Welcome to Celebrating Life In Recovery, 00:00:11.06\00:00:13.14 I'm Cheri your host, today we are going to talk about 00:00:13.18\00:00:15.81 your organization Teen Challenge. - yes. 00:00:15.84\00:00:18.29 You've got to join us in, it's an incredible organization 00:00:18.33\00:00:21.03 and you get to meet some of the kids, 00:00:21.07\00:00:22.51 that's my favorite part. 00:00:22.54\00:00:24.26 You know I travel a lot, and what is really fun about 00:00:52.43\00:00:55.89 traveling is that I get to meet some folks that have 00:00:55.93\00:00:59.24 incredible stories, you get to meet them as I meet them. 00:00:59.27\00:01:02.55 If they have good story I bring them right here. 00:01:02.59\00:01:05.54 But some of my favorite things to do are treatment 00:01:05.58\00:01:08.46 facilities and so today I get to bring in Teen Challenge. 00:01:08.50\00:01:12.79 I loved them, Teen Challenge is, well I'm going to let 00:01:12.83\00:01:17.09 them explain what it is. 00:01:17.12\00:01:18.14 But I get to meet people in recovery, sometimes I look 00:01:18.18\00:01:21.23 at the girls or the young men that are in Teen Challenge 00:01:21.26\00:01:24.65 and I think you know what they are me, that's exactly 00:01:24.69\00:01:28.05 what I would have said at that time. 00:01:28.08\00:01:29.69 If they cuss me out, or if they are excited about the 00:01:29.73\00:01:32.99 recovery, either one you may run into and I just think 00:01:33.03\00:01:36.26 oh that was me, how cute are you. 00:01:36.30\00:01:37.89 I love it and so I'm going to introduce you to a couple 00:01:37.93\00:01:41.18 today and we are going to have some more on the program 00:01:41.22\00:01:44.44 next week so I just be blessed, just be blessed. 00:01:44.47\00:01:48.09 I'm going to start Apryl with you, and the first time 00:01:48.12\00:01:52.23 I came to Teen Challenge and I came in and I saw you and 00:01:52.27\00:01:56.34 I wanted to hear your story. 00:01:56.38\00:01:58.75 You know what is, where did you come from? 00:01:58.78\00:02:01.07 I was surprised when you said no really it's not me, 00:02:01.11\00:02:05.31 it's my family. 00:02:05.34\00:02:06.59 So start us out about your family and how did you get 00:02:06.62\00:02:10.40 involved in this organization? 00:02:10.44\00:02:12.17 Okay, well I can definitely do that. 00:02:12.20\00:02:14.08 Both of my parents are actually recovered drug 00:02:14.12\00:02:17.21 and alcohol addicts. 00:02:17.24\00:02:18.75 My mother was an alcoholic for many years, up until the 00:02:18.78\00:02:22.19 age of 22, she struggled on and off and finally entered 00:02:22.23\00:02:25.46 treatment at a Teen Challenge program actually located in 00:02:25.49\00:02:28.29 Garrison New York which is called The Walter Hoving Home. 00:02:28.32\00:02:31.08 Were you born yet? - no, no I wasn't, this was all 00:02:31.12\00:02:34.57 before I was born. 00:02:34.60\00:02:35.67 My father at 18 years old also entered the Teen Challenge 00:02:35.71\00:02:38.48 program, he tried every drug there was, he stole cars, 00:02:38.51\00:02:41.64 and was a mess at 18 and had nowhere else to go and Teen 00:02:41.67\00:02:44.18 Challenge was the only program that would accept him. 00:02:44.22\00:02:47.10 So both of them, that is how their journey started. 00:02:47.14\00:02:49.99 From there God transformed their lives. 00:02:50.03\00:02:53.36 Which is what I love, what I love too about some 00:02:53.39\00:02:56.46 organizations like Teen Challenge, is when you say 00:02:56.50\00:02:59.56 nobody else would even want to touch him. - right. 00:02:59.60\00:03:02.48 Yet there are programs that will say, you know what? 00:03:02.51\00:03:05.36 You don't scare us, come on in and sit down. 00:03:05.39\00:03:08.62 They will come in angry and rebellious and lying and 00:03:08.66\00:03:12.51 manipulating and trying to play everybody and within 00:03:12.55\00:03:15.76 a short period of time they get their life back. 00:03:15.79\00:03:18.97 And God does that, it is so fantastic. 