Beth Rhinehart's Testimony
Hi, my name is Beth Rhinehart the Founder and Executive Director of Bethany House, Inc. and I would like to share with you my testimony and how God used my painful past to help me turn my life around. As a result, God gave me the desire to help others and it was out of this desire that Bethany House became a reality.
After many years of a life of alcohol and drugs and trying to run away from the torment, fear, and abuse of childhood, my life was ending if I didn't make changes. I was so bitter, rebellious, and afraid and I had very little self-esteem. I went to church off and on all my life but nothing seemed to change until I went with my husband one Sunday and felt the love of God like never before. I didn't know what real love felt like or if there was such a thing, in fact it was so foreign to me I thought what I felt was wrong, but I continued to go with him and then it happened! I was sitting in my chair one Sunday morning when I felt the power of the Holy Spirit hit me and I got up and went forward, I was born again in an instance and my life has never been the same.
Soon after that I became a volunteer counselor at a Birthright center in Portland and a brand new Christian on fire for the Lord a (dangerous combination). During the three years I worked with single mothers I began to see we had such a need for a home that these young women would feel safe and experience the love and support they have never known. One night at a bible study I had a vision of a home that was filled with love, encouragement and hope. I stepped out in faith and started a non-profit organization. After four years of speaking in the community and sharing the vision, Bethany House opened its doors to our first young woman on December 1st, 1990.
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