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published February 22, 2010
Freeing Sandra
Outreach, RV Offer Support For The Long Haul
At 40, Sandra continues her
lifelong struggle to be on her own – but safe in God’s care. It is a conflict that began even before she was born. Just as God knows
people and forms them in their mother’s womb, as Psalm 139 describes, God was with Sandra while her mother was pregnant and addicted to
heroin.
Her mother’s addiction and subsequent choices set the trajectory of Sandra’s early life. She survived many horrific events, even as they helped to propel her into her own addictions and bad decisions. Sandra’s course did not begin to change until many years later, when she met Breakthrough staff aboard the Outreach RV. It was the first step of many in her long journey of recognizing God’s love for and protection of her. It’s a journey that continues, even now.
Breakthrough’s Street Outreach team parks an RV in a neighboring west side neighborhood every Friday night. The RV provides a temporary safe haven for women in crisis to receive food, prayer and opportunities to get off the streets permanently.
“I first met Brenda [Outreach Coordinator] a long time ago while I was on the streets,” says Sandra. “She’d give me something to eat and then pray with me. She even brought me to stay at the Joshua Center, but I was addicted to drugs, so I didn’t stay.”
At that time, Sandra’s life was still very tumultuous, just as it had been growing up. Small doses of hope dotted years of chaos and betrayal. Sandra spent six years with a couple in foster care who treated her well, but they died when she was 18. She even had children of her own. But by the time she stepped onto the Outreach RV for the first time, Sandra had been in an abusive marriage and was making dangerous choices to support her addictions.
Sandra’s search for safety and love only added to her misery, and she was powerless to turn her life around. Even as Breakthrough staff continued to demonstrate Christ’s love, Sandra was in and out of jail and harmful relationships. She had periods of being clean and holding down jobs, but those were short-lived too. At one point, Sandra said, “I have never had a happy day in my life. I am so tired of the same old cycle, like clothes in a dryer, going around and around, going nowhere.”
Today, over 6 years after Breakthrough met Sandra, she is clean and has recently moved into her own apartment in a quiet neighborhood. Over time, she has begun to trust in God’s love, grace and forgiveness. She thanks Breakthrough for standing with her through all of the ups and downs and helping her to find healing.
It may seem ironic that, while Sandra is excited to finally have her own place, she struggles with being alone. “I feel like a little baby because I'm afraid, but I have to get used to it,” she says. “I love my apartment. I’m glad God blessed me with it. I even got to have my kids stay with me several nights.”
Sandra still needs much encouragement and prayer as she learns how to trust, how to make healthy choices and how to rest in God’s promises for her life. “It’s gonna be okay,” she says. “As long as I believe God and know who He is.”
Volunteer with Street Outreach! Write letters of encouragement or join a new Outreach team, which is forming now. Contact
Volunteer Coordinator, Liz Laird at 773.346.1771 or volunteer@breakthrough.org.