My Experience in Tennessee

My Experience in Tennessee

Even though I was still in high school, I was not getting a good enough education. When my mom told me about Tennessee, I knew it would be a great experience for me. I wondered what the purpose was behind sending me there in the first place. I found out three and a half years later.

            When I first came to The King’s Daughter’s School in Tennessee, I was very shy. Upon arrival, every staff and student welcomed me.  As soon as I was enrolled in the district, I was moved to Park Dale, which is a house on campus. Upon moving in, I learned the polite way to say my manners including ‘yes,’ ‘no ‘and how to say ma’am and sir.  

            About three months later, I was assigned a doctor for my medication. Every two months I would go for appointments. I really liked going, but hated taking my medication. Today, I still have to take them.

            During my stay there, I met my first fiancé named Bradley Hickerson. Before we got engaged, we started dating. At the school, when I dated, I was not allowed to hold hands, touch or hug him. On one occasion, I got in trouble for holding his hand while praying with him at his request. When I got in trouble, I stood in the corner and wasn’t very happy. On October 28, 2008 while in the cafeteria with him one morning, I asked him to propose. He did and this taught me a big lesson. My lesson was not to make my boyfriend propose, especially when he is not ready for marriage. A year later, we celebrated our one-year anniversary on October 28, 2009. After we celebrated, he went home for good and I felt devastated. That year, I learned that if you are single and are a Christian, the Lord is you husband.

Six months later, I moved from Park Dale to an off campus house called House 6. I moved there because my house parent announced that I had done a great job doing what was required in her house.  When I moved to the new house, I was ecstatic. On weekends, staff would take us out on community outings on Saturdays and let us stay home on Sundays unless we were going to church. Every fourth Thursday of each month, junior auxiliary ladies would come by the house and host fun activities with me and the girls. Once a year in February, they would take us out on a dinner outing and pay for the meals. We had lots of fun each month.

            My favorite experience at King’s Daughter’s was each class I took. One of the classes I took was Physical Education. In Physical Education, we would run the track or if our instructor felt like it, we would go outside and play kickball or have free time. That was my favorite class because I enjoyed learning fitness.  

             Four times a year, I would go on a home pass.  This is where the school would send me on a plane flying from Tennessee to California. On one occasion, it was my 19^th birthday. I was blowing out candles on my cake when my hair caught fire. When my mom saw the flames, she panicked, grabbed me, and began to extinguish the flames with her hands. This resulted in getting 1^st and 2^nd degree burns on my face and my hair was singed. My mom called Palo Alto Medical Foundation to explain to a doctor what happened while I waited in tears with my brother. I was surprised when she didn’t contact 911. When I returned to Tennessee, everyone was asking me if I had gone through a windshield.

            On another occasion, on November 24, 2009, my family had to go to court to conserve me. Unfortunately, my grandfather gave false testimony against my mother lying about who she was to me. He started a lot of things that could have prevented her from conserving me in the first place but didn’t. I could be conserved. Even though we won, it resulted in us having to pay a $65,000 court fee and cost us our home three years later.

In 2010, my family flew me home to Redding California for healing. On the month of Thanksgiving, I went to Bethel Church and received healing in the Healing Room. That night I went without my medication. When I returned, a new doctor put me back on the medication. I was upset! The voices went away for a little while but then came back; however, I continued to take the medication regardless of the healing. Today, I have no voices whatsoever and I still have to take them.

Last year was my final year at the school. I graduated with my class as well as a 4.0 GPA and a certificate of completion from the state. Mrs. Jesse Davis had me read a speech because I was the one with mostly A’s in all my classes. Everybody watched as I walked with my class. My family attended and was very impressed. The principal said I did my very best and so did the school. I’m glad I had a chance to graduate high school in another state.

In conclusion, I know deep in my heart that being sent to another state like Tennessee was the best experience I have ever had. I know that there was a glorious and humble purpose behind all this. I also know that without support from my family, this never would have happened.