From Broken to a Vessel of Hope: Emiellia’s Journey of Recovery and Redemption

A Life Lost, a Hope Rediscovered

I was in Mexico for 17 years without my three children.

In Mexico, I had married, had a business, a two-story home, and a life. But then things turned for the worst. I lost everything and ended up on the street … using drugs just to cope with the depression of being alone. I have a picture on my refrigerator today as a reminder of where I was and where I never want to go back to.

The lie I told myself every night was that I deserved to live that way. I believed I was broken beyond repair because I had been away from my children for so long. On December 1, 2024, I walked into a church and surrendered. I told God I couldn’t do it anymore. A few weeks later, I was on a plane to Cincinnati.

Finding Hope at City Gospel Mission

I was dropped off at the front doors of City Gospel Mission at 11 o’clock at night on December 27, with nothing but the clothes on my back and two jackets.

City Gospel Mission didn’t just give me a bed. They clothed me. They fed me. And they started planting seeds of hope. I spent 10 months learning the Bible, breaking my survival mode, and realizing God didn’t just save my life…He was calling me to lead.

Breaking the Cycle and Building a Future

Today I live in my own City Gospel Mission apartment. It’s called the Promised Land. I have a full-time job in manufacturing, and I am a seminary student. I’m making amends with my children … watching my daughter graduate as valedictorian and breaking the cycle for my grandchildren.

My future isn’t just about me anymore. It’s about sharing the same hope that was placed in me.

I was broken, but today, I am a vessel of hope. God looks good on me.