Phoenix Center Students

Growing up, life was pretty difficult for me. I was bullied throughout middle school and felt as if I did not belong. My addiction initially began when I was introduced to smoking marijuana. This lasted for some time, but I eventually started smoking crack-cocaine. This is where my drug addiction seemed to really spiral out of control. I found that drugs and alcohol allowed me to temporarily forget about the pain of my childhood and past, as well as take away any fear or anxiety I had for the time being. Just prior to coming into Teen Challenge, I was baptized at a local church. I was coming down from an intense high, but felt as if the Lord had a plan for my life. A few days later, I found myself as a student in the program. I am here to establish a firm connection with my heavenly Father, as well as find a new identity. I hope to learn to view life’s problems through a new perspective and forgive myself and others for what has been done. I look forward to the new life that awaits me in Christ!

Favorite Scripture: Psalms 139:14 “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. marvelous are your works, my soul knows it very well.”

My parents were separated at a young age and by the age of six I had been molested by two different women. For me addiction began when I was young. By 14 I was already smoking, drinking and popping pills. My early adult life consisted of intravenous drug use and addiction to meth and heroin. Struggling in life, my marriage was also suffering. Near overdose while driving my wife’s vehicle, I lost control and crashed it. Drugs nearly took me out! Facing almost 4 years in prison, I came to Teen Challenge to make a change. My hope is to learn life skills that will help me to be a godly husband and father. I want to grow closer to Jesus and learn how to turn to the Lord and rely on him for everything.

Favorite Scripture: Romans 8:28 And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.

Growing up was mostly hanging out in the hood with the homies, getting high, drinking, stealing cars, and selling drugs. My addiction began at 13 years old. I used drugs and alcohol because that’s all my friends and I really knew. The purpose of my addiction was to join my gang and not fear the things I was doing out there. I lost my family, wife, kids, all my loved ones before I came here to Teen Challenge. I am here to change my life and to serve my Father God. I want to be able to walk in forgiveness to myself and those around me.

Favorite Scripture: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye. shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened unto you.”

I was raised in the church with my brother. We lived with our grandparents outside of Savannah, Georgia. In 1994 in Seattle, Washington on my 18^th birthday I did heroin for the first time. I used to escape my problems. There was no purpose, I was destroying myself. My life was out of control. Being on the streets, addicted to drugs was getting me nowhere. I am here to get my life right and to serve God fully. I hope to grow in God’s image and to trust Him to show me a better way of living.

Favorite Scripture: John 3:17- “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world. But that through Him the world might be saved.”

I grew up in a meth lab, but my dad provided the best and most fun life for me. I started drinking and smoking at age 12. I started using when I found my dad dead in the back of his pickup truck when I was that same age. By the time I was 19 years old I had lost my dad, mom, brother, grandparents, and an aunt and uncle. I used drugs and alcohol to numb my pain. Recently my wife left with my sons to go up north to get away from me because of how evil I was. I came to Teen Challenge not wanting a relationship with Jesus Christ, I hated him. But now I’m in love with Christ and all His glory, and I hope to help people find the light by being a soldier in his mighty kingdom.

Favorite Scripture: Psalm 18:39 You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.

Growing up, I was surrounded by a lot of violence. From third to ninth grade I was beaten up by upper classmen. As far as addictions go, I was blessed enough to never have one. I’ve only tried weed a few times throughout my life. I am at Teen Challenge to hopefully get some much needed mental health healing from old suicidal thoughts and tendencies. I didn’t have a “crisis” per say, but I was going to move back to my hometown in O’ahu, when my mother recommended Teen Challenge – she said it would help with some much needed mental health healing. I enrolled at Teen Challenge so that I could grow my faith. I would like to be able to walk into God’s calling for my life, although I don’t know what that is yet. I also want to be able to sleep easier at night – I want to look at myself and not hate what I see. I want to be able to love myself like God does.

Favorite Scripture: Matthew 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the Kingdom of heaven is theirs.”

