Letter from Ashley
My name is Ashley, when i came to A Ray of Hope,I was living at another shelter and i was told i had to leave between 9am and 4pm which being a very shy person, i had hour after hour of walking with a deep lonely feeling. Then one day a young girl talked to me right before Christmas,she invited me to A Ray of Hope, I met Peggy and she said i could move in. I helped decorate the house for Christmas. A lady named Lisa who stayed there became a good sounding board for me. Then Peggy kept encouraging me until I got my drivers license.On the way home the horn in the car broke, and for several blocks people were looking at me. A few months before I would have pulled over,parked the car and walked home,but I drove the car home.Peggy thought and said I guess you are pretty happy about getting your drivers license we all had a good laugh when I told her the horn was stuck. Then a few months later I made a poor choice when someone older talked in my ear that the Ray of Hope did not care and I needed to leave, after that poor choice I found my life on a dead end road going no where. I picked up the phone and called Peggy and she said I could come back home. I was surprised to see the big house, the Ray of Hope now has room for people to sit at a table and eat. I have been going to church all the time,but being shy I could not bring myself to go forward. Then a month ago Pastor Bill gave an alter call,I went to go forward but the shyness held me back-when RJ, Peggy's son knelt down by my side,he did not touch me,but in a soft voice said Ashley I could be wrong but the Lord led me back here,because he knew you wanted to accept him. I said yes and with Kieth,Peggy,laying hands on me RJ led me in the sinners prayer. My shyness was lifted as I went home to tell Lisa and others I had accepted the Lord I wanted to be baptized,but once again felt shy about going up in front of others. But Keith the manager of A Ray of Hope was going to be baptized too,he has been such a good person.I felt i could go up front with him. Well the day we were to be baptized, Keith got a call at the Ray of Hope from a man who needed him to come and help him through a rough time. But when Pastor Bill and Rita Harper called me up front Peggy handed me my towel and I went, and I sat down in the water, I felt such peace. And as I came out of the water I was not shy, I felt like I was one with the Lord and I had a whole new life. Being shy it is hard to get and hold a job. But I am now out job hunting and it looks like Wal-Mart is going to hire me. Thank You for helping the Ray of Hope, help me to stay on the right path. (Ashley)

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