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My name is Jackie and I am a Porte-Rican from Chicago. Before I knew Jesus Christ, my Lord, I lived with my mom and four siblings. Growing up, my mom was sick and unable to take care of us, so I took care of the household chores from the age of five. I cleaned, cooked, and lots of other things that adults do. At the age of 11, I started smoking & drinking, forced by family. I never really had a childhood. I thought my family was my only friends. I cried every night and every day. I just wanted to die. I tried and tried to kill myself, but every time I thought of my mom, I could never go through with it.
By age 6, I began to be abused physically by my brothers and treated by all in my family like a nobody. At age 7, my brother began sexually abusing me and did this for the next 8 years. By the age of 8, 9, 10 I was raped, sexually abused by family members and friends, all around and all at the same time.
When I turned 15, I was placed in a foster home. When I got into my freshman year of high school, my life was worse than before. My mom expected SO much of me and I had no life. I couldn't hang around my friends - for I was expected to be an adult. In my second year of high school, I was placed in DCFS. I was out of school for 2 months and in the hospital for attempting suicide and for abuse cases. That November, I met a new foster mom, and returned to school. I met a teacher named Mr. Nobile. He was all about getting us Service Learning Hours which is a high school requirement in Chicago. In spring of 2006, I began to help rehab a garage into a youth center on the west side of Chicago. When I got there, I thought the people were crazy!
In April, I tried to kill myself again and I got placed in the hospital. Mr. Nobile and Lesa came to visit me while I was there saying it was going to be alright and when I got out. When I got out, everyone I knew from school and the youth group was at Mr. Nobile's house and they threw me a surprise 16th birthday party. I was SO happy!
That summer, Mr. Nobile and Lesa pushed me to go to a church summer camp and it was here that I met God face to face. As I listened to the speakers there, I realized I was missing something in my life. I got to my knees and gave my life to Jesus and asked Him to be my Savior. After that, I got a warm feeling in my heart. Two days later, I began to cry again and I began to tell Lesa what had happened in my past. That night at camp, I surrendered my past and habits to Jesus. I gave up smoking and drinking but it has taken months to stop.
I have decided to take a stand for Jesus Christ within my school. I am now leading a prayer meeting and growing in Him. When I was laying in bed abused and bruised up, I thank God that I didn't die and that He spared me. I fought my abusers all through the rape and I am alive today because of God's grace and love upon my life.
Jackie