00:03:19.00\00:03:21.58 My first home was the Boston Teen Challenge which was 00:03:21.62\00:03:24.56 then called Boston Outreach and my parents started it. 00:03:24.59\00:03:27.50 - you was born there. - Well I was born close by. 00:03:27.54\00:03:30.32 My first home, I was brought home from the hospital was 00:03:30.36\00:03:32.86 to see the Boston Outreach Team Challenge on Bloomfield 00:03:32.89\00:03:35.36 Avenue in Dorchester Massachusetts. 00:03:35.40\00:03:37.55 So you never saw your parents acting out, using, or 00:03:37.58\00:03:41.59 - no. - they probably have the stuff because we all 00:03:41.62\00:03:45.60 have stuff. - right, right absolutely no family is 00:03:45.63\00:03:49.32 perfect but at the same time I saw God shine through my 00:03:49.36\00:03:53.79 parents, they are amazing example to me as a kid and 00:03:53.83\00:03:57.25 even now as an adult, it's somebody I can look to. 00:03:57.28\00:04:00.63 When I hear your story, I know my daughter was born way 00:04:00.67\00:04:05.53 after my recovery and I do ministry so I feel like 00:04:05.57\00:04:08.60 I am looking at Jackie my daughter. 00:04:08.64\00:04:10.61 I feel like she has the same story, so I want to ask you 00:04:10.64\00:04:14.18 things that maybe I would love to even ask her is that 00:04:14.21\00:04:17.84 when you hear your parents, cause you hear them tell their 00:04:17.87\00:04:21.46 story, you gave me a book the story was in the book. 00:04:21.50\00:04:24.61 Like when you hear them tell you your 00:04:24.64\00:04:26.12 story what do you think? 00:04:26.16\00:04:27.28 Were you ever ashamed of where they came from? 00:04:27.32\00:04:29.76 Absolutely not, to me it is the greatest miracle. 00:04:29.79\00:04:32.16 I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the power of God, 00:04:32.20\00:04:35.25 think about it, both of my parents met God and they 00:04:35.28\00:04:38.00 would have never met if it weren't for the fact that 00:04:38.03\00:04:40.71 they went through treatment and recovery. 00:04:40.75\00:04:42.70 Met at a school designed specifically for graduates of 00:04:42.73\00:04:45.79 the Teen Challenge program. That is where they met. 00:04:45.82\00:04:48.77 Then later on they married and four years later I show 00:04:48.81\00:04:51.65 up, and so if it weren't for the power of God I wouldn't 00:04:51.69\00:04:54.50 be here, my life wouldn't exist. 00:04:54.53\00:04:56.18 So there is a joy in their journey? - absolutely. 00:04:56.21\00:04:59.92 When you first recognize, like when you were little, 00:04:59.95\00:05:03.38 for a long time and I'm sure you didn't even know they 00:05:03.41\00:05:06.82 could tell their story and it would even realize that they 00:05:06.85\00:05:09.88 were different, or had a different background than some. 00:05:09.91\00:05:12.91 But if you were raised in Teen Challenge 00:05:12.94\00:05:15.49 maybe they didn't, - right. 00:05:15.52\00:05:17.58 But when you first heard it and realized there was 00:05:17.62\00:05:20.68 a difference and they had all this chaos and all this 00:05:20.72\00:05:24.49 craziness or was all this rebellion, anything, did you 00:05:24.53\00:05:28.26 think about that? Did you think about you know? 00:05:28.30\00:05:31.00 You know what, my thoughts whenever I thought about my 00:05:31.03\00:05:35.21 parents, I mean as I was growing up well my parents were 00:05:35.24\00:05:38.48 really interesting, not that other people's parents were 00:05:38.51\00:05:42.61 boring, but kind of. I mean come on, your average church 00:05:42.64\00:05:46.71 family, I'm kind of going to be that boring parent 00:05:46.74\00:05:49.39 just a little because I had that crazy testimony in the back. 00:05:49.43\00:05:52.30 Now my testimony I think is awesome because I was able 00:05:52.33\00:05:55.55 to at a young age to grow up in the Lord and trust Him 00:05:55.58\00:05:58.73 and know He would take care me the rest of my life and walk in 00:05:58.77\00:06:01.98 love with Him, but at the same time looking at my parents 00:06:02.02\00:06:05.78 and looking at their testimony and where they came from 00:06:05.81\00:06:09.54 no, to me it was great. Now all the time people 00:06:09.58\00:06:11.86 are going your dad thought he was Geronimo, that's part 00:06:11.89\00:06:14.54 of this testimony. - he did? - Oh he did. 00:06:14.58\00:06:16.23 He was high on something, stole a van, ended up he was 00:06:16.27\00:06:20.47 surrounded by police and he thought people were after him. 00:06:20.51\00:06:23.70 He was one of those crazy stories, now everybody's like 00:06:23.73\00:06:26.89 yeah but what about your dad Geronimo. 