- [Narrator] As a littlegirl, Fatima McCray wondered

what her life was worth.

Her father was killedwhen she was one year old.

At age four a familymember began molesting her.

The abuse continued for three years.

And when she was seven,

she lost her mother to breast cancer.

- I felt insecure, because I felt like,

I didn't know who I was, where I belonged.

I felt depressed becauseof what I had experienced

and I felt fearful that my life

would always be, how it was.

- [Narrator] She moved in with relatives,

but didn't feel loved, or welcome there.

Meanwhile she was still haunted

by the trauma of molestation.

- As a result of me being molested,

when I was 10 years old, I began to have

sexual dreams about women.

They were lucid dreams, theymade me question who I was.

- [Narrator] Over time,she developed an attraction

to the same sex.

- When I was 14, a younglady actually approached me.

And she's saying "I'veseen you around school.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"I think you're attractive,

"do you want to be my girlfriend?"

And I thought, well nowis the time to act on

everything that I've already been feeling.

So that's when I started,same sex relationships.

- [Narrator] Fatima embraceda bisexual lifestyle,

and also began hanging out late, drinking,

and using drugs.

After graduating high school,she joined the Marine Corps

and hoped for a fresh start.

- While I was stillstruggling with who I was,

while I was stillstruggling with, self worth,

I reached a breakingpoint, in the Marine Corp,

I became a functioning alcoholic.

Drinking, full party size bottles of wine

on a Wednesday night cup for cup

and then going to work the next day.

And it was so crazybecause everyone thought

that I was the party girl,and that I loved life

but those people areusually the most broken.

It's a compensation thing.

And then when they're by themselves,

they can't even stand the sightof themselves in the mirror

and that's how I was.

- [Narrator] After several injuries,

Fatima received an honorable discharge.

No longer a marine, she thought her life

had hit rock bottom.

She was hopeless and hercousin invited her to church.

- And he said, "Fatimadon't you want more?"

And little did he know,that's exactly what I had

been looking for, wasmore, more of life, more.

So I went to the young people's service

and I went in there, reekingof vodka from the night before,

so I can't even remember themessage that they preached,

but I remember the feeling I had,

and I felt the presence of God.

For me that presence, made me feel like,

it felt like home.

It made me feel like,I'm suppose to be here.

- [Narrator] During the next service,

Fatima heard a messagethat changed her life.

- Through the new birthexperience, you become

a new creature through Christ.

Old things are passed away and behold,

all things have become new.

So when I heard thatwritten in the word of God,

and I said, okay,

well if it comes to beingbaptized in Jesus' name

to wash away the things that I've done,

to even arise in thenewness of life, so that,

I don't have to be theperson that I used to be.

I don't have to be boundby what I used to bound by.

I'll do it.

- Fatima realized, she canbe victorious over addiction

and temptation.

- Asking the lord to be a part of my life,

to be in my heart, to bethe ruler over my mind,

is a continual walk.

It started at baptism, it started at

receiving the holy ghost,but it's a continual walk,

day by day, because things aregoing to continue to come up.

Keep the flesh under subjection,though I may be tempted,

I can overcome that temptation.

So the same sex attractionisn't completely gone

because we're gonna be tempted,

but I have power over it now.

- [Narrator] In Sunday school,

Fatima became friends with Ronald.

He had also left the homosexual lifestyle.

- She was the mainperson who spoke into me

and reaffirmed me as aman, when I was questioning

whether or not I could dothis, walk with Christ,

you know and be transformed.

And she saw a leader inme, before I even did.

- [Narrator] Their relationshipblossomed into romance

and they married in 2015 and in 2019

Fatima gave birth to their son, Alexander.

In moments like this,she is simply amazed.

- I never thought that I would be here.

I never thought that I could have someone

who can really empathize with me.

Someone who would really love me.

After all I had experienced,I didn't even love myself.

But God gave me someone whosees all that I've experienced.

The things that I felt would bar me

from being a candidate for marriage.

He saw and he said, "Iwanna help you heal there"

I don't think I would have ever been here,

had it not been for thegrace and mercy of God.

I'm grateful that God sawfit, not only die for me,

but to show me a life that I never thought

that I would be able to have.