My name is Cristina.  That is not my real name, but for now I use it because I need protection.  I have a 7 year old son and I call him Alex.  I am 17 years old.  Before I lived in Esther's House I lived in another home that was a private organization.  That is to say the government didn't operate it.  The house was very beautiful but the people who worked there were not kind.  One day the house got closed because there was no money to support us.  I had to go and live in a government orphanage with my son.  I lived there for 3 months.  After this they moved me to another organization that was ugly and very bad.  Sometimes they did not give us food as a means of discipline.  When I was there I believed that there was not even one person who cared about me.  I felt alone in my heart.  Every night I cried because I didn't have anyone who cared about me.  One day the director told me that I had a visitor and I asked her who it was but she said she didn't know.  So I waited anxiously for Sunday to come.  When I entered the visitation hall I looked around the room and saw Beth enter for a visit.  When I saw her my heart began to beat really fast and filled up with joy.  I was very happy because I knew she was a good lady and I remembered many fun times that she and I had together.  15 days passed after that visit and during that time there was another girl in my placement that harassed me a lot.  She was a very bad person.  I was very angry because no one would listen to me or help protect me from her.  I did not want to have any problems with her, but the last Sunday that Beth visited me the girl hit my son and I hit her back.  She and I got into a fist fight.  Everyone was afraid of her but in that moment I was not afraid.  I knew after the fight I would receive very severe consequences.  So when Beth visited that final Sunday I was honest and I told her what I had done.  Beth talked to the director and asked her why they did not protect me and my son but the director only told her that I would receive consequences for my actions.  My discipline was to live in a place where there were only bad girls and I could not receive visits for 3 months and in that moment I was afraid.  But God is big and marvelous. So in that final visit I made plans with Beth to run away from that horrible place.  On a Tuesday morning I ran away from that place.  I was afraid to run away, but God gave me the courage.  I knew He was going to protect me.  I knew the people from Esther's Heart were all praying for me.  Beth came to get me and brought me to Esther's House.  Now I live in the house and I feel peace, love, and I have many things.  I know it is all because of Christ.  He is in my heart.  I appreciate everything that God has done for me