Meet J.R. and Jensa

Thanks to you… J.R. and Jensa have been given a life-changing gift this Christmas.

“Everybody just kept lifting me up.”

J.R. and Jensa married two years ago, happily creating a new family with her son and daughter and his two daughters. But not long ago, both were in danger of losing custody of their children… Jensa and J.R. each grew up in homes where family members used drugs, so it seemed normal to try drugs at a young age. But they both got caught up in an addiction and experienced years of heartache. “It caused a lot of chaos in my life,” Jensa says. “Drug use, violence and homelessness.”

J.R. echoes that sentiment, saying, “I was miserable. In and out of jail most of my adult life. Everything was just havoc… there was no normalcy.”

The couple met when they each came to our Cameron Family Center, looking to restore their lives and regain custody of their children.

In our care, Jensa rededicated her life to the Lord and J.R. became a believer for the first time, surrendering his heart to God! “I never opened up a Bible in my life until I got here,” says J.R. “Now I see myself as God’s child. It’s given me hope… I can be anything I want now.” The couple met through our discipleship program. Jensa graduated from the program, learning skills to be a better mother and develop healthier behaviors. “I’ve grown a lot. I really learned to put all my trust into God,” she says. They married about a year after they met and are working to raise their children in a stable, Christ-centered home. They credit their time at the Mission with restoring their hearts and families.

“Everybody just kept lifting me up. The words of inspiration helped me a great deal,” J.R. says.

Today, J.R. has a steady job working with a local cabinet company. Jensa is currently staying at home with the kids but plans to go back to school to pursue a degree in nursing.

It’s going to be a Christmas filled with joy for J.R. and Jensa – and their blended family – and they are so grateful to you for this wonderful gift of a new life. “It changed my life! I got a bigger family out of it… my husband and my extra daughters. I know that this was God’s plan.”

To read our Holiday 2021 issue of The Beacon, click here.