Tasha’s Story
Tasha started facing serious challenges from birth. Her heart is on the wrong side of her body, one of her lungs is smaller than the other, and she has scoliosis. She contracted bronchitis and pneumonia easily and often as a child and she spent a lot of time in the doctor’s offices.
Her father was in the military and her family moved every two to four years.
At the ages of seven and eleven, Tasha was sexually abused. She struggled with depression and anxiety throughout Middle and High School years. Early on in college, she dated a young man who dabbled in drugs and alcohol. She followed his lead and quickly became chained in addiction.
Somehow, she pressed through and became a functional addict, and from all outward appearances Tasha had it all. She had great job with benefits, a 401K, bought her own home at 21 and a new vehicle at 22.
“My life looked great on the outside, but I was miserable,” Tasha recalls. “I was using drugs, men, and material things to try and find happiness.”
Her physical struggles compounded as she dealt with arthritis and fibromyalgia. Then, at only 25 years of age, the doctors informed her she had osteopenia and would never conceive.
“I got arrested when I was 29 years old, and my parents found out about my addiction. I could no longer hide it from my friends. I lost everything, my job, my home, my savings, my car, and more.”
“While in jail, I searched for an answer. One evening, after a church led service, I gave my life to Jesus, placing my trust in Him. But without a support system or any discipleship, I fell right back into the drugs and alcohol after my release from jail.”
“I knew I needed help, so I went to the Salvation Army. I dated a man in the program, and he led me to be a needle junkie just like him.”
Tasha entered another program but soon after was kicked out. She became homeless and after two weeks of living in the woods, she searched for help online. “I knew I needed help but this time it had to be different and it had to be free.
Tasha was discouraged and nearly gave up until she found the Mission of Hope!”
Tasha checked into the Mission of Hope Women’s Campus in 2010. She cried out to the Lord, “I’m going to give it my all, help me!”
During her time at the Mission, she learned to let go of everything she had held onto for so long. The chains of addiction were broken in her life through faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ. “For the first time, I learned how to have a relationship with God,” she said with excitement!”
“Isaiah 41:10 became a powerful verse to me. ‘Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.”
Tasha graduated from the Mission of Hope October 14, 2010.
In March 2011, I became a house mom at the Mission of Hope’s Women’s Campus. For the next year and a half, I grew in my relationship with the Lord while helping other ladies coming behind me in the journey to salvation and freedom from addiction.”
Tasha focused on serving the Lord and helping others. She joined a music ministry with four other Mission of Hope Alumni to praise God and testify of His salvation at area churches and rehabs. This is where she met Bo Ridley, the lead guitar player and singer.
God began to knit Bo and Tasha together as they served Him in the same group. A relationship was formed and September of 2012 they were married.
Bo and Tasha anchored into Life Church for 8 years and they have been at Refuge Church for the last three.
Tasha continued to work for the Mission of Hope and was cross trained in other positions and learned a great deal. This training would be the groundwork for future a ministry position.
Though doctors had told Tasha she would never conceive, she and Bo experienced God’s grace as she became pregnant in February of 2014 and gave birth to their daughter, Kaitlyn in October.
To their delight, God blessed them once more in 2017 with the birth of their son, Bodie.
In April 2018, God called Tasha to serve as the Women’s Director at the Pasco Home, a transitional ministry helping women coming out of drug and alcohol addiction programs. Naturally, there is a partnership between the Mission of Hope and the Pasco Home.
Those who support the Mission of Hope made Tasha’s story possible! They provided her with hope that her chains of addiction could be broken. Their donations gave her help she desperately needed through the Mission of Hope.
There are many other men and women, like Tasha, who need help now.
Would you give hope and help to someone today and make their story of finding freedom through Christ a reality?
Would you be part of God redeeming the lost years in the lift of an addict?