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Lighthouse client’s son shares testimony at mom’s graduation
Hello everyone, my name is JJ. I was born on September 23rd to my mom Alexia and my dad Noe who separated when I was fairly young. I remember the confusion of living with my aunt and uncle and only being able to see my mom a few hours a week. But as Paul tells…
Ventura County Ministries prepare for ‘most wonderful time of the year’
This truly is the most wonderful time of the year for our Ventura County ministries. I am reminded of God’s love which is always a giving love. “For God so loved the world that He gave.” This truth permeates everything that we do at the Rescue Mission Alliance Ventura County and Lighthouse for Women and…
Cierra seeks help after losing custody of her baby daughter
The domestic violence Cierra witnessed in her parents’ relationship had an effect on her from a young age. The middle child of three recalls the negative attitude and general distrust that stemmed from her home life. “I was very angry growing up because of what I saw,” she said. Cierra’s parents divorced and her mom…
Dalton: ‘It’s time to sit still and trust God’
Dalton remembers always feeling like the black sheep of his family. “I was a sensitive child,” Dalton said. “My older sister got straight As. My older brother was a happy-go-lucky kid. I was always crying about every little thing that didn’t go my way. From a young age, I felt like I was a burden…
Will is grateful for the Mission’s ‘open arms’
Will calls the Los Angeles home he grew up in broken. His parents were both drug addicts and they divorced when he was 12. He has a brother and sister. “I come from a family of drug addicts. I got into a lot of trouble when I was younger, just missing school, going to juvenile…
Victoria sees God moving mountains in her life
Victoria, 34, was raised by her grandparents in Oxnard. She was one of five children born into a well-known family in the community. “I wanted to get away from here as soon as I could,” she said. “I always just wanted to be with the bad crowd.” A year after she graduated high school, in…
Conrad leaves behind life of ‘lies and deceit’
Conrad’s father was a Los Angeles police officer for 30 years. “My dad was always at work, and my mom was always home. The abuse started early, physically and mentally. It led to worse rebellion by me and worse punishment by her. I’d tell my dad, ‘You leave and go out save the world with…
Jessica graduates, hopes for restoration with her family
Jessica grew up in Santa Paula, the youngest of three. Her dad was “out of the picture,” and her mom remarried when she was 2. “My stepdad was very abusive,” said Jessica, who clarified that she was molested by him. “He mistreated me and I wasn’t comfortable in the home.” Jessica started using when she…
Elizabeth finds peace, reunites with her children
Elizabeth had an uneventful childhood until she got mixed up in the wrong crowd in 12th grade. “I was doing good until then,” she said. “Then I started ditching and using drugs. When I was 18, I went to jail.” A couple years later, Elizabeth got pregnant and stopped using. She had her daughter when…
After moving from a sister mission, Gary gets new perspective
Now 50 years old, Gary has a lot to reflect on. He’s had success and joy in work and family, and he’s also had loss and trauma. He’s stumbled in the last several years in his battle with alcohol, but is now focusing on following God’s lead. “I’m working on listening to God,” Gary said.…
Matthew steps out of spiral, focuses on the Word
Matthew’s experience with church has been complicated. His parents raised him and his sister and brother as Jehovah’s Witnesses, but at 15, Matthew found himself removed from the religion. “I was excommunicated from the church for some premarital activities,” he said. “I immediately fell into drugs and alcohol, and women outside of the church. Things…
Alexia breaks the relapse cycle, chooses a new life with her children
Alexia grew up in Oxnard in what she calls a “picture-perfect home.” But after her father died when she was 16, she started experimenting with drugs: first marijuana and then methamphetamine. She had her son when she was 19, and battled her addiction on and off. Alexia’s son was taken from her care before he…
