With much love and much care

Kwanda Hood: "I was abused at eight by my mom's boyfriend. He threatened to kill me, so I didn't say anything. But my mom was like one with him, and she started mistreating me like he mistreated me. So most of my childhood, I was living in hell. I tried to take my life one time. I looked at the bottle of pills, when I heard the Lord say, 'No, put them down.' I went to my room crying, wondering why, because I'd suffered so much, so much. My mom kept saying to leave, get out, find a place. But I had no first and last month's rent. As much as she was never merciful in my life, one day she said — and I know it was the Lord — 'Well, I'll pay your first and last rent.'

And that was my way out. I used to always ask, 'Why is this happening to me, Lord? Why am I here just to suffer?' So now I have two children, and I treat them with much love and much care."