00:06:26.92\00:06:28.60 He used to have long hair in braids and now he has a short 00:06:28.63\00:06:31.73 flat top, but to me that's like a movie when I hear his 00:06:31.76\00:06:34.44 story, it's hard for me to imagine that that was my dad, 00:06:34.48\00:06:37.82 but that was his story and to me it's like hey look, 00:06:37.86\00:06:40.59 I want you to hear my dad, I have never been ashamed. 00:06:40.62\00:06:43.33 If there was a day when they can come in, I remember a 00:06:43.36\00:06:46.03 couple of times they came when I went to a Christian 00:06:46.07\00:06:48.31 school, they came in and spoke, my father did chapel, 00:06:48.35\00:06:51.83 to me I was so proud that day, because their story, well 00:06:51.86\00:06:55.20 their story is the miracle of my life, but their story 00:06:55.24\00:06:59.44 shows more than just me, people around the world that 00:06:59.48\00:07:03.65 God is still in the business of miracles. 00:07:03.69\00:07:06.11 They weren't done, Jesus wasn't the end of miracles. 00:07:06.15\00:07:10.08 The disciples were at the end of miracles, 00:07:10.12\00:07:11.94 but God is still doing that, so their lives are 00:07:11.98\00:07:15.10 at testimony of that. 00:07:15.14\00:07:16.19 And as you can see I just love it, I just love it. 00:07:16.22\00:07:19.31 I mean I love the fact that I get to work in a place 00:07:19.35\00:07:22.57 that I know every day whether it be the turnaround of 00:07:22.61\00:07:25.86 not getting the ump, the attitude from a teenager to. 00:07:25.90\00:07:29.12 - because you do. - oh I do let me tell you but 00:07:29.16\00:07:32.75 at the same time it is getting that response that I know, 00:07:32.78\00:07:36.79 even if it's small step, to see that turn, that change, 00:07:36.82\00:07:40.78 to see that young lady kneeling during her prayer time 00:07:40.82\00:07:44.74 and really just seeking the Lord. 00:07:44.77\00:07:46.50 - that has never prayed before. - right. 00:07:46.53\00:07:49.07 - That's huge, you know what is amazing to me is the 00:07:49.10\00:07:52.99 joy that you have in your face and the love that you have 00:07:53.03\00:07:55.51 for your parents it's so tangible. And I love that. 00:07:55.54\00:08:01.72 Did you ever feel like you wanted to act out? 00:08:01.75\00:08:04.78 Did you ever feel like you wanted to go out 00:08:04.82\00:08:07.81 and kind of be that crazy? 00:08:07.85\00:08:10.19 I had moments when I thought about it, but the thing is 00:08:10.23\00:08:14.51 that, well you can ask my parents, I was a rebellious 00:08:14.55\00:08:18.02 teenager at one point too. Maybe not to the extreme, 00:08:18.05\00:08:22.47 I definitely wasn't the easiest kid at 13-14-15, but I 00:08:22.51\00:08:25.87 knew even then I can remember being at a convention 00:08:25.91\00:08:29.20 and they had a prayer time for those who felt called into 00:08:29.23\00:08:32.52 ministry and I wouldn't go, I wouldn't go down, I wouldn't 00:08:32.55\00:08:35.58 go down and I could feel like my heart was beating out 00:08:35.61\00:08:39.05 of my chest. I could feel it and I knew, and I knew. 00:08:39.08\00:08:42.98 Finally I was just like God, I haven't shared this yet, 00:08:43.01\00:08:46.36 but I grew up eight years of my life I spent on the 00:08:46.40\00:08:49.71 mission field in Parquet South America. 00:08:49.75\00:08:51.81 They were opening Teen Challenge there, those were the first 00:08:51.84\00:08:54.55 rehabilitation programs that ever existed in the country. 00:08:54.58\00:08:58.81 So in my mind, here I was 14 years old, I didn't need 00:08:58.84\00:09:02.19 any more, I already did my Ministry, did you know Lord 00:09:02.22\00:09:05.53 I grew up in the mission field? 