|   Posted: February 28, 2018

Cleou Jane, the mother of a child in Compassion’s Survival initiative, tells us, in her own words, about her journey from hopelessness to salvation.

A Mother’s Story of Salvation

Cleou Jane, the mother of a child in Compassion’s Survival initiative, tells us, in her own words, about her journey from hopelessness to salvation.

Cleou Jane holding her child

I was a drug addict. I began drinking and smoking when I was only 12 years old, and when I turned 14 I tried crystal meth and got hooked. I dropped out from school and did all that I wanted to do. I stayed out late at nights and had several partners.

One day, my father decided he’d had enough of my rebellious ways, so he locked me in my room every night. But I was not to be denied. Every night, I escaped through our tiny window and went and hopped from bar to bar and beer house while my parents thought I was sleeping.

Soon, my father thought of a creative way to try to stop me. He shaved my head. I was bald for several weeks, but instead of it controlling me, I rebelled even worse and ran away from home. I didn’t talk to my father again for the next three years.

At 17, I got pregnant with my first child, John Mer. Suddenly I was a mother and worried about the welfare of my son. Becoming a good mother became my first concern. My partner and I stopped going out at night, and lessened our times getting high or drunk. He looked for work and I watched over our baby. It was during that time when I began attending Mactan Cathedral of Faith and learned about Compassion’s work. By then, I had another baby, John Joed. He and I joined the Survival program, and my older son was put in the Sponsorship program.

At the church, I began attending a parenting class and discipleship group. There, I met the Lord. I received Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, I turned away from my wrongdoings and God changed me. He gave me a new life.

Today, I regularly attend Sunday church. I am always eager to learn and accept new things. I am now growing more spiritually. I am also learning to be a good mother.

I am thankful to God for the church, all my mentors, group leaders and all the Compassion staff.

Thank you for guiding us and showing us how to live a life pleasing to God. I hear lectures on responsible parenthood and how to be a good wife. I learned skills on how to generate income, and most of all, about the Bible and applying them in my daily life.”

On May 1, 2017, Cleou stepped forward in front of the congregation and dedicated her son, John Joed, to the Lord, surrendering herself, her children and her family to the Lordship of Jesus through the Mactan Cathedral of Faith, Compassion’s church partner in Cebu.