big family. There were five kids, all of us adopted. My adopted parents were not the most affectionate. I never saw them kiss or hug or say they love one another. My father was very strict and abusive. He would scream, yell, and put his hands on us. As I got older, he ended up being sexually abusive. I was terrified growing up and kept everything secretive.

In school, I would join any sport or extracurricular activity to stay away from home. I ended up doing really well in sports and found my happy place. But a few years of playing, I ended up getting injured and was forced to quit playing. I was crushed. My whole life crumbled. So I looked for a different escaped route. I began to party and started drinking. Even started smoking pot.

I met a guy and he introduced me to the needle. I was in love with him and finally felt wanted and loved. We stayed high together for years. He ended up going to jail for quite some time which left me homeless, strung out, and lonely. The simplicity of getting money and getting high quickly became more difficult. I needed to get high so I ended up prostituting myself.

I met up with multiple men in a 24-hour period just to support my habit. Well, things got worse when I ended up pregnant by a “john”. I was so scared, so ashamed and so disgusted with myself. I remember telling God, “I know what you’re doing and it’s not going to work!” Now my parents were not religious at all. Honestly, I don’t remember a bible in our house at all. They only concept I had of Jesus came from spending the night at friends’ houses. I understood He cared for us but I did not believe He cared for me.

My boyfriend ended up getting out of jail and that’s when the abuse started. A part of me felt like I deserved it for being promiscuous while he was in jail. We kept doing drugs for 33 weeks of my pregnancy. I ended up getting arrested and that’s when I realized how far along in my pregnancy I was. I stopped just enough to have my son. He was healthy by the grace of God.

I knew I had to get my act right but I was stuck in a relationship with a guy 19 years older than me. He was in worse shape than I was and we just kept doing drugs. I would try to take care of my son but at this point, my boyfriend was a jealous paranoid addict. His addiction led him to neglect my son. He would tell me to sit and not even look at my son. He got really possessive and wouldn’t let me out of his sight. He then got physical with my son. I couldn’t believe what was going on. 

After all this, I ended up getting pregnant again. This time Department of Children Services (DCS) was involved. They quickly came to the hospital after an anonymous call of domestic abuse. Most think it was anonymous but I know it was God intervening. They took both my babies and I was left there alone. I remember thinking “why can’t I catch a break?”. I just want my life back.

I came to Abundant Hope Ministries just 12 days after my C-section. I knew deep down there was a life out there for me and this was not it. So, I went. I went even when my doctor said it wasn’t a good idea. I went because I was tired of being sick and tired. I wanted my babies back!

I have recently completed the program. I have a job, car, and come February I will have full custody of my children again! God can restore and give you new life if you just call on Him. You are never too far gone or done too much that He can’t take and turn for good. I am living proof that you can have curve balls thrown at you. You can be at the bottom of a pit and there is a helper, friend, counselor, and a Father who is always there to pick you up, hold your hand, and ease your pain. If I could encourage any women out there, it would be to love yourself. Treat yourself and look at yourself as royalty. Our Father is the one true King and we are His princess. He loves you and you deserve so much. Thank you for letting me tell my story. May God bless you as much as He has blessed me.