Mashell's Story

At 25, the message of God’s love seemed like a foreign language to Mashell. She did not have the receptors to take it in. She believed, as she had been told, that she was a worthless embarrassment. What was there to love? The defining moment of Mashell’s life came shortly after her 8-year-old brother died of cancer. She was 12 when these words, spoken by family members, were indelibly written on her soul: “We wish it had been you.” Mashell accepted responsibility for her brother’s death and, at 13, tried to kill herself. Drugs, gangs, and a long-term abusive relationship followed. She had four children in quick succession but little idea how to give them what she had not received. Child Protective Services intervened, and Mashell came alone to Anna Ogden Hall for help.

She was understandably wary. Mashell needed more than words about love. She needed to experience love. Only over time, seeing love in action day after day, did she begin to believe it might be genuine. It took even longer to believe it might be a possibility for her. She experienced kindness, grace and forgiveness and began to practice them herself. She started keeping a Truth journal – recording affirmations from Scripture and others in the community about her value in the eyes of God. When lies from her past arose, she opened the journal and read the truth. Experiencing love began the healing process, enabling Mashell to believe she was something more than an embarrassment. She was and is the beloved daughter of the King, precious in His sight.