Tasha’s Story
It all started with my step dad. He sexually abused me from when I was three until I was 13. I had a lot of hurts and a lot of walls built up over the years. I started fighting with my mom, getting expelled from school and acting as though I didn’t have a single care in the world.

My mom decided she was sick of my behavior, and sent me to a non-Christian program. I was very rebellious, cursing out the staff until they finally had to let me go. At this point in my life, I was confused, frightened and wanted help - but couldn’t let go of my hurts.

My mom found out about House of Hope and brought me here. My life began to change with the help of God and the love of the staff here. My hurts are being healed, day by day, through counseling. My relationship with my mom is much better God is still working on me!"

Josh's Story
I am 16 years old. When I was 5 days old my mother passed away while I was sleeping in my crib upstairs.

A few years later my dad remarried to a lady who turned out to be an alcoholic. My dad was a college basketball coach and he was on the road all the time. While he was away my stepmother would brutally beat me while my baby sister watched. When I was seven, my dad finally realized what was going on and they got a divorce.

I had no respect for people in authority. I was always in trouble or in a fight. Towards the end of 6th grade, I started getting into drugs and got suspended for fighting.

One day when one of my best friends and I were riding our bikes a drunk driver hit and killed him. There was nothing I could do. He died instantly in front of me.

A year later, another friend of mine was hit and killed by a drunk driver. I was so overcome with grief that I took a handful of pills and started cutting my wrists, but before I could finish, my dad found me and the next day I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, which did not help.

In 8th grade, I got kicked out of school so my dad sent me to live with friends in Indiana. I hated it, but they were good people. They loved me and got me through school. Before I left there, a man I called my granddad got very sick and died.

I returned to Florida and my school life included drugs, being expelled several times and many arrests. I was court ordered to House of Hope, which meant having to submit to authority and stay clean, or else it was right back to jail.

I hated the idea of staying clean until I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. Ever since then I have had the strength and will to stay committed to catching up in school, staying clean and living a new life in Jesus Christ. I now feel loved and I have a lot of mothers at House of Hope - who really show me they care.

Jonathan’s Story
Hi, my name is Jonathan and I am 15 years old. I’ve been in House of Hope for several months. Before I came to House of Hope, I barely knew of God. Honestly, the only thing I knew was using His name the wrong way. It only took a few months in House of Hope before I actually had a salvation experience in my life. I had broken my foot and was in a brace on crutches.

What I am about to share is the experience that caused me to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It was my first prayer night in House of Hope, and at the end of the meeting they prayed for my foot. I was shocked to find that the pain was gone. I took off my brace and stomped my foot. There was no pain!

At once I fell to my face; thanking God for showing me He is real. The other boys on campus noticed that I was no longer on crutches, and it caused them all to come together and worship. I’ll never again doubt my salvation experience.

Because of what Jesus did in my life, some of the otherboys asked Jesus into their hearts. Jesus Christ is real.