Debbie's Sto ry

February 14th 2001 is no ordinary date for me.  To me, that date signifies the day my life began to turn around. 

My name is Debbie Harvie and 6 years ago, I walked through the doors of a place called Mercy Ministries in Nashville; a lost, broken and very angry girl who had run out of all other options.

Born and raised in a Christian home, I was taught that God was my protector, my provider, my Father. I grew up listening to and learning about God. I knew the Bible stories and I believed that God was everything the Bible said about Him.

But when I was 12 years old, it seemed that all I had been taught was a lie. I was manipulated into a full sexual relationship with a drug dealer 10 years my senior. He introduced me to the ‘benefits’ of getting high on cannabis and gradually he groomed and seduced me into a sexually abusive relationship with him.

Everyday for three years was the same- hidden with the same lie that all was fine, but it wasn’t. I got into fights, began cutting myself and even tried to commit suicide, but it didn’t work. I felt I couldn’t tell anyone because I thought it was all my fault.

I was caught in a spiral of helplessness and shame, and my anger burned against a God who should have protected me, who could have stopped it or told someone about the abuse I was suffering.  I renounced God and vowed to live my life outside of Him.

When I was 15 years old, I left home to live with my older sister. Eventually, I began going to church with my sister, and my life gradually began to change. But my drug dependency heightened as I moved onto higher dosages and stronger substances. I dabbled with ecstasy, cocaine and even heroin.

I had no hope, no future, no peace, no truth; just pain, despair, shame and the lies of the enemy tormenting my mind constantly. The root causes of my pain were not being dealt with and I desperately needed help.

I remembered a book my sister gave me about Mercy Ministries, and as I read it I knew there was hope; I knew there was a place that could help me. A few months later, I was on a plane to Nashville, Tennessee, hoping that this place I had read so much about could help me interpret the pain inside and get to the root cause of my anger, drug abuse, rebellion, and self harm.  That day a new season in my life began.

I know more than most how important the work of Mercy Ministries is, as 6 years after my own graduation, I find myself the Programme Manager of the first UK Mercy Ministries’ house, which opened in September 2006.  Girls are graduating like I once did.

When I look back on all that has happened to me, I thank God that His mercy found me and now I have the chance to show others His mercy too.