A new mother finds faith

"The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease."

 Lamentations 3:22 (NLT)

Today, Katherine is a talkative 17-year-old with beautiful inner strength and determination. However, this wasn’t always the case.

Growing up in a family of five children, Katherine’s mum worked as a housekeeper; a job that required her to work outside the home all day, seven days a week. Katherine didn’t feel loved by her mum and her absence made her think she wasn’t important. Aged 15, Katherine quit school and left home to live with a boyfriend who showed her the love and attention she craved. A year later she found out she was expecting a baby.

Katherine felt trapped, “My mum wasn’t happy when I told her I was pregnant” she explains. While the baby’s father stayed they didn’t receive support from either of their families. And the money they made between them wouldn’t be enough to cover the baby’s expenses. Katherine worried that her boyfriend would leave, forcing her to go from place to place with her child.

Katherine was around 7 months pregnant when she was enrolled in a Compassion Child Survival Project in Nicaragua.

The project impacted Katherine’s life in ways she couldn’t imagine. She began regaining her confidence and started to form a relationship with God. “I like to pray and read my Bible. I have felt God’s presence, and I feel peace and joy when that happens. I have received many blessings, and those are from the Lord because He’s always at work. I have a lot to be thankful for,” says Katherine.  

At a time when Katherine’s life seemed uncertain, she discovered God’s incredible love and mercy. As Scarlet, one of the project staff explains, “Katherine now knows she is not alone because God, in His mercy, brought her to the programme, and He has plans for her life.”

Prayer:

Loving Father, we thank you that you are rich in love and abounding in mercy. This week help us to see opportunities where we can demonstrate your love and mercy to others. Amen.