“All my brothers and sisters in the program, I feel like we have a relationship because we’ve all been through much of the same and we got past it and we graduated.”
The unfortunate series of events unfolded when Christopher was 13 years old. He was sent away from his mother to spend the rest of his adolescence with his grandmother. Being separated from the person he loved most tore at his heart. In his vulnerable state, he bought into the lie that addictive substances could ease his pain and offer relief from his loneliness and despair. As his dependence grew, he spiraled slowly downhill and walked a rough and rocky road for more than 15 years. Then one day he stepped into the Mission and allowed the Lord to pave the way to a brighter future.
Like many people battling addiction, Christopher felt stuck in a loop of misguided choices and toxic behaviors that led to homelessness and hopelessness – preventing him from leading a stable life. “Every day it seemed like I was working but wasn’t accomplishing anything.”
Finally, feeling he had nothing to lose, he took a leap of faith and joined the Mission’s LifeBuilders Program.
At first, Christopher doubted he had the strength and fortitude to make it through. “I thought every day about leaving, but something told me to stay and stick it out.”
And once he surrendered to that still small voice, he could feel himself making progress.
The goal of our faith-based LifeBuilders Program is to teach participants like Christopher how to replace destructive habits with healthy practices. He learned to recognize the stages of addiction and to overcome triggers that often lead to adverse actions and poor decisions. Most importantly, he allowed God’s love to heal his heart and His teachings to steer him back onto the right path.
“The Bible studies and classes made me stronger, and I wanted to have a relationship with God. So I started to pray every day and I wanted God more in my life.”
In our holistic curriculum – which addresses the needs of our students spiritually, emotionally, educationally and socially – Christopher also gained skills necessary to secure employment through a ministry assignment at the Mission thrift store. Then he went on to a full-time job as an Ambassador. In this role, Christopher is now helping keep streets clean in his neighborhood – a representation of how he’s keeping his own path free of bumps and detours so he can walk the straight and narrow with God.
Also important to his healing is building community relationships, which will help Christopher maintain a healthy and productive lifestyle when he leaves our care. The tight-knit “family” at the Mission is an important element toward this goal that supports our graduates as they transition back into society.
Looking toward the future, Christopher says, “I see myself just going forward.”
As an alumnus of the LifeBuilders Program, he plans to stay connected with the Mission by attending weekly Bible classes. He is devoted to his sobriety, passionate about continuing his employment through the CRM family, and excited to walk the road God has paved for him.