00:09:05.56\00:09:07.12 But you know what, it was then that I really knew in that 00:09:07.16\00:09:10.67 calling that my heart was just beating, and I knew, okay 00:09:10.70\00:09:13.77 God if this is what you want from me than this is what 00:09:13.80\00:09:16.84 I'll do, and from there birth a desire and a love. 00:09:16.87\00:09:20.16 I mean I grew up around it and I just love it. 00:09:20.20\00:09:23.42 Yeah, so you end up and take that call and you come in 00:09:23.45\00:09:28.95 and you start to work in the lives of these, I call 00:09:28.99\00:09:32.97 them kids, I know sometimes they hate me saying that. 00:09:33.00\00:09:36.94 These kids, we don't come in very easy. 00:09:36.98\00:09:42.66 Some come in kicking and screaming and we want to run 00:09:42.69\00:09:45.58 away, we hate you and all that stuff, nobody has ever been in 00:09:45.62\00:09:49.48 some of the stories, nobody has ever been there for this 00:09:49.52\00:09:53.39 child and they just don't trust anybody and so they come 00:09:53.43\00:09:57.56 in not pleasant at all. - chuckle, chuckle you're right. 00:09:57.59\00:10:02.88 I am, I am in our house in Teen Challenge, it is an active 00:10:02.91\00:10:08.17 one, but it is also a home that we pray, when I pray 00:10:08.20\00:10:11.81 for our house is that even as a new student walks in 00:10:11.85\00:10:15.42 with their lives filled with chaos, unrest, 00:10:15.45\00:10:18.01 that they would feel the peace of God. 00:10:18.04\00:10:19.88 Just to surround them, Heh we have girls who have moments, 00:10:19.91\00:10:23.80 whether it be on their first day are they make it through 00:10:23.83\00:10:26.83 a couple weeks and they hop on a window and we have to go 00:10:26.87\00:10:29.83 find them, Heh it happens, that does happen. 00:10:29.86\00:10:33.69 At the same time I think it's only the Lord because 00:10:33.72\00:10:37.79 I feel like even when my heart breaks, 00:10:37.83\00:10:39.26 He just mends it back together. 00:10:39.30\00:10:41.47 There are times when you hear the stories of the these 00:10:41.50\00:10:44.25 ladies and my heart is just broken for them because 00:10:44.28\00:10:48.16 I know that their lives were in shambles, but to know 00:10:48.19\00:10:51.45 when somebody walks in and you have heard their story, 00:10:51.48\00:10:54.11 many of our girls to come to us because their parents 00:10:54.15\00:10:56.76 placed them with us in our program. - yeah, right. 00:10:56.79\00:10:59.77 But to read their story you know on paper and to know 00:10:59.80\00:11:03.01 the brokenness, and the chaos and to watch them walk in, 00:11:03.04\00:11:06.56 the greatest part about my job is knowing that that is not 00:11:06.59\00:11:09.66 the girl I'm going to see leave Teen Challenge. - Amen! 00:11:09.70\00:11:12.58 And you know that - I know it, I watch them walk across 00:11:12.61\00:11:15.23 the stage, whether they walk across the stage or they 00:11:15.27\00:11:17.85 don't make it to the stage - it's almost like 00:11:17.89\00:11:19.95 a graduation? - yes, yes, yeah they have a graduation. 00:11:19.99\00:11:24.28 But when they do that it's then if they're up there 00:11:24.32\00:11:28.26 I am still amazed, every time I know God is going to do 00:11:28.29\00:11:33.24 something amazing, but it's like I never, I never cease 00:11:33.28\00:11:37.31 to be amazed by the power of God in watching these young 00:11:37.35\00:11:41.34 ladies really become someone that 00:11:41.38\00:11:42.85 I couldn't even Envision. 00:11:42.89\00:11:44.45 And I have watched it over and over again. 00:11:44.49\00:11:45.91 So what really is, your faith because you saw it with your 00:11:45.95\00:11:49.59 parents, like I know this is true, I know this is going 00:11:49.62\00:11:53.23 to happen, and the more you see it the more 00:11:53.26\00:11:54.80 you have faith in that. 00:11:54.83\00:11:55.87 Could you tell us a story that really got to you from 00:11:55.91\00:11:59.64 the beginning to the end. 00:11:59.67\00:12:00.99 Okay, a story that really got to me, well. 00:12:01.03\00:12:04.68 I guess I'll talk about my husband's story. 