Moang was born and raised in Visalia, California. She grew up in a good Christian home, and while it was strict, it was still good. She was pretty sheltered and didn’t really get in trouble. Moang went to church on Sundays, went to school, and came back home. When she was 15 years old, her family moved to Anchorage, Alaska to be closer to family. Moang dropped out of high school two months before graduating.
When she was 18 years old, she and her family moved back to Visalia. She met some friends, started partying, and became an alcoholic at that point. Moang drank a lot every day for about a year up until she experienced a significant traumatic event.
“At that point I quit drinking and started using drugs with my friends. It became an everyday routine. I would try to quit and would have no success. I hadn’t realized my drug use had become an addiction. I used on and off for about 14 years. In 2016, I became homeless and started using severely.”
Moang stayed at the House of Hope shelter three or four times before she ended up in jail. When she got, out Moang was accepted into the Life Change Academy at VRM.
“I’m alive because God loves me”
“Things were different this time. Being in jail made me realize that I wanted change in my life; I needed Jesus Christ.”
Since being in the Life Change Academy, and being sober, Moang’s mind has opened up along with her personality. “I’ve seen and experienced the power of prayer. I started reading the Bible every day, and God showed up. It was like He was teaching me how to read, and everything I read was Him. It changed me. I can truly say that I’m alive today because God loves me, and He never gave up on me. He’s a real presence in my life.”
Since graduating the program, Moang believes that her calling, in part, is to help and serve people like her by offering them hope through Jesus Christ.
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