My life growing up was adventurous but traumatic. Being raised by both parents serving in the U.S. Army meant moving A LOT. Excelling in academics and sports was my therapy, but it was still tough being uprooted all the time. When I was 16, I stayed with my grandparents in the summer. Out of reach from my parents I partied, drank, smoked, rebelled and I enjoyed it. That’s when my addiction began. I didn’t know the love of Christ; my father was distant, and my stepmom was busy as a drill-sergeant. I turned to drugs and the party lifestyle to cope with the stresses of life. My last time using led to a near death experience. I spent 24 days in the hospital because my kidneys totally shut down. I cried out to the Lord to save me, forgive me, and to heal me. And HE did!  My doctors deemed it a miracle. This pushed me to seek long term help. I uprooted from my home state of IN on a mission led by the Holy Spirit. My pastors and the Indiana Teen Challenge Director gave their blessings and recommendation for the Teen Challenge of Arizona. My ultimate goal and desire is to be made WHOLE by Christ and EQUIPPED to do the work of an evangelist.

Favorite Scripture: Philippians 3:14 “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

I had a rather fortunate life as a young kid. As I grew up with a loving caring nurturing family we for sure had our fair share of struggles. I started to get into smoking cigarettes at a young age ultimately giving way to alcohol and smoking weed. My addiction really spiraled out of control when I lost my mom when I was 23. I lost all self-control because of her death, a piece of me went with her. I lost my job, my apartment, and my relationship with my family. My best friend’s wife introduced me to Teen Challenge, so I made the executive decision to sit down and finally get the help I have waited years to receive. The Lord has blessed me with a beautiful wife, to who I married the day before induction, two beautiful daughters and a new beginning at life.

Favorite Scripture: Isaiah 6:8 The Lord asked, “And whom shall I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

I lived in a loving home, but it was broken home while I was growing up. I was bullied during most of school and didn’t feel like I fit in. When I was in 6^th grade, I started smoking cigarettes to see what it was like and try to be accepted. I used substances in order to mask my feelings of abandonment and feeling like I don’t belong. I felt helpless in my addiction, falling deeper into cocaine and meth use. I was isolating from everyone and ended up in depression. I came to Teen Challenge to find a new life with Christ and find breakthrough with my mental strongholds. I hope to restore my relationship with my family and make life-long friends and grow as much as I can spiritually.

Favorite Scripture: Romans 12:9 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”

While I was growing up I was bullied physically, mentally and sexually. I did graduate high school and even though I have been married twice, various addictions took their toll on my life. My first addiction was to pornography at the age of 13. I took a magazine from my neighbor’s mailbox. My addiction evolved into drug and alcohol use while I was still in high school. For many years of my life I have struggled with addiction in one form or another. Recently I came to Teen Challenge with the hope of restoring my relationship with Jesus Christ. I am tired of doing things my way and I have an honest desire to see what God has in store for me. I understand that my hope comes from the Lord, so I trust that he will help me accomplish his work that he started within me while I diligently stay plugged into this program and be led by Him in areas of ministry.  

Favorite Scripture: Ezekiel 3:10 Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and hear with your ears (listen closely).

Growing up, I had good parents, but my school and personal life has always been chaotic. I grew up in Apache Junction and I was exposed to drugs at an early age. When I ran away from home at age 17 I started drinking heavily, to the point where I became suicidal at that tender age. My heavy drug use began six months ago. As a bartender I was introduced to cocaine. A very good friend of mine called my parents and told them what was going on, so I came to Teen Challenge to get my family and my life back.  I'm here to find a new way of living, and my hope is that I will find real passion in life and my purpose. I want to have a good reputation as a man of Christ.

Favorite Scripture: Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

My life was pretty normal, growing up in California. There were some struggles of course, but mostly good times and fun memories! I began to fall into addiction in my mid 20’s. When I was around 27 years old, I believed that I was strong enough to help a good friend out of his addiction and ended up getting stuck in it. I believe my reason for trying drugs was mostly my effort to help someone I cared about to freedom. The reason I became an addict myself was because of God’s plan for my life. Relapse caused a series of incidents which lead to my being here at Teen Challenge. I am here to answer the call of Jesus Christ on my life. I hope to receive a closer relationship with Christ and learn to trust Him completely.

Favorite Scripture: Micah 7:7; “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”