I walked into the girl’s pod of Remann Hall this Saturday afternoon.  There were ten girls sitting at tables doing various activities. One girl in particular caught my eye. She did not seem to fit in here. Her dark brown eyes stared at me watching my every move as if she was screaming at me from behind them, “Somebody,get me out of here! Can you help me, please?”  I greeted some girls I already knew and eventually made my way to sit at her table and begin to talk with her.  “Hi I’m Chrisy, what’s your name?” I asked. “Likeisha.” It was her first time in Remann Hall and around the type of girls housed in juvenile detention. Her eyes welled with tears and we went to sit in the conference room where she could feel free to share in privacy. She began to share her story, her current situation, and the things she has been dealing with in her life.  Often the girls who are in there for their first time or for domestic violence or running away can have a hard time adjusting to being comfortable just hanging out with some of the harder girls. Some of the ones who are in for more obvious and scary things like: gang violence, drug dealing, prostitution, or robbery. When a girl feels like she is alone and scared it is a great time to reach out and give her someone to talk to and listen. God also provides ways to share about Jesus’s love for them, and his desire to heal, and comfort them.

            Likeisha is now sixteen. Her mom is and has been a meth addict for many years. As long as she can remember there were drugs made in the home and used in the home. Her house has always had many people coming and going. Likeisha’s childhood was filled with abuse and neglect. Her dad left when she was four, her mom abandoned her fully a year ago and she is living with a family member. She’s helped raise her younger brother her entire life. Despite her rough circumstances and the odds being against her, she managed to get a job, a driver’s license and is doing well in school. 

            I asked her what she wants to do with her life. She shared in the most compassionate yet fierce voice, “I want to ADVOCATE for children…I want to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.” I prayed for her, we talked of her purpose and God’s love for her, and she expressed her desire to live her life for God and all He had for her. In the midst of her brokenness and hurt she began to call upon God to help her, to save her and to comfort her. She is a beautiful young lady filled with great potential. Likeisha and young ladies like her have fought through hell just to be alive. It is a GOOD NEWS indeed to share with them of GOD’s amazing LOVE and purpose for them. Most of the time that kind of love is the last thing they have been told in their life.  It is an awesome privelege to get to meet these girls, talk and listen to them and hear their stories. What a blessing to get to speak words of truth and to pray. It is so fun to see their lives change before our very eyes as God imparts FAITH for them to TRUST and FOLLOW HIM. Thank you for sharing in the lives of kids like Likeisha. Chrisy Wachtler, JJM