Sarah, a hairdresser, had been ‘ticking things up’ to give her boys the best start in life, but when she suffered an overuse injury and was unable to work, her finances became unmanageable. Mentally, it took a toll, and Sarah ended up ‘hitting rock bottom’.
Unable to look after herself, and no longer trusting her parenting, she placed her boys in her family’s care. Thankfully, a counsellor encouraged her to call CAP…
“I was thinking, ‘CAP’s a Christian thing?!’ Are they going to push that on me? But my Debt Coach, came over & Dave was so friendly, and real! We had a laugh.”
CAP created a budget to meet life’s needs, with a plan to pay back debt using her own income. The team also liaised with creditors on her behalf, giving Sarah a deep sense of relief, ‘emotionally and mentally’.
“All the negative thinking I’d had about not being worth it or not capable started changing when I started to do something about things. I felt proud of myself. There was so much hope that I had. I wasn’t fearful anymore.”
After five months with CAP, she was stable enough to get her own place, allowing her boys to live with her again! And as Sarah strengthened her relationships — with money and with others — she says:
“I was exposed to something that was amazing; that opened my heart & my eyes to the Lord…
The topic of grace resonated with me. There were things in my life I have regret about… but to hear that there’s hope for being forgiven for all of that… I let Jesus into my life.”
Sarah recalls the day that CAP called to say she was free from unmanageable debt.
“I remember my cheeks were hurting ‘cos I was smiling so much!”
“Without CAP I’d be in such a different situation. I wouldn’t have my kids, I wouldn’t have a house. And now I’m not worrying about bills, it’s just opening endless possibilities.
As a mum: driving to the beach, not having to worry about petrol… I get to create a loving home. I think that’s what any mum or dad wants!”
Across Aotearoa, CAP supporters like you – in partnership with local churches – are providing a way for people like Sarah to escape their money chaos.
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