00:12:04.72\00:12:08.30 My husband is a graduate of Teen Challenge as well. 00:12:08.34\00:12:11.39 Walked through the doors of Teen Challenge at 20 years old, 00:12:11.43\00:12:14.62 a heroine addict hopeless, no one else would take him, 00:12:14.65\00:12:18.09 same type of the story, nobody would take him. 00:12:18.12\00:12:19.75 He had too many court dates, too many charges, it wasn't 00:12:19.78\00:12:23.39 going to happen, armed robbery, his life was a mess. 00:12:23.43\00:12:27.81 He didn't believe, - look at your sweet face and I'm 00:12:27.85\00:12:32.20 thinking, God that is an incredible pair. 00:12:32.23\00:12:35.48 So he didn't believe in anything and was very jaded? 00:12:35.52\00:12:39.83 I mean just to the core, nothing, to him religion and 00:12:39.86\00:12:44.14 God is a crutch. 00:12:44.17\00:12:45.70 How weak, he tells stories about one time he worked in 00:12:45.73\00:12:49.18 a deli and there was a lady there who was a Christian 00:12:49.22\00:12:52.63 and he used to just berate her, and berate her. 00:12:52.66\00:12:56.02 I can't even believe it knowing the man that he is now. 00:12:56.06\00:13:00.07 But he came through the door of the Teen Challenge, six months 00:13:00.10\00:13:02.74 in he really gave his life to the Lord and started to get 00:13:02.77\00:13:07.09 his life on track and met God and felt love, felt peace. 00:13:07.13\00:13:11.41 - for the first time. For the first time, yeah 00:13:11.44\00:13:13.72 Things that he had been searching for his 00:13:13.75\00:13:15.96 whole life, in drugs, in relationships and the people 00:13:15.99\00:13:20.67 around him, but they weren't going to fulfill that. 00:13:20.71\00:13:25.32 He had that deep nagging feeling, but he kept filling it 00:13:25.35\00:13:28.12 with all the wrong things. 00:13:28.16\00:13:29.58 So here a hopeless heroine addict, as I say a heroine 00:13:29.62\00:13:34.26 addict for ever, hopeless. 00:13:34.30\00:13:35.85 He went through the program at Teen Challenge, finish 00:13:35.88\00:13:39.77 the program and we met in the span of the end of him 00:13:39.80\00:13:43.66 being at the program. 00:13:43.69\00:13:44.84 To me I just said oh look he's a nice guy, he was a friend 00:13:44.87\00:13:48.42 of a friend and whatever. 00:13:48.46\00:13:50.37 He says that that moment he knew that I was the one. 00:13:50.40\00:13:53.62 I don't know I guess so. 00:13:53.65\00:13:56.15 What is really interesting is that as God changes us, 00:13:56.19\00:13:59.72 and one time I was in the restroom and this girl was 00:13:59.75\00:14:03.43 crying and I went up and I said to her can I help you? 00:14:03.47\00:14:07.34 She was so sad and just in tears, she said you probably 00:14:07.37\00:14:10.52 wouldn't understand a thing that I'm going through. 00:14:10.55\00:14:13.63 I thought stop I'm homeless, heroine addict, and have all 00:14:13.66\00:14:17.06 that background, but even like with your husband as God 00:14:17.09\00:14:20.25 changes us you could hardly see our background because 00:14:20.29\00:14:23.71 God really says let me take all those grave clothes off 00:14:23.75\00:14:27.14 of you and dress you. 00:14:27.18\00:14:29.00 It's amazing. - so he sees you, he knows you are the 00:14:29.04\00:14:35.41 one, what did you think? 00:14:35.45\00:14:36.52 Well I thought he's a funny guy, he's nice I like him but 00:14:36.55\00:14:40.39 there was no thought beyond that at that point. 00:14:40.43\00:14:43.14 I mean come on, he's a student in Teen Challenge so my 00:14:43.18\00:14:45.71 mind is not going to Hey you are prime relationship 00:14:45.75\00:14:48.25 material, - that's funny. 00:14:48.28\00:14:52.64 But I will tell you, but one of the biggest miracles he 00:14:52.67\00:14:56.71 had nine felony charges against him. 00:14:56.75\00:14:58.79 He was in court week after week they had him in court. 00:14:58.82\00:15:02.72 In the end he received a judge who said we are going to 00:15:02.76\00:15:06.74 give you a chance, he could have been in jail until 2013 00:15:06.77\00:15:10.72 and I would never have even met him. 00:15:10.76\00:15:12.21 But he, on those charges was released with three years 00:15:12.24\00:15:16.85 probation because which are long completed already. 