From the very beginning, Isabellah knew what it was like to struggle. She lived in the foster care system for the first decade of her life. Her father was absent, and her mother was consistently running from legal issues. Her grandmother stepped in to care for Isabellah and her five siblings, but after she passed away in 2016, Isabellah did her best to take the place of a mom for her siblings, learning to care for them. Isabellah often went to bed hungry.

In high school, she switched to online classes so she could be free to work to provide for the family. The pressure weighed heavily on her and eventually, she found herself befriending the wrong people and dropping out of school.

Though Isabellah had come to faith in Jesus years earlier at church camp, the death of her grandmother and the struggles she endured afterward caused her faith to waver. At college, her lifestyle included drinking, partying and drug use. However, thanks to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and godly mentors who stepped into her life at just the right time, Isabellah was able to walk away from that life and rededicate her heart to Christ. Even on dark days, Isabellah held on to the belief that she was made for something more, and prayed desperately that God would show her what to do.

Isabellah became familiar with The Salvation Army as a child through the Angel Tree program. As a young adult, she was hired to work as a bellringer for The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign. In God’s perfect timing, the local corps officer (pastor), who saw something in Isabellah she did not yet see in herself, told her about a permanent position available. She felt this might be an answer to that prayer she often whispered to God. 

That year at youth councils, Isabellah felt God calling her to become a Salvation Army soldier (member of The Salvation Army), and someday, an officer. 

Isabellah currently works as a corps mission associate at The Salvation Army in Chickasha, OK. Her responsibilities include social services and children’s ministries. For children who might feel alone and hopeless, Isabellah can be just who they need and point them to the One who can make all the difference. She was made for it.