Student profile: Penelope

Penelope entered the world at 23 ½ weeks and spent the first six months of her life in the NICU. There were complications during the pregnancy, and when she was born, Penelope struggled to breathe on her own. During that time she contracted an infection. She was given strong antibiotics to combat the infection, which consequently damaged her hearing. While in the NICU she also had surgery on her stomach that necessitated G-tube feedings until she was three.

Her mom left the picture early on, leaving Penelope with her dad and grandma. Her grandma served as her primary caregiver in these critical years until her dad remarried when Penelope was six. She was the flower girl in the wedding.

Penelope faced more challenges when she started school. Her hearing loss impeded her learning, and being more quiet in nature, she was overlooked in the public school setting. When her grandma took on the mantle of homeschooling, Penelope was starting a first grade level curriculum at age 11.

The setback in her education also contributed to other developmental delays. It made connecting and relating with her peers difficult. It was isolating.

As Penelope yearned for connection, she turned to what was most easily accessible and already at her fingertips. She began talking to people online and was quickly exposed to the wiles of those lurking on the internet. At the same time, Penelope was asking a lot of questions and exploring her identity. Her parents began questioning her decisions. Penelope felt misunderstood and confused. She began to eat less at mealtimes and sometimes even skipped meals altogether. The weight loss started to become noticeable.

Penelope’s parents had been seeking outside support for Penelope and found Christian Encounter. When she was accepted, they flew out from Oklahoma with Penelope.

Penelope was overwhelmed being in a new place so far from home. But as she settled into the rhythms of Ranch life, health began to return to her body. Several weeks into her stay, on the Girls’ Igloo Trip, she realized, “This isn’t so bad. I can be myself here, and nobody’s going to look at me weird.”

“As time went on, I became more comfortable in my own skin. I realized no one was going to judge me. I was really insecure about myself.”

Penelope wrestled with wanting to leave the program in June as she approached her 20th birthday. Though she had a strong desire to move towards independence, she recognized she was on a good path and had developed significant relationships in those five months.

As Penelope participated in weekly group counseling sessions in the summer, she gained a better understanding of her own actions and behaviors.

Completing the 15-day wilderness trip gave her a new confidence that was evident in how she carried herself. “I did a lot of things I never thought I’d do. I didn’t think I could survive in the wilderness for two weeks. I never thought in my life I’d eat a cricket. I didn’t think I would jump off a dam. I didn’t think at 20 I would be courageous enough to do all that.”

“Coming to the Ranch I’ve been able to let go, relax, process, and heal. I don’t have to keep it inside anymore. I don’t have to hide - I don’t have to be afraid. What happened in the past doesn’t haunt me anymore. God revealed to me how bad, how dark, how serious it was. It was a huge realization.”

Upon reflection as her time at the Ranch comes to a close, Penelope shares, “I experienced healing and grew in maturity here. I experienced God through the people here. You can see God everywhere.”

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13