00:15:16.89\00:15:20.29 Because the judge even saw there's a change in this guy. 00:15:20.32\00:15:23.33 Yet there's a change in this guy. - that God does and 00:15:23.36\00:15:26.96 what a miracle and then to see that, and that is how 00:15:26.99\00:15:30.62 my father knew that he was definitely a man of God. 00:15:30.66\00:15:34.25 Because at that point when he looked at his 00:15:34.28\00:15:36.47 record and pulled out his student file, you know 00:15:36.51\00:15:38.58 he is my dad and he is going to go check into this. 00:15:38.62\00:15:40.66 - teenage challenge guy. 00:15:40.70\00:15:42.20 Right and he's liking him and he is like, okay we really need 00:15:42.23\00:15:44.82 to check this out, so he checks them out and when 00:15:44.85\00:15:47.40 he saw that, he said alright the hand of 00:15:47.44\00:15:49.62 the Lord is on this man. 00:15:49.65\00:15:50.87 So the story from there continues. 00:15:50.90\00:15:55.35 So for a lot of people, a lot of people watching even, 00:15:55.38\00:16:00.67 that even when you see all of those miracles it is hard to 00:16:00.71\00:16:05.56 believe that God is changing this person and this person 00:16:05.60\00:16:10.41 is walking out new. - right, right. 00:16:10.45\00:16:13.55 This is not the same person and how, do you have even any 00:16:13.59\00:16:17.08 suggestions on how you get someone to do that kind of 00:16:17.12\00:16:20.58 shift in their head? 00:16:20.62\00:16:22.66 Especially when you are looking at someone who is coming 00:16:22.70\00:16:25.00 out of recovery, their lives are not perfect like 00:16:25.03\00:16:27.50 I'm saying, not even my parents changed, transformed, 00:16:27.53\00:16:29.96 married, me four years later, still not perfect. 00:16:29.99\00:16:32.45 They still have their own stuff going through and 00:16:32.48\00:16:35.63 processing and so patience, patience is the greatest 00:16:35.67\00:16:38.74 gift and grace, I mean God gives us so much grace but in that 00:16:38.78\00:16:43.84 also they began to develop new skills. 00:16:43.87\00:16:46.61 Like is the first time they are learning them, because 00:16:46.65\00:16:48.94 you have to remember someone who is coming into recovery 00:16:48.98\00:16:51.24 is really restarting whenever they started using. 00:16:51.27\00:16:55.02 So for my husband who started abusing his prescription 00:16:55.06\00:16:59.66 pills as a kid at 10 years old, you go far back. 00:16:59.70\00:17:03.78 ADD, on meds, and given him meds taking extra pills here, there. 00:17:03.82\00:17:09.36 So he started those patterns at 10-11 years old. 00:17:09.40\00:17:14.03 That is very young and most, of his life- so even he is an 00:17:14.06\00:17:18.91 adult body, he's a 10 year old. - right, right, so but not now. 00:17:18.94\00:17:22.56 I know - We're not talking about you now Hon. 00:17:22.59\00:17:26.15 I love you, so you know it's in that, you have to give 00:17:28.29\00:17:32.19 them that grace and patience to allow them to start 00:17:32.23\00:17:35.64 rebuilding from the past you know, and remove those 00:17:35.68\00:17:39.39 childish ways, but remain as Christ says with the faith 00:17:39.42\00:17:44.16 of a child that is that new wonderest twilight in the eye 00:17:44.19\00:17:49.25 feeling. - so now you are looking at him knowing that 00:17:49.29\00:17:54.07 he has got this joy of his recovery, he is stepping 00:17:54.10\00:17:58.65 into a new life, and you are having to trust that. 00:17:58.68\00:18:02.73 Was that hard at first? - you know what, honestly 00:18:02.77\00:18:06.75 because I have known him as the man that God created him 00:18:06.79\00:18:10.52 to be, as much as there have been struggles, there have 00:18:10.56\00:18:14.56 been trials, I know with all my heart that you know what 00:18:14.60\00:18:17.82 God, what ever you bring us through, You are going to 00:18:17.86\00:18:21.05 bring us completely through, You are not going 00:18:21.08\00:18:22.70 to leave us in the middle. 