Hosea’s House is changing one woman at a time. This is Amanda’s Story of a life changed.
Amanda grew up on the streets leading a drug addicted life. With little supervision from parents, she blazed a path following in their foots steps, drug abuse a second-generation user.
Amanda was incarcerated a few times and continued to choose drug use. After one of the incarcerations, she found she was pregnant. This was a wake-up call, she wanted to be a good mom and went to a Suboxone Clinic for help.
Amanda delivered a healthy baby boy, Liam. As she continued her battle with the bondage of drugs she continued going to the clinic. After working the all-night shift at the strip club, she headed to the clinic to get her dose at 5:30 am.
Amanda arrived home and was ready for bed. Attending classes during the day, working at night and having a baby at home is very tiring. Liam was sick and threw up on himself so Amanda quickly drew a bath and they hopped in. Moments later, her roommate found both Amanda and Liam underwater. Liam did not survive.
Three months after Liam’s death, Amanda was indicted and she spent three years of a five-year sentence for the neglectful death of her child. Amanda was a shell of a person after his death. Angry with God! Why would God let this happen?
Still angry and broken, Amanda found herself in a new city, Louisville, at a half-way house. Debra ran the house and loved on Amanda. Her desire changed from despair to wanting to at least live and maybe have a future. After spending four months there, Amanda felt she had healed enough to be on her own.
God came near at that half-way house, through AA and a Bible study, however Amanda had no relationship; God was not real. So, on her own again, she went back to the familiar life style.
Life turned into a bad situation quickly, drinking lead her back to drugs and into a sex and meth addiction. Outside of Debra at the halfway house, Kelly was Amanda’s only friend in Louisville. She left Louisville and headed back home to be near her family.
After reaching her family’s place in Ohio, she found them using heroine and Amanda wanted to use as well. A disagreement broke out over the heroine and Amanda reached out to the drug dealer. Now Amanda was in a sexual relationship with the dealer, selling drugs and using heroine, Amanda’s life was completely out of control.
During this out of control time, Amanda found herself pregnant again. Easy fix, abortion. Amanda called to schedule the abortion, she had most of the money she needed. When on the phone with the abortion clinic, Amanda felt completely tore up about it; it was cold, dark and horrible. She hung up!
Amanda had no idea how she could care for a child; Liam had passed on and another son is being raised by an Aunt. Why would God give her another child? Amanda needed help, she wanted to die. She knew that she could not take care of a baby. Amanda called Debra back at the half-way house, telling her that should could not do this anymore.
Amanda had begun to challenge God, if you are real show me, I need help. I have no support, no money, if you help me, I will raise this baby boy. Show me God! Two weeks later, Lynn entered the picture with an application to Hosea’s House.
At five months pregnant, living in the half-way house with nothing for her or the child, she met Lynn. Lynn was the woman that would host Bible Studies at the halfway house. Lynn also, was the first person to mention Hosea’s House. Lynn brought an application for Amanda to complete to see if she would be accepted into the loving program at Hosea’s House. Amanda smiled, took the application with no intention of applying. You see, Amanda had a plan, her own plan. She had always stood alone, and mapped her way forward.
Amanda needed to buy pants for works, her and Debra headed out to the resale shop. Amanda had $10.00 to her name. Instead of pants, she found a cross necklace. She purchased the necklace. Debra then points out a woman wearing a Hosea’s House t-shirt. Amanda and Debra approached her and introduced themselves. The women wearing the t-shirt was Teresa the Executive Director. She told Amanda she had been praying for her all morning. For the first time, Amanda felt that God had seen her.
Amanda completed the application and three weeks after being accepted, Teresa asked her what will you do when CPS comes for your baby boy. Amanda was in shock. Immediately, Amanda took parenting classes and did all she could to be prepared to have this baby. Satan plans attacks and Amanda needed to be ready for battle.
At nine months, Amanda started having Braxton Hicks contractions. She went on to the hospital just incase it was time to deliver. While she was there, the doctor tested her for methadone and she tested positive. Amanda was floored. She was not using. She immediately called Teresa and they went to an independent lab for a re-test. This test showed the other was a false positive and was caused by heartburn medication.
It was time for her to deliver her baby boy, Jaxson. Delivery was complete and the nurse was going through Amanda’s medical records notes, she saw the positive test for drugs and called CPS. The nursing staff told Amanda she could not take her baby home. Amanda was adamant that she was taking him home. Amanda declared in Jesus name that she was taking her baby home.
Amanda called Teresa and a friend who worked at the Health Department. They jumped to Amanda’s defense and shared all she had done to become a mother. Teresa also shared the other lab reports. By the grace of God, Jaxson went home with Amanda to Hosea’s House. Amanda went from having no support to a family at Hosea’s House and Teresa. Amanda was able to stay at home and bond with Jaxson. God was showing her that she could be a good mother.
When it was time for Amanda to return to work, she ended up starting a business, Gracious Design. A community program helped her launch a successful business and Amanda was making money. After running this business for six months, Amanda felt something was missing. She visited Sullivan University and learned about their Interior Design program. She really wanted to attend, but did not the have the $80,000 needed for tuition.
Amanda switched jobs and put the dream of attending Sullivan’s Interior Design program on the back burner. While she was attending church, she casually mentioned to her pastor that if God wanted her to attend Sullivan, He would provide a way. Two-months later, Teresa asked if Amanda was still passionate about interior design. Amanda said yes. Teresa then shared that she had an anonymous donor willing to pay the full-ride. Amanda could not believe that someone would see that kind of value in her.
Before Amanda knew it, another scholarship became available through Southeast Christian Church. Amanda applied and has received it for every school year. They have not had to use the donor’s money yet! Amanda is working full-time and in school full-time with a 3.7 GPA. She also works at Sunrise Recovery, alongside clients who are broken and sick. She uses her past experiences to be tender and caring for them.
Amanda is getting ready to graduate the program at Hosea’s House. She will be the first one in her family to own a home! She has seen God’s work through her journey including the home buying process. The renovator, Ryan, had been trying to get Amanda’s attention about the home he was almost finished with. Finally, her and Teresa drove over to see it and it has everything she could have ever wanted.
Jaxson and Amanda will be moving into their new home soon. Amanda stated her confidence is way up and that she has a great support team now. She loves telling her story and hopes that her story will connect to others who need help. She would tell you to challenge God, He is there for you.
Hosea’s House is a home for the broken who have a desire to move forward in life and not allow their past to determine their destiny. Our mission is to extend the love and compassion of Jesus Christ to women and children in crisis, through advocacy, education, housing, community outreach and prayer. Hosea’s House guides families in reaching their greatest potential as they grow in confidence and become empowered by the love of Christ.