Loving life and living free – Katrina’s Easter story
Struggling with addiction since the age of seven – a coping mechanism for childhood trauma – Katrina walked into a Salvos church in Western Australia and has been connected ever since. Today she is a ministry assistant and Salvation Army Positive Lifestyle facilitator* and a Salvos’ member (‘soldier’). Easter for Katrina is a time to celebrate God’s love that has given her hope and deep purpose in helping others.
She shares:
My story comes in many parts as it does with God and our free choices. I’ve had a lot of trials over the last few years, as I have over much of my life, but the difference is now that nothing budges me from knowing that God loves me.
If I’m having a bad day, I come to God and I say, “God, I’m having a bad day,” and it is as if he just wraps his arms around me and says, “It’s going to be okay”. The circumstances may not have changed, but I know it’s going to be okay, because I’m in the arms of God, my Father.
Childhood pain and trauma
From a very young age I struggled with addiction. I used to steal things like my mother’s cooking sherry. I’d been abused by someone close to me and understand now that drinking was my coping mechanism.
Through primary school I drank continually, but by high school, drinking just wasn’t enough. I didn’t feel like I fitted in. I started smoking a lot of marijuana and taking pills.
There were many challenges at home and my behaviour wasn’t good, so I went into a youth hostel at 15. I was taking a lot of drugs, drinking a lot of alcohol, getting arrested every weekend, getting brought back.
Finally, they said that if I didn’t go to a rehab, I would be back on the streets again. So, off I went to Perth to deal with marijuana and alcohol, but instead, I was introduced to heroin by a bunch of city kids.
A new path emerges
It became a vicious circle and the fourth time I was in the same rehab a guy came in and spoke about another program. I wasn’t listening though, because I had no intention of going to a Christian rehab.
I ripped his pamphlets up and actually made quite a big thing about it. But then I was lying in bed and I thought, “At least that’s 12 months of accommodation.”
There was supposed to be a nine-month waitlist, and there were many complications with debts from the last rehab that came from my anger – broken walls and doors, but somehow, I was in within three weeks and the debts were paid.
I went through the motions of rehab for probably six months. It was good to have somewhere to live though. I was getting clean – there were no drugs – and it was a good place to be.
Awakening faith in God
We were in chapel one day and I closed my eyes and had what I can only describe as an encounter with God that I still can’t explain. Whatever happened, something in me changed.
I went on to finish the program and do a six-month traineeship at the same place, then a training course in YWAM (Youth With a Mission) because I knew that I wanted to serve God. I wasn’t using drugs, but I somehow knew I still wasn’t free.
In the role I travelled to India, then home to help start Aboriginal ministries. My father is Aboriginal on one side, but had no idea of his country, or where he belonged. It is hard to put into words, but I have a heart for people like my dad, who don’t feel connected.
That was great and we did a lot of good. I’d meet people in the streets or parks who had come for things like medical appointments from outlying communities, but then I left that and, not long after, ended up back in addiction. That became a cycle through a few roles until I went into the worst time of addiction I’d ever been in.
I went into full blown homelessness, full blown heroin addiction. I got arrested for many things and ended up in a psych ward for months with a camera on me because my partner at the time had died of a heroin overdose. I had absolutely nothing. I thought I’d had nothing before, but this time, I really had nothing. No family connection, no home, no possessions, no friends.
So, I cried out to God again.
Serving others, finding hope
I was released to the care of my family, which was strange, but things were better there this time.
Eventually, I walked into a Salvos church and soon started going to church every single Sunday. When we went into COVID lockdown, I thought, “Oh my, I’m gone. I haven’t got the support of church.” But I didn’t relapse.
During the lockdown I got even closer to God. I got to know God as the person he is, the one that died on the cross for our sins. The one that loves me no matter what.
During those six weeks, it was as if I had open heart surgery. I went back to church after the lockdown a totally changed person. That’s when I knew that I was going to serve God again, but this time as a whole person.
Reach out for practical support, read personal stories of hope, or learn more about Easter at
I love the work I do now with The Salvation Army and no day is the same as the last. I work with our Doorways team, supporting people who come in for help and case management. With members of the church, we do toasties twice a week and, in that time, I get to just sit with people and get to know them, as we chat with them over food and coffee. It adds a level of community engagement and people love it. I love it!
We serve refugees, people struggling with homelessness and loneliness. People who need to talk, beyond interviews for things like financial assistance. I’ve had some great conversations and have been able to get to know people in our community in a much deeper way than ever before.
I also felt called to study chaplaincy, so am doing that at the moment as well. Since I have been ‘clean’ of the drugs, I’ve married and that is also really good.
Hope and freedom at Easter time
I really do see genuine miracles all the time. I often pray for the people and I see them come back in and they’ve got a job, or they’ve got a license, or they are back in contact with their children or their family. God is so good!
For me, Easter is the key to Christianity. Jesus dying so we can have forgiveness. Jesus rising from the dead, so we can have freedom. It’s where it all starts. It is the start of experiencing a life full of love and hope and change. God really is so good!
Find a place to experience life in its fullest – celebrate Easter with your local Salvos.
*The Positive Lifestyle Program (PLP) is an eight-module course used by hundreds of facilitators throughout Australia. The PLP methodology takes people through a process of raising self-awareness to help participants address personal difficulties they may be unable to identify or address. Positively, PLP looks to build self-awareness, self-esteem and appropriate anger and assertiveness. It also helps participants explore topics such as fear, anger and fatigue, which can be involved when relationships and communication processes break down.