Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Drexler.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Erica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In October of 2014, I was praying and asking God about my purpose in life and after my fast ended God gave me a vision for A.I.M. I am a 32-year-old virgin and am extremely proud to be able to say that and my organization is to not only help the youth ages 8-19 to wait until marriage but to also understand their worth, find their purpose and most importantly strengthen their relationship with Christ. After receiving this vision of A.I.M my mind was blown and all I could do is begin to prepare for the journey which I immediately did my research on nonprofits and how to start one. Then it became a 501(c)3 organization, started marketing, created my website and had my very first event in June 2015!
Since then, I had various amounts of events for the youth and their parents to help them to be encouraged to wait. I had a tremendous amount of support from my mother Janet and baby brother Solomon since day 1 and had a lot of family members and friends supporting me along the way. I got to where I am now through faith, obedience, sacrifice and support. It has been a tough journey for me financially and emotionally because not everyone believes in Abstinence, but God made it clear in His word that we are to wait until marriage. So I’ve been putting the word out there and God does the rest.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road, there’s been some ups and downs. Financially it was difficult to maintain two jobs, attend my Master’s program and find a way to continue to have events regularly and not to mention doing most of my events for FREE! I thought I was going to just have to give up something and it would’ve been A.I.M because money wasn’t coming in as often as I needed it too initially. There was multiple times that I wanted to quit but my mother and brother, some family members, friends, our guests and Christ kept me motivated to continue with A.I.M. I struggled emotionally at times, mostly when I received negative backlash from others on how I should run my nonprofit and that I’m wrong for teaching kids to not have sex and should teach them to put on a condom. I’m sorry, but that’s absurd to me because I’m not their parent and teaching kids/teens to wait doesn’t hurt them it builds their self-esteem, helping them to love their self and put God first before their own needs. The advice that I would give to other women starting their journey is to stand firm on what you believe and don’t let anyone make you feel unworthy of the mission that God put you on. Believe in yourself because the world is full of people who want to do something but are too afraid because of how others may perceive them, or because of what they might say to them. Be different, be encouraged, and be proud of the woman God made you to be, and be the leader that you want to see in this world.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Abstinence Inspires Millions (A.I.M) – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I am a Christian Counselor who specializes in Women and adolescent behaviors and trauma, I am a mentor at my church. I also have a Christian nonprofit for the youth ages 8-19 here in Pearland, TX. I am known for helping others, loving on our youth through my Nonprofit, speaking at churches and organizations and most importantly for being a woman of God who is a virgin. I am most proud of all of our accomplishments with our events, our youth, their parents and the fact that we are helping others to know Christ and to love themselves. A.I.M is turning 5-years-old in March and I’m so excited for this milestone because this younger generation needs positive role models and encouragement and A.I.M gives them what they need. What sets A.I.M apart from other organizations is that we are not limited to just boys or girls, we welcome both boys and girls along with their parents and we hold events catering to specific needs such as self-esteem, etiquette, summer camps, conferences, counseling, workshops, award ceremonies and etc…to help keep our youth active but to also encourage them to be around other Christ-like kids/teens. A.I.M is set apart because we try to help our youth in every area of their life!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
Honestly, I read my Bible for encouragement, I pray all the time, I communicate with my mom or brother Solomon when I need motivation and I listen to different preachers on 105.7 for an extra boost in my day. I also attend church regularly to build my strength and hear the Word.
Pricing:
- Hoodies are $30
- Tumblers are $8
- T-shirts are $15
- Hats are $9
- Drawstring Backpacks are $10
Contact Info:
- Website: abstinenceinspiresmillions.0rg
- Phone: 346-800-2021
- Email: abstinenceinspiresmillions@gmail.com
- Instagram: Abstinence_Inspires_Millions
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abstinenceinspiresmillions
- Other: Youtube Abstinence Inspires Millions
Image Credit:
John Duncan and Janet Williams (my mom)
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
