Christine
Pastor Eric and I met for the first time at church. My friend took me to the church and it wasn’t for about two to three months until I actually talked to him, but I can remember sitting and listening to his teaching and I would be thinking, “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t”, and he was always saying “you can, you can, you can!” He’s about the most motivational person I know. I needed to hear “you can” because when you have a mental illness diagnosis your self-esteem just plummets. And I didn’t think I could. I didn’t think I could do anything. I didn’t think I could raise my children anymore, I didn’t think that I could be the same person that I used to be.

Pastor Eric has made a huge difference in my life. When I first started going to church, to Judah International Ministries, I was working ten hours a week, I was drawing social security, I really felt worthless, that I could do nothing. Now, four and a half years later I have a full time job. I get to tell my story, I get to Say it out loud and I am able to instill hope. And this is something that Pastor Eric taught me. He instilled hope for me and then I was able to instill hope for others.

Say it out loud means to me that I have the power to instill hope. I have the power to make things happen for other people just like Pastor Eric made things happen for me.