Guiding Angels Ministries was started because of personal experience with Domestic Violence.

Rev. Donna- My personal experience with Domestic Violence and Abuse began in the late 80’s, early 90’s. I had been with this man (for 2 years), who had become physically, mentally, and verbally abusive. Everything was fine for the first year. After that we went through what’s called “The Honeymoon Phase”. He was so charming, sweet, just like when we first met. I thought the abuse was over. We became engaged, shortly after that the abuse continued. I didn’t realize the damage it was doing to me until he had grabbed me by my neck, slammed me into the door and screamed at me that I was barren. He had then thrown me out of the house and I ran to a payphone to call my friend instead of calling the police. I had no money and no place to go.

My friend then told me to go to my local welfare office, which I did, on foot. They then called a Domestic Violence Shelter where I stayed for 2 weeks. It was a long time before I actually got involved with another man who I married. He also abused me. This man put me through so much. This man had me afraid for not only my safety but for my children as well. He verbally, mentally, emotionally, and financially abused me. He had even threatened physical violence.

I would leave him, come back because we had no place else to go and no money. It was an endless merry-go-round.

5 years later, I am currently separated from him, working on getting our divorce.

My mother has often told me the story of her first ex-husband abusing her. She had been pregnant with my eldest sister and he threw her down the cellar stairs. The marriage ended then after 3 months.

It took me a long time to realize it wasn’t my fault. After my experience in the Domestic Violence shelter I have wanted to help other people like myself. In meeting Rev. Jim, I had gotten the courage to change my life that had been otherwise filled with violence, more so for my children than for myself.


Today I am a survivor of Domestic Violence.

Rev. Jim- My personal experience with Domestic Violence and Abuse began in early childhood. I watched my father abuse my mother when his girlfriends did not give him what he wanted.

When I was 5 years old, my mother was laying on the floor bleeding from an attack from my father. I told her I was going to kill him someday. When my mother did try to get us away she had no place to go, so she went to her mother’s until my father brought her back at gunpoint in the middle of the night. When I was 9 years old I walked a friend home from school and got lost on my way home. When my father came home, he kicked me on the floor through 5 rooms before beating me to teach me a lesson; I never got lost again.

When I hit 12 years old, and my father beat my mother, I went after him with a meat cleaver to try and stop him. My father stopped beating my mother after that. It then became mental, verbal, emotional, financial, and spiritual abuse. It was because of the family’s resentment of the past, when the first grandchildren of the family were born; my father wasn’t allowed to be around them because of his abuse on my family.

I was the only boy with three sisters; I got the brunt of the abuse because I would not follow in his footsteps.

When I grew up and got married for the first time, I had gotten sick from work and lost a couple of days pay. I had a glass soda bottle smashed into my head because my paycheck was short.

It was the resentment and hatred of the cycle of violence that made me the person I am today, since I was a child I had told my mother I wanted to help other families who are victims of Domestic Violence.


We at Guiding Angels Ministries believe that when children see this type of behavior at a young age, they grow up with two choices; being an abuser, or a victim. Its time to end the cycle. Remember it’s never your fault.


In embracing our past and accepting the damage that has been done is the first step towards healing. Dealing with the pain of abuse head on, talking about it instead of running away and hiding in a corner is another step in the healing process as well.

When we look within ourselves, we find Divine.

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