00:18:22.73\00:18:24.07 - if he needs to learn something else he will have to 00:18:24.11\00:18:26.40 learn it. - if that's what has to happen, 00:18:26.44\00:18:28.03 that's what has to happen. 00:18:28.07\00:18:29.27 But at this point I love that I can leave my life in 00:18:29.30\00:18:32.45 God's hands because what is the point of me holding on 00:18:32.48\00:18:35.61 to it, I can't do anything with it that's going to turn 00:18:35.64\00:18:38.65 out alright so leave it in God's hands and know and 00:18:38.68\00:18:41.62 trust Him, He is going to be the one, He is the perfector 00:18:41.66\00:18:45.02 an author of our faith. - Amen, so you have been married 00:18:45.05\00:18:48.55 how long? Three years. - so you are kind of newlyweds. 00:18:48.58\00:18:52.03 - yep we are. - so dad got, even though he saw his 00:18:52.07\00:18:55.45 record, dad just, you know God's hand is on him and I am okay 00:18:55.48\00:18:59.00 with that. - yep. - everybody has been blessed. 00:18:59.04\00:19:04.45 Yes, absolutely and not only that but then the story 00:19:04.48\00:19:09.20 continues, well a year before we married, on December 1 00:19:09.23\00:19:14.01 December 1, 2006 my mother-in- law, 56 years old, 30 year 00:19:14.05\00:19:18.79 alcoholic walked through the door of Teen Challenge. 00:19:18.82\00:19:21.58 - no way. - yes she did. - because and I just want 00:19:21.61\00:19:24.24 you to say this because a lot of people think Teen 00:19:24.27\00:19:26.64 Challenge, they think teens. - right. - so how does 00:19:26.68\00:19:29.01 your mother in law walk through the door? 00:19:29.04\00:19:30.66 Well Teen Challenge we actually have predominately adult 00:19:30.69\00:19:34.39 centers, we have scattered teen centers around the United 00:19:34.43\00:19:37.82 States, and we also have Teen Challenge is a worldwide 00:19:37.86\00:19:40.88 organization, so we have Teen Challenges across the 00:19:40.92\00:19:43.88 globe, but when it comes to the program although the first 10 00:19:43.91\00:19:47.79 years were mostly, which was 58-68 were mostly for teens. 00:19:47.83\00:19:51.68 At the time they realized that the affects of gang-life drugs 00:19:51.72\00:19:56.54 and alcohol effected way more than just a population of 00:19:56.57\00:19:59.70 teens and young adults, and so from there they opened up, 00:19:59.74\00:20:03.07 although we kept the name of Teen Challenge, which at that 00:20:03.11\00:20:05.95 point had already caught on. - That's because everybody knows 00:20:05.98\00:20:08.34 it now. - right everybody knows Teen Challenge so here we are 00:20:08.38\00:20:10.70 50 years plus into it and we are still called Teen 00:20:10.74\00:20:14.28 Challenge but yes we have adults centers across the United 00:20:14.31\00:20:17.46 States as well as across - it's really worldwide. 00:20:17.49\00:20:20.37 I use you guys all the time come if I can't find a place 00:20:20.41\00:20:24.01 for someone I know that I can go online, Google Teen 00:20:24.04\00:20:27.61 Challenge in that city and in that state and find 00:20:27.64\00:20:30.74 a place for someone to go. 00:20:30.78\00:20:32.34 And what really is amazing is that I have never had a 00:20:32.37\00:20:36.04 center turn down anybody that we have sent, so I don't 00:20:36.08\00:20:40.19 know what the criteria is but it must not be, I've never 00:20:40.23\00:20:43.36 really had anyone say I called them and talk to them 00:20:43.40\00:20:46.50 and they said no. 00:20:46.53\00:20:47.85 You know we want our doors to be open to everyone. 00:20:47.88\00:20:51.53 We don't want anyone to be turned away and that is one 00:20:51.57\00:20:54.42 of our primary goals, we want to reach all of those 00:20:54.46\00:20:57.25 who are hurting, we want to reach the addict population. 00:20:57.28\00:21:01.84 The? say that 1370 youth will try an illegal drug 00:21:01.88\00:21:06.37 within the hour, within this hour, every hour that is how 00:21:06.41\00:21:10.90 it many. - how many say it again. 