“From Captivity to Liberation: My Journey Out of Domestic Abuse”

I was with a man for 2 years before I decided to run away. He took me out of church, told me I couldn’t see my family anymore. I was so use to being locked in rooms an hit repeatedly, having dip spit cups thrown at my head, told I had to clean it up because I made him do it.. I would kick scratch and fight for my life, once I bit him to get out of being strangled, the other time I broke a pinky trying to pull him away from a door I wanted to escape out of.. He told me I was the crazy one, I was manipulated into believing that it was true. One day I remember I wanted to go to church, he tore my church clothes apart an told me I was to never talk about God again, I started to lose my faith. Then January came around, an it was my baptismal anniversary… I told him how excited I was, he then hit me an told me it wasn’t important… He left for work an I hid in the bedroom crying, but 20 minutes later I heard people speaking in tongues outside my apartment window at the pool, I looked outside and a girl was getting baptized. I put my slippers on so fast an I ran straight to them, finding out the girl getting baptized was the same denomination as I was an had the same name as me. I felt a spark in my faith again. I started preparing myself to run away. It wasn’t until April of 2022, I got a final recording of my ex husband abusing me and leaving marks upon my body, I prayed and heard “run and I’ll provide.” So I did, my mom had prepared my room for me. The next morning I was admitted to the hospital, and scanned by the doctors, they finished and sent me to the police to make a report the state of Oregon took care of the rest. He was charged with 5 counts and I got my justice. I now have a 8-5 job full time for the court house working in criminal. I have made so many more friends, I’m a Sunday school teacher. I finally get to live and breath. I am headed to deployment with my army unit an don’t have to fear him saying “I’ll cheat on your while you’re gone since you want to do a lesbians job.” I have my voice again.