New Beginnings Residents
and Their Story
These are just a few of the many women, men and families New Beginnings had the honor of giving them an opportunity for a new beginning in life!
Elderly Woman's Testimony
My move to Florida was for me to get a New Beginning in my life. I had suffered from three bouts of cancer and other serious health issues, and the cold was getting harder to tolerate, especially the ice and snow. My daughter and son-in-law offered for me to move in with them and their family. However, after a year with them, our housing situation changed. They needed to move, which meant I also needed somewhere to go. I began checking with the Senior Housing here in Orlando. Unfortunately, my income limited my options dramatically. Thankfully, despite my limited funds, God showed me that my use of His Kingdom was not being used.
I knew about New Beginnings. I met Ginny Biggs on my first visit to see my children in Orlando several years before I moved here. We clicked immediately! My daughter had shared New Beginnings ministry with me even before I met Ginny, who came to me and offered me a position as the housing monitor at the new location for the House of Grace. I know it was God answering my needs to be able to give back and help women who are coming in hurt, dejected, unloved, bruised and battered. Daily I am able to pour the love of my savior into the women in these homes.
New Beginnings has been a wonderful blessing to me. I can truly say I love this ministry with all my heart. I feel that God has said my daughter I need you now in a different and even more important role. I need you to disciple my daughters as they come to the House of Grace for shelter, for safety, for starting new lives grounded in Jesus Christ. It is a privilege to be a part of New Beginnings. Little did I know when I first came here almost two years ago, my new beginning would literally be tied to New Beginnings! What a God we serve!
Jeanine Crowe
My story started out as a good one, only child of two god fearing parents. I grew up in the church. I knew about God, I knew about Jesus. But, to me, that’s all it was. I knew about them but not personally.
My father got sick when I was about eight, and my life completely changed. He developed a hatred to God and everything that pertained to Him. My mom tried to keep me in the church and it worked for a while but by the time I started high school I was far away from God.
My first experience with High School was the summer before my 9th grade year. I opted to do a pre high school summer course to get me prepared. About a week into this I had left class to go to the bathroom and when I went in I was followed in by an older boy. I didn’t know it until it was too late and he had me alone. After that, I kept quiet I didn’t tell anyone. It continued to happen throughout high school.
There was a lot going on in my family life at that point as well. When I found out I was pregnant I didn’t know what to do. My dad and I had been really close even with the change and I told him because he was the one with me. When I did my dad told me I had to hide it. He completely brainwashed me into thinking that if I told anyone, including my mother that I would be disowned. He set up an adoption and after giving birth to a healthy baby girl I did just that. I was so young, 14 years old, I just did whatever he said.
After that I started using drugs for the first time. Little did I know but my dad had also been battling addiction. I used with my dad. Drank a lot. Cut classes. Did a lot of failing. After graduation I moved out and started working at Disney. Once I moved out I stopped using completely. I was working, taking classes in college and had my own apartment. Shortly after that, I started using again with a friend. We started drinking heavily every night and ended up getting back on painkillers. That was the beginning of a tumultuous relationship.
Four years later I ended up living with a pimp and other prostitutes and prostituting near Disney and I Drive to get the drugs that I needed. My drug use was so bad at this point I was injecting drugs into my neck and had no regard for my own life.
After three months of involuntary treatment I started using again within hours of leaving rehab. After being hospitalized for liver failure from Hepatitis C I had given myself and throat surgery for an abscess I had given myself from injecting cocaine and heroin into my neck I was hopeless.
I attempted suicide by taking a bottle of pills and when I woke up the next day face first in a bible on the 23rd Psalm I decided enough was enough and had myself committed to the same rehab I had been before. There is where I encountered God for the very first time. I had known God but never understood Him.
One day I was filling out applications for places to go after rehab and a paper application I had been given for New Beginnings (A place I wasn’t interested in going) fell at my lap. For the first time in my life I listened to what He was saying and I acted on it. I moved in on October 17, 2013, went to my first God Encounter the next day and developed a relationship with Him on October 26, 2013, at my first Weekend With The King. I’m happy to say It’s almost three years later and I am still sober, my Hepatitis C is completely gone and I am even closer to God than I ever thought possible and in October I’ll be going on my first missions trip! God is SO good!
Mother and 15 year old daughter reunited. They have an apartment living together and working things out regarding being a better mother and daughter. The mother is attending parenting classes at Church in the Son and getting additional parenting classes through other like wise agencies in Orange County. The mother has been introduced to a Life Coach who will be there for her, as we will be there for her as well.
Mother and 15 year old daughter reunited. The daughter lived with her mother at the Nicole Attwood House for awhile. It was evident that the daughter and mother had to work out some issues. The daughter is currently in House of Hope and at first was extremely rebellious and was completely out of hand. The daughter cursed God and said she hated him and would not open her heart to anyone. The women at the Nicole House was inspired by God to fast and pray. In December New Beginnings began educating the women of the homes about fasting and praying. In late December the fast started, we continued to fast and pray through the remaining of December and January. The middle of January the breakthrough came. The daughter surrendered her life to Jesus. Even though she is still at House of Hope, she has graduated to the next level of the program. The mother is sharing an apartment with a friend, attending CITS and has her son attending as well. Last Sunday the son brought a friend to CITS who went to the altar last Sunday at the 11:00 service. The mother continues to meet with her Life Coach.
A lady who was on heavy drugs came to New Beginnings through Calvary Transitional Ministry. She has lived with us since October and was hard hearted to the core. She has since been loved on so much that the heart of stone has turned into a heart of flesh. New Beginnings introduced her to her Life Coach. The ladies life has turned around and living a new life of peace, joy and LOVE!
New Beginnings Ministry was a new beginning for me.
I was a hermit, literally a prisoner in my own home. One day a friend asked me to come to a bible study. I went, and then she asked me to Just Chillin and Woman at the Well. I have been attending ever since.
Now I have many new Christian friends and am no longer lonely.
I have a reason to get up in the morning. Recently, I moved into the Nicole Attwood Home, thanks to Miss Ginny, another new beginning. I now attend church and recently rededicated my life to Christ. I thank God every day for the New Beginning Ministry and Miss Ginny. I recently gave up smoking too. Without the positive changes to my life because of the New Beginnings Ministry, I wouldn’t have been able to quit smoking. I get a lot of support from Miss Ginny and the other ladies from New Beginnings.