Someone Believing in You Makes All the Difference.

For the past 20 years, I have been building a life I could not always see. Twenty years ago, I got married, started my family, and imagined what my future would look like. Like so many young women, I had a picture in my mind of how life was supposed to go. But life did not follow that picture. I became a single mother trying to raise two little boys while sometimes wondering where our next meal was going to come from. There were seasons of trials and tribulations, seasons of blessings and abundance, and seasons where I simply did the best I could with what I had.

There were nights when I questioned my purpose, cried quietly, prayed, and wondered how I was going to keep going. Then morning would come, and by the grace of God, I would get up and fight like hell to make sure my children never saw how scared I was.

There were so many times I thought I was alone. Looking back now, I know I never was. God was there. In 2009, I found Love INC completely by accident. At least, that is what I thought then. Today, I know better. God knew exactly where He was sending me. And that is where I found Miss Jane Williams. Miss Jane took me under her wing and gave me a kind of hope I did not even know existed. But she wasn't the only person God placed in my path during that season. Pat McMurray became an instrumental advocate for me in 2009 and 2010, helping me navigate a time in my life when I desperately needed someone in my corner. And Miz Verna poured lessons into me that I still hold near and dear to my heart to this very day. At the time, I don't think I fully understood the significance of all these people surrounding me. Looking back, I can see God's hand in every one of them.

I attended parenting classes and financial stability classes. I looked forward to 'Living Large' every Thursday. I couldn't wait to go eat, and see everyone. I sat in rooms with people who had things I desperately wanted for myself and my children: stability, financial security, confidence, and peace.

I listened with an open heart and an eager mind. But when I walked back out into the real world with two children depending on me, I had no clue how to take everything I was learning and actually build a different life. Eventually, my visits became less frequent. Visits turned into phone calls. Phone calls became fewer and farther between. And eventually, they stopped. And I was ashamed.

I felt like I had let down the people who had poured so much into me, especially Miss Jane. For years, I stayed away. I watched Love INC become Love Columbia from afar. I volunteered in the community and continued trying to build my life, but I could never bring myself to approach the woman I missed so much because a part of me still felt like I had failed her. But God has a beautiful way of bringing people back into our lives when we are finally ready to receive what He placed in them for us.

In 2024, I saw Miss Jane at an event. And I couldn't stay away anymore. I walked up quietly and said, "Hi, Miss Jane." That was all it took. "AMBER!? Amber Bussey? Is that really you? I can't believe it!"

And just like that, the years disappeared. She wrapped her arms around me over and over again, and we picked up like we had never missed a beat. What I didn't understand all those years ago was that I had never failed her. I was still becoming. God was still working on me. And this time, I was ready.

I held onto the suggestions. I listened to the guidance. I did the work. I completed Love Columbia's Extra Mile program. I worked with my financial coach, Jen. I learned how to manage my money differently. I made hard decisions. I kept showing up. Week after week. And most importantly, I took action.

And through every step, God kept making a way. Today, I am free of consumer debt. My credit score is above 700 for the first time in MY ENTIRE LIFE. I own my vehicle. And last week, I purchased my first home. I need to say that again because sometimes I still cannot believe it: I went from homeless to homeowner.

There was a time when I did not know where my children's next meal would come from. Many nights I found them a place to sleep and food for their bellies, but it had been days since I had eaten.

Today, I have a key to a home that belongs to me. A home. My home. Our home. Only God.

When I think about the woman I was 20 years ago, I wish I could sit beside her for just a moment. I would tell her, "Keep going. Keep praying. God has not forgotten you. You cannot see it yet, but none of this is for nothing. One day, those boys you are fighting so hard for will be grown, and you are going to stand inside a home of your own and realize that God carried you through every single season."

This moment does not belong to me alone. First and foremost, thank You, God. Thank You for keeping me when I did not know how to keep myself. Thank You for protecting my children through every uncertain season. Thank You for the closed doors, the redirections, the lessons, the people You placed along my path, and even the prayers You answered differently than I wanted. Thank You for giving me enough strength for each day, even when I could not see what You were building.

Thank you to Love Columbia for creating a place where people can find dignity, tools, opportunity, and hope. Thank you to the Anderson Homes Foundation and every sponsor and donor behind it who helped make homeownership possible for someone like me. Thank you to Jen, my financial coach, for helping me turn information into action and action into stability. Thank you to Pat McMurray for being an advocate for me during those early years when having someone believe in me mattered more than you probably ever knew. Thank you to Miz Verna for the wisdom, lessons, and love you poured into me. Some lessons don't leave you when the class ends. They become part of who you are, and I still carry yours with me today. And Miss Jane… There will never be enough words. Thank you for loving a young, struggling mother before she knew how to believe in herself. Thank you for seeing potential underneath the fear, mistakes, setbacks, and shame. Thank you for never making me feel like the years I disappeared erased the love you had already poured into me. You planted seeds in 2009 that you could not possibly have known would still be growing all these years later. But God knew. And look at us now, Miss Jane. The girl you once helped find hope just bought her first home. Twenty years. Marriage. Motherhood. Divorce. Single motherhood. Struggle. Survival. Mistakes. Growth. Grace. Recovery. Education. Career. Financial freedom. And now, homeownership.

My story has never been perfect. But goodness, it has been beautiful. From homeless to homeowner. From surviving to building. From wondering where the next meal would come from to standing in a home with my name on it. And through every chapter, every detour, every setback, every blessing, and every person God placed along the way, He was writing a story I could not yet see. What I once thought were coincidences, I now recognize as God's fingerprints. Twenty years later, I finally get to see a little more of the picture. God was faithful then. God is faithful now. And I know He isn't finished with me yet.