When I started visiting LoveCry, in the summer of 2005. I was introduced to Angel through my ex-girlfriend. Now, at first
I heard some seriously shitty gossip about Angel and LoveCry, about how she was stealing the street-kids money they panhandled
everyday. Social Assistance had also been listening to gossip, because when I went to them for help and had told them I had
stumbled upon LoveCry which has been helping me ever since. They had informed me that she will just take my money, and use
and control me, and that for my own well-being I should disassociate myself from LoveCry.
This ignorant gossip roamed in my head, and I started to paint a very disgusting picture of LoveCry and Angel, but I had still
chosen to be around so that I could know for sure what's going on. As I saw, Angel was NOT using anybody – they had
all volunteered to help LoveCry and eachother, because LoveCry was basically a Family. As far as the money stealing part,
I had never seen it happen and any money that was panhandled was agreed upon beforehand wether it was personal or to help
fund the non-profit organization. I've also spoken to many hundreds of street-kids that lived at and have visited LoveCry
in the past and they say that Angel has never done any of this. They say that she has done nothing but help them, and poor
her heart out for them even though they treated her like dirt throughout their own disciplining issues. And the most important
reason they come back to visit, is because Angel is the only person they know that Truly forgives them and appreciates the
changes they've made inside themselves to be better human beings. Before the money was even aquired, the street-kids themselves
would agree that the money was to help. I never once saw it necessary to disassociate myself for my own well-being, Angel
had always been open-minded towards everyone no matter what issue they would storm in and drop on the table.
It was like, no matter what, if you had a problem you could count on Angel and everyone at LoveCry to help you through it
with support and proper, non-judgemental, unconditional love. The environment felt very safe and confortable, as though you
could speak about the deepest darkest secrets of hate that you've been hanging on to for so long, because of fear of being
condemned. Angel had always stressed honesty, forgiveness, and patience. Whenever I'd have a serious issue that just overwhelmed
me, she had done her best to teach me the art of Zen. So that I could reclaim peace of mind in order to deal with the problem
at hand.
Openly, Angel and all the staff at LoveCry had practiced Yoga on a daily basis. I was petrified at first, and thought Yoga's
for girls and weak people (due to my own up-bringing). But, I opened my mind to the idea after a couple months, and tried
it out with them. I realized that Yoga was probably the best thing for me, because it was very rare that I could be relaxed
in my life. I had never been relaxed positively, it was always a depressed lethargy that I was considering relaxed. Boy was
I wrong. Now, it's been 2 years of practicing yoga, and I can plainly see the benefits and how much better I feel about life,
myself, and God.
Angel, without any payment, has taken on the roll of a mentor for all of us. She has been teaching all of us, who visit LoveCry
daily, how to discipline our greed, jealousy, anger, resentment, fear, and hate. She has also been teaching us, how to love
ourselves for who we are, good-bad-and-indifferent. Angel has also taught meditation to all of us, so that we can better ground
ourselves within our connection to God.
