Our Strength and Courage Come From God

As Trina Iverson surveyed the scene in front of her, she realized it was a far cry from the happy home she'd envisioned for herself and her 5-yearold daughter, Eliza. Her aunt lay passed out on the couch after a night of drinking. And Trina herself felt sick after smoking marijuana and drinking all night.

That moment, Trina made up her mind to leave her family in Rochester, New York, and head south with Eliza, hoping to settle in a quiet town where mother and daughter could start over again. Once Trina and her little girl reached Raleigh, the two found shelter at Raleigh Rescue Mission. "I was scared my daughter would be affected by living in a mission," Trina recalls."I felt like a bad mother. You plan on having a house, a backyard but there you are in a mission. I cried for two weeks."

Soon, however, Trina dried her eyes and decided to let God take control of her life. She took life-skills classes as a member of our Life Plan Program, and discovered ways to manage her emotions. "I learned to express my feelings and that it is okay to cry. I learned there was a better way to live my life."

Trina found courage and strength as she began to apply godly principles to daily life. When she got discouraged, she reminded herself she was working hard to build an alcohol- and drug-free life for her child. "When I got down, I'd go outside and cry to the Lord," she says today. "I want my daughter to see the strong side of me and not have the burden of holding Mommy up."

Today, Trina is preparing for classes at Wake Tech, where she'll study to become a certified nursing assistant. "I want to take phlebotomy, too," she notes."Then I would make enough to work shorter hours and have more time with my daughter, to go over homework and make dinner. I don't want to miss out on those things."

As a Life Plan Program member, Trina now realizes coming to Raleigh Rescue Mission was the decision of a good mother - a strong, courageous mother. "I came here to learn a better way. Now I know how far I can go and what I can accomplish. I want a life approved by God."

To read other stories of changed lives, click here.