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Marshall seeks 'peace of mind' at Mission
Marshall moved around a lot as a child—his mom worked for the airlines and his dad was in the military. They divorced when he was just 2, and both of his parents remarried and had more children with their new spouses. “I was an only child for a while—until I was 13 or 14. I…
Director’s Note: Circumstances will allow us to move beyond our Mission walls
Yes, this year will be different for sure, however COVID-19 won’t slow us down nor distract us from providing an amazing Thanksgiving dinner with all of the fixin’s to those in need. We are patterning our strategy from Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will…
Joanna feels like she’s ‘getting a second chance at my life’
After Joanna graduated from a local high school she started her college classes, but soon got distracted. “I didn’t stay in school,” she said. “I started partying too much. I got distracted from my actual goals. I was working as an administrative assistant, and I decided I’d rather work, and I’d rather party, than go…
Roger values peace he now has in his mind, heart
Roger’s father was an alcoholic. He wasn’t very functional, and while his parents didn’t divorce until he was 11, Roger doesn’t remember him around much even before that. Roger’s siblings struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, and when Roger hit his late teens, he too started following in the family footsteps. “I didn’t start drinking…
Shalina revels in becoming a 'present' mother to her young daughter
Shalina grew up with both of her parents and two older brothers in Oxnard. “I had a great childhood,” she said. “We traveled, and I never heard my parents argue.” She graduated from Oxnard High School and went off to Jobs Corps and received her certificate in medical administrative assistance. But when she returned from…
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…
