Meet Heather. Heather had a good childhood and never missed a Sunday at church. Early in life, however, she began seeking the attention of boys. By the time Heather entered college, she was addicted to men. Afraid of being alone, Heather turned to men to fill her void. But even when she found someone to date, she immediately started looking for a new love interest. When Heather was 21, she became pregnant and married her boyfriend–although, she wasn’t actually sure if the child was his. She ended up losing her baby and, to cope with her loss, she started sleeping around with men while she was still married. Ultimately, her marriage failed.
After her failed marriage, Heather became a self-declared atheist and proudly wore that title. She began seeking out the attention of married men so she wouldn’t have to deal with commitment. She ended up being personally responsible for the break ups of many families and marriages. During this time, she also became addicted to drugs and alcohol, and was raped and abused by men. In 2002, Heather had enough of her current lifestyle and moved to Michigan to turn over a new leaf. While in Michigan, she met a new man, got married, and together they had a son. But, the marriage ended in divorce. She remembers sobbing in the backyard with her son in the kiddie pool wondering how things had gone so wrong in her life.
A while later, Heather met a new man. After they dated for a while, they decided to get married and wanted the ceremony to be held in a church. Because of the church’s rules, they had to go through counseling sessions with the pastor. God opened Heather’s eyes in those counseling sessions and she accepted Christ into her heart. Since then, Heather and her husband have been on fire for the Lord. Although Heather felt enormous shame for the sins of her past, God gave Heather the strength and courage to share her story in order to help others. Today, Heather runs a ministry in Uganda called “An Army of Six” that helps women and children who are victims of rape and domestic violence. She also runs another ministry called “The Way Home Africa” that builds homes for grandmothers raising their grandchildren. And in her church, Heather leads the women’s ministry because of her powerful testimony. Heather thought she would never find redemption from her past, but God’s grace and forgiveness allowed Heather to use her story for the good of others.
