Jessy, USA

Jessy lives in Atlanta, USA, with her husband, Tyler, her two sons, Everette and Oliver, and their pet snake, Atlas.

Shaped by her upbringing in Kenya during the Civil War, Jessy developed a strong desire to pursue education as a tool to effect positive and peaceful change through future generations. In 2010, she moved to the United States to further her education at Columbia University. Between the culture shock, demanding academic requirements and geographical distance from loved ones, Jessy felt isolated. She began suffering from debilitating anxiety and depression and suicidal ideation; her deteriorating mental health required hospitalisation and psychiatric intervention. 

Over time, she received the support necessary to help her experience a sense of hope again: ‘When I was in my deepest place of darkness and defeat, I never imagined that I would be where I am today. I never thought that I would escape the hole of depression and anxiety. God has performed a miracle in my life and put me in a posture of triumph and victory. Every day, I continue to lay the workings of my mind at the feet of Jesus, knowing that he has been and always will be in control of my life and my mental health. While I am not perfect, and the enemy does his very best to drag me back down again and again, the Lord gives me the comfort, healing and love that I need to get back up on my feet. 

‘Now a wife and mother to two little boys, I believe that God’s faithfulness to me has and will continue to be a testament to my family that God can handle it all. His arm is strong enough to pull us out of any deep, dark hole that we find ourselves in. He is not afraid of our “impossible” circumstances.’