Debórah and Angela, Part Two: You Are Not Alone

Author, Allison Peart and Lei Nguyen | 12/13/2021

Left, Angela. Right, Debórah. Taken during their first meeting!

“I feel alone, it hurts, and I just want people out there to know that, no matter what, there’s always going to be someone out there listening,” said Angela, about her difficult time living alone on the street. 

Witness Angela’s story, a powerful expression of raw emotion: pain, trauma, incredible strength and valiant honesty. Read Angela’s perspective on how Debórah came into the picture and witnessed deep reserves of strength in Angela, who would later become her dear friend. 

At first, when Brian, long-time ambassador to the unhoused community, introduced Angela to Miracle Messages, she felt doubtful, especially after a difficult experience connecting with her first Miracle Friend. But then she matched with Debórah, whose persistent kindness melted Angela’s doubt and uncertainty. 

“It’s like we were meant to be. We’re inseparable, that’s how I feel,” said Angela. 

Angela has been through a lot in life. Still, despite an abusive childhood and the painful destruction of her family, Angela refuses to give up. Laden with the responsibility of single handedly raising four younger sisters, Angela’s education path was greatly limited, and she made the decision to drop out of high school to take care of her family. Amidst the struggle of caring for her siblings, Angela became a mother, and her children gave her hope. 

“Having my son was the turning point where everything was going to get better . . . I had somebody that loved me and I had somebody to love back,” shared Angela, voice shaking with the overwhelming strength of her love. But that hard-won joy has recently been shattered. Before Angela joined the Miracle Friends program, her son and other children were forcefully taken from her, leaving her reeling with loneliness. 

Though not a day goes by that Angela does not long for her children, she refuses to let the pain cripple her. Instead, Angela’s pain drives her forward, fueling her desire to help others.  “I feel alone,” says Angela, unafraid of her own pain. “It hurts, and I just want people out there to know that, no matter what, there’s always going to be someone out there listening.” Angela makes sure to be that listening ear, and dedicates her life to her community, comforting those who similarly struggle with homelessness and severed social bonds. Witness to Angela’s pain and determination, Debórah commented that hardship made Angela grow stronger, cultivating her into the incredible person that she is today.

The story of Angela and Debórah 's friendship started while initial fears of repeated abandonment, the scars of past trauma, still lingered in Angela’s mind and heart. But when Debórah intentionally provided a safe space for Angela to open up, Angela realized that she could be vulnerable: “I knew that I didn’t have to worry about being alone or abandoned again.” Debórah promised Angela that she would always be there for her. “She’s like the mom I never had,” said Angela, who affectionately calls Debórah her “fairy godmother.”  

Debórah’s selfless love infected Angela, spurring the beginnings of a new mission in her life. Passionate about giving back to her community and helping those who struggle as she does, Angela dreams of working with non-profit organizations like Miracle Messages that help unhoused communities. Her slogan? “If I was able to get off the drugs and become sober, they can do it too.” Debórah is a proud supporter and advocate for Angela’s goals: “She sees her calling to be someone that’s on the streets, helping other people. She has a heart bigger than big, to share with others who are less fortunate.”

Currently, Angela deeply misses her children, but she still refuses to give up. She wants her children to know that she loves them and will never stop fighting for them. “You turn [a helpless situation] into strength and perseverance,” Debórah said in admiration of Angela’s perseverance through such unbelievable difficulty. For Angela, helping is never about money, but about being able to make a positive change in someone else’s life. “All she wants is to get her story out to show people they’re not alone,” stressed Debórah. In Debórah’s eyes, Angela is specially equipped to relate to and help others because of personal struggles and experience feeling helpless and alone. 

Debórah encourages Angela with these words: “The shoes you wear and are familiar with is reality . . . you’ve walked in that path of feeling abandoned and by yourself and alone, and so you are so relatable to what others are feeling that were in your position.” 

A warrior of life and positivity, Angela shares her war cry with the world: “I’m alive. I’m still here. I’m still here because I’m supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be here and make a difference in somebody else’s life.” These powerful words would probably be included in the introduction of Angela’s future autobiography, as she revealed with us her desire to become an author and share the story of her life with a wider audience. Angela even has a title for her book,  changing an initially blunt “To Hell and Back” to a more metaphorical “Walk a Mile in my Shoes.” 

However, Angela is currently still in the process of living out the chapters of her life. In October, she and Debórah were able to meet in person for the first time! Finally united in person, Debórah and Angela shared conversation over coffee, window-shopped, and talked about their dreams. Their shared favorite memory from that meeting was their first hug. In the sweetest wording, Angela succinctly summarizes the experience and their overall relationship: ”I felt the love right away.” 

Finally, both women wish to send firm messages out into the world. Debórah reminds us to be there for others, saying “People find you for a reason. When they need you.” And with a vulnerable heart and strong spirit, Angela speaks to the discouraged through a quote in which she heard God’s voice: “Protect your beliefs and embrace your fears, for greatness only comes when you persevere.”  

With the holidays around the corner, Angela can’t help but want to capture all of the new, beautiful memories that she is making with Debórah, and hopes to receive a camera for Christmas. This holiday season, Debórah and Angela´s loving relationship reveals that a true miracle might be encountering and helping the right person, at the right critical time.