Miss Michelle's life in prior to 2007 consisted of long days in a family owned barber shop. She noticed that youth filled the streets around her shop. She saw the need and she met it! Miss Michelle would bring kids into the shop and cook for them after school. The grassroots effort for Miracles Outreach began in the back of that barber shop. She had no funding and worked out of the goodness of her heart to serve meals to these children and make sure their homework was completed. Over the years, the compounding miracles led to four privately funded group homes, with the fifth in the making. Talk about a woman of God!
When asked what kept the girls coming in and successfully renewing their hope, Miss Michelle said "It is and always will be love." She has made a promise to never reject a woman because of that woman's history. Miss Michelle never looks at a woman's past because "that is not the way they are going!" She has always seen this mission as a family operation. She continues to receive calls from local police, FBI agents, and case workers hoping that the young women in trouble might be saved through the love at Miracles Outreach.
We had the opportunity to hear from two of the youth that Miss Michelle is currently housing and restoring. The first female to speak testified to her broken past, filled with sexual abuse, physical violence, a drug riddled family, and a horrible life in foster care. She was and always has been a runner! This female attributed her restoration and success to Miracles, Miss Michelle, her mother (who she promised to never become), and God. It was a beautiful moment what this young girl stood before the room witnessing to her faith, in spite of her chronic struggle. The second female was fearful to expose her story because of the immense pain that the memories caused. She said, "I can't tell my story because it makes me cry." Her silence gripped our hearts and spoke to the deep pain child prostitution causes.
"As I hugged these survivors of the sex trade goodbye, something within my soul stirred. I realized the magnitude of the damage of their lives, as they gripped my shirt and held on to my embrace. I can attest to the sacredness of that very moment. Who am I to hold two seventeen year old girls in my arms, and promise that life could and would be different someday? Who am I to claim that their pain is purposeful? It amazes me that I even have the privilege of asking these questions. I hope that you all have a moment that stops your soul in its tracks! I felt that today . . . my soul shook and my heart filled knowing that these women gave great meaning to my life's work." - Katlyn Walters
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