00:21:10.94\00:21:12.47 1370 youth, - every hour - every hour. 00:21:12.50\00:21:16.10 And if we are not aware or having places that we can help 00:21:16.13\00:21:20.35 them they are going to get lost and will lose years of 00:21:20.39\00:21:24.58 their lives sometimes. - right, right. 00:21:24.61\00:21:26.32 Especially now, you know in these times things are much 00:21:26.35\00:21:29.95 more prevalent, drugs are rampant, alcohol is being tried 00:21:29.99\00:21:33.21 younger and younger, our school campuses is one of the 00:21:33.25\00:21:37.08 highest percentages of places where drugs are sold. 00:21:37.11\00:21:40.88 School campuses and that is not just our public schools, 00:21:40.91\00:21:44.36 that's all schools, that's every school. 00:21:44.40\00:21:46.32 So to look at those statistics and know okay we have got 00:21:46.35\00:21:50.37 to do something about this. 00:21:50.41\00:21:51.75 So setting things in place that there is preventative 00:21:51.78\00:21:54.95 measures, parents get involved with your kids young. 00:21:54.98\00:21:58.60 That is one of the things that is very important, start 00:21:58.63\00:22:02.21 talking to them young. 00:22:02.25\00:22:03.22 - what do you mean getting involved? 00:22:03.23\00:22:04.30 In other words start talking to your kids young about 00:22:04.33\00:22:06.35 their choices, you know what? One of the greatest things 00:22:06.38\00:22:09.52 you can do is wrap them in your arms, love them and 00:22:09.55\00:22:12.65 hang out with them, have family time with them. 00:22:12.69\00:22:14.98 Because you know what? A lot of time you'll hear 00:22:15.02\00:22:17.49 stories from some of our young ladies who, yes they 00:22:17.52\00:22:19.92 had parents, they did have people that were around whether 00:22:19.95\00:22:24.70 it be broken families or not. 00:22:24.74\00:22:26.54 Some had whole families, but in the process of that still 00:22:26.58\00:22:29.70 may be the time wasn't there. 00:22:29.74\00:22:31.83 So that is so important, right everybody is working and 00:22:31.87\00:22:35.96 everybody is tired and just not enough time. 00:22:36.00\00:22:38.27 And then again there is also the choice, each adolescent 00:22:38.30\00:22:42.29 will come to a place where they're going to make a 00:22:42.33\00:22:43.97 decision, but the more you start filling their minds with 00:22:44.01\00:22:47.50 first of all their own self-worth, that is the biggest 00:22:47.54\00:22:51.00 part of the problem is low self-esteem. 00:22:51.03\00:22:53.19 So starting them out with how great they are, how 00:22:53.23\00:22:56.21 precious they are, not just in your site but in God's 00:22:56.24\00:22:59.19 sight as well. - Amen. We are going to go ahead 00:22:59.23\00:23:01.81 break and I want to introduce our audience and the people 00:23:01.84\00:23:05.73 in the café to one of the girls and hear her story and 00:23:05.76\00:23:08.91 her journey, but I would like you to come back at the end 00:23:08.94\00:23:12.05 of the program, is that okay? - of course. 00:23:12.09\00:23:13.75 Okay so are going to take a break. 00:23:13.78\00:23:15.35 One of the things I just got to say is that no matter what 00:23:15.38\00:23:19.42 you are dealing with, God pulls us through. 00:23:19.46\00:23:22.06 And what is really fun is to see the next generation. 00:23:22.10\00:23:25.96 When you give up your stuff and watch your children 00:23:25.99\00:23:29.52 and all the sudden they haven't taken a drug, they 00:23:29.55\00:23:33.05 may rebel but maybe not. 00:23:33.08\00:23:35.60 Maybe I will just have a regular life and my parents love 00:23:35.63\00:23:38.21 me and all that kind of stuff. 00:23:38.24\00:23:39.36 So I look at Apryl and just think how fun is that. 00:23:39.39\00:23:43.14 That for some of us addicts we can say that our legacy 00:23:43.17\00:23:47.29 changes and know that if you have any problems there are 00:23:47.33\00:23:51.41 places to go all over the world. 00:23:51.45\00:23:53.58 Teen Challenge is one of them but there are a ton of 00:23:53.62\00:23:55.91 places so we are going to take a break and we will be 00:23:55.94\00:23:58.92 right back and you'll meet Nicole and you will love her. 00:23:58.95\00:24:01.89