Hi, my name is Mark. I’m 19 years old and I am one of the foster children here at LIV Lanseria.
I was born in Edenvale Hospital and grew up in Kempton Park. When I was two years old, my father passed away and it really affected my mother negatively. I believe she did her best after that to raise me, but unfortunately, our relationship became more and more toxic. We could never come to an understanding of one another.
With the trauma, I no longer enjoyed school or even wanted to attend school. I would bunk school out of fear of being known as, “the kid whose father died”… With all that I was still going through, I vowed to be there for my mother no matter what. However, when things got even more difficult between my mother and I, she sent me back to her home country… back to her family. There I spent eight years in boarding school where I began to enjoy school again.
Then when COVID hit, my mom reached out to me and brought me back to South Africa. Little did I know that while I was away, my mother was getting worse. She had been holding a grudge against me and kept on referring me to my father’s behaviour. I never truly knew the truth about him but could not understand the terrible things she would tell me about him. I didn’t want to believe her. Our relationship became bitter and I had to leave home… for my safety and for hers.
I was so lost and had no idea where I would end up. I gave up on life. I began to do unthinkable things that I will always regret. I began to hate everyone around me and even began to hate myself. I even attempted suicide a few times because I could just not see the light.
And then I met LIV. I was sceptical at first and did not believe that they could help me. But then a very sweet and kind lady named Cate brought hope to me. She showed me how LIV could help me despite the mistakes I made, or the background I came from. I came to know God more deeply and my life has been changed ever since. I am so grateful to every one of them here at LIV for especially bringing me back to God.
When things don’t work out for you and you feel all hope is lost, it isn’t. God will always make a way and will never give up on you. He did it for me, so I do not doubt that He will do it for you.
