Mattie’s Story

In high school Mattie was involved with drinking and drugs. Raised in an agnostic Muslim home, she hated herself for her rebellious lifestyle, especially when her mother died of cancer in Mattie’s senior year.

Mattie started attending church with some friends and gave her life to Christ that same year, but she still struggled. Mattie explains:

“My relationship with my boyfriend eventually ended…. My entire sense of worth came from him… so at that point my only option was to turn back to God.  I had to figure out God’s love for me as well as how to love him back.  But I didn’t know where to start.”

Mattie joined a Bible study with Cru at Boston University in her freshman year.  This past spring break she attended our Big Break Conference in Panama City, Florida. While there Mattie heard a speaker describe God’s love: “He spoke of Jesus [washing] his followers’ feet. That picture made so much sense to me…They didn’t deserve this or earn it.  Rather, this was how much he loved them.”

“We woke up the next morning, and went to talk with people on the beach. … I saw a girl [who] was hopelessly drunk and … had cuts on her hands, sand all over her face, and vomit streaked throughout her hair. Her name was Sydney. Continue reading “Mattie: A Student’s Changed Life”