Kayla's Story
From Surviving to Surrender
Growing up, I always believed in God, but I never knew his true love. We attended church, but I felt out of place there, so I eventually stopped going.
After I turned 18, I met a man and got married six months later. Our relationship was good until he joined the army and moved me 16 hours away from home. That’s when everything started to fall apart. I was isolated and had no support. He began to abuse me verbally, mentally, physically, and sexually. He even held a firearm to my head. I didn’t think I was going to come out of the marriage alive.
After I turned 18, I met a man and got married six months later. Our relationship was good until he joined the army and moved me 16 hours away from home. That’s when everything started to fall apart. I was isolated and had no support. He began to abuse me verbally, mentally, physically, and sexually. He even held a firearm to my head. I didn’t think I was going to come out of the marriage alive.
Looking back, I can see that God was protecting me—even though I felt like God hated me because I was going against his plan. I didn’t know what to do. I tried figuring it out on my own, but I was scared. I eventually was able to pack up my things, get on a flight, and move back with my parents.
In April 2024, I officially got divorced, and I thought I had never been happier. I was going out every night partying, thinking I had my life all figured out as a newly divorced woman. But I did not. I was jumping from job to job, became really anxious and depressed, and was meeting up with different men. I realized that what I was doing wasn’t healthy, so I tried taking my life. I went to a psych hospital and got the help I needed. I never was truly happy with myself after I got divorced. Ultimately, I just wanted peace and happiness, but couldn’t find it. I kept trying to find my way back into regular adult life since my younger adult years were taken with my marriage.
On October 26, 2025, I was scrolling through YouTube and got a suggestion of a video from Calvary Church. It was a video of Pastor Marty. It seemed like a good church, so I decided to start watching the livestream every Sunday since I was too scared to go in person. I was ready to begin a godly life, not going out and doing stupid things. I wanted happiness, and I knew that being in community would bring some happiness.
On November 23, 2025, I very hesitantly walked into Calvary Church for in-person services. I walked in with all my past issues and sat down three rows back from the stage. It felt like home to me in that moment. Everyone praising God together. I cried almost the entire service. Pastor Marty had an amazing message, and God knew I needed it that day. He met me where I was.
On December 28, 2025, I fell to my knees in complete surrender and gave my life to God. It was the last Sunday before the new year, and I knew that I wanted it to be just me and God walking through 2026 together. I wanted to rebuild my life God’s way. I then started to find the community I had been looking for. I joined the young adult ministry and found many mentors there. I have been super excited to dive deeper into the word of God every week with them. I joined the Following Jesus class where I met even more people, and it changed my life forever. And I am super excited to have just taken the step of being baptized on February 22, 2026.
My whole perspective has changed. The way I view life has changed. I stopped hanging out with the people from before, I stopped going to the places I used to go, I stopped listening to the music I used to listen to. God changed the way I view everything. He was right there with me when I surrendered everything. He changed everything for me. Calvary has become home to me, and I cannot thank God more for the people He brought into my life and the events I’ve attended. I used to think that God wasn’t real, that he didn’t care about anything I did. Now that I’m going to church and opening my Bible every morning, I see how he is—and has been— working in my life.
In April 2024, I officially got divorced, and I thought I had never been happier. I was going out every night partying, thinking I had my life all figured out as a newly divorced woman. But I did not. I was jumping from job to job, became really anxious and depressed, and was meeting up with different men. I realized that what I was doing wasn’t healthy, so I tried taking my life. I went to a psych hospital and got the help I needed. I never was truly happy with myself after I got divorced. Ultimately, I just wanted peace and happiness, but couldn’t find it. I kept trying to find my way back into regular adult life since my younger adult years were taken with my marriage.
On October 26, 2025, I was scrolling through YouTube and got a suggestion of a video from Calvary Church. It was a video of Pastor Marty. It seemed like a good church, so I decided to start watching the livestream every Sunday since I was too scared to go in person. I was ready to begin a godly life, not going out and doing stupid things. I wanted happiness, and I knew that being in community would bring some happiness.
On November 23, 2025, I very hesitantly walked into Calvary Church for in-person services. I walked in with all my past issues and sat down three rows back from the stage. It felt like home to me in that moment. Everyone praising God together. I cried almost the entire service. Pastor Marty had an amazing message, and God knew I needed it that day. He met me where I was.
On December 28, 2025, I fell to my knees in complete surrender and gave my life to God. It was the last Sunday before the new year, and I knew that I wanted it to be just me and God walking through 2026 together. I wanted to rebuild my life God’s way. I then started to find the community I had been looking for. I joined the young adult ministry and found many mentors there. I have been super excited to dive deeper into the word of God every week with them. I joined the Following Jesus class where I met even more people, and it changed my life forever. And I am super excited to have just taken the step of being baptized on February 22, 2026.
My whole perspective has changed. The way I view life has changed. I stopped hanging out with the people from before, I stopped going to the places I used to go, I stopped listening to the music I used to listen to. God changed the way I view everything. He was right there with me when I surrendered everything. He changed everything for me. Calvary has become home to me, and I cannot thank God more for the people He brought into my life and the events I’ve attended. I used to think that God wasn’t real, that he didn’t care about anything I did. Now that I’m going to church and opening my Bible every morning, I see how he is—and has been— working in my life.
At Calvary Church, our mission is to see lives transformed by the power of God. If God has transformed your life, share your story here.