NACIDA AYER

Although she was born in 1965, Rachel's story could easily have taken place in the 1800s. She wore long dresses and wide-brimmed hats and lived without modern conveniences like electricity, telephones, radios, televisions, or plumbing. She and her two older brothers were shaped by the extremist religious views of their unyielding father, a Vietnam War veteran, and their docile, practical mother.

The family cut themselves off from society and lived under often harsh conditions in an old, abandoned house atop a remote Tennessee mountain range, waiting for the end of the world. Then, at 16, Rachel was forced to confront the world she hadn't been prepared for. She struggled to adapt to a life devoid of protection, without discarding the good along with the bad. Eventually, she found her way to a full, balanced, and vibrant life.

Rachel shares a wonderful story that, in the end, testifies to God's faithfulness and loving, restorative care.