Thank you so much for teaching me not how to open my eyes, but instead how to open my heart. You taught me the first thing I had to do in order to heal, is open my heart to God. I had no idea just how closed up I had become over the years. Although I believed I was allowing God to love me, I still did not feel worthy to accept it. Today, I realize I was doing my will, punishing myself daily, and not letting God in to do His will, to heal me.

As many times as I begged for His forgiveness, I still had kept Him away from that one dark little corner that I was so ashamed of - the corner in which I needed Him most, the one in which I allowed so much pain to grow for three decades.

At Project Rachel, I became aware of exactly how much of God’s love I had been turning away – how much mercy he has for everyone of us. Jesus did not die on the Cross in order to call me a sinner, but He died on the Cross to forgive me and my sins. Forgive me in order for me to begin to heal. I do not believe he would have punished me as long as I had. Now that I have come to Project Rachel, with God doing his work through all of you, I am able to feel a deep sense of peace in my heart. God has been making me stronger every day since I last saw you in February. I feel good about myself for the first time in 32 years. I’m in a healthier relationship with my husband…and overall my whole attitude has begun to turn around. For the first time in the past seven years, I have stopped taking anxiety medication completely, and have cut back on the amount of antidepressants I take. And the wonderful part about all of these changes, is that it is coming from within me through my Higher Power. If God has forgiven me, who am I to do my will, and not forgive myself? It is time to let him take over, again.

To all of you helping and healing at Project Rachel, I want you to know I will always remain forever grateful. God bless.