Tampa graduates reflect on God’s Provision

As three of our students in Tampa turn their tassels and look to the future, they also take a moment to look back on how far God has brought them—thanks to you.

 

OLIVIA was eight years old when her mother lost her job—resulting in the loss of their home. Olivia, her mother, and her brother bounced from one relative’s home to another—then to a homeless shelter.

For six months, they lived in the woods. Olivia and her brother struggled to keep up with schoolwork, but when the sun went down, it was difficult.

Though their mother loved them very much, she simply couldn’t care for Olivia and her brother. A local church told them about Hope, and the siblings have been flourishing since they were placed there in 2016. Olivia shares…

“I am so thankful for Hope because it gave my brother and me so many opportunities. We have been able to grow up together surrounded by people who love us!

“While being in the home, I have been both saved and baptized. Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to follow God’s path for college.”

JEWELISSA lived in a small New York apartment with her three siblings. But when her single mother could no longer care for them, Jewelissa’s aunt stepped in—she’d heard about Hope, and soon all three children were living and thriving here.

Jewelissa reflects…

“God has done so much for me while I’ve been at Hope. He has blessed me with an amazing education… allowing me to graduate at 16. 

“I have been able to make some really close friends. The relationships I’ve made with staff have not only helped me feel loved, but they have also helped me spiritually. They are people I can look up to for spiritual advice.

“God has taught me that not everything always goes according to plan. He places things in our lives for a purpose that we may not see coming.”

Jewelissa is 16, but she’s taking college courses online—and she hopes to become an
on-campus student someday. She’s interested in the medical field and is planning on becoming an anesthesiologist.

CHARISMA was only three when her alcoholic father began to physically abuse her, her sister, and her mother.

They fled to her grandparents’ home, but when her mother turned to drugs to cope, and Charisma’s great-grandmother—the person Charisma trusted most—died of cancer, it seemed like everything would fall apart.

Then, they heard about Hope Children’s Home.

Charisma shares,

“God has done so much work in my life these past five years at Hope. He has shown me that I shouldn’t be angry or bitter, because He is always doing things for good.

“A decision that I made at teen camp this past year was to never drink alcohol. When I am older and start a family of my own, I don’t want my kids to grow up  with the past I had. In making this decision, I am breaking the chain that Satan had on my family.”

After Charisma graduates, she plans to study medical assisting and go into pediatrics.

These amazing graduates have come so far—thanks to you. Please join us in congratulating them, and pray for them as they keep seeking out God’s best for their lives.