Dear Family Member:
This year we want you to see all the faces that you have been helping throughout 2017. While many of you have generously helped us, even every month, we still find ourselves in need of $50,000 to close out the year with all our bills paid. We can’t tell you exactly how much you should give. That is between you and God.
Every day we have the privilege – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – of witnessing firsthand how God’s love can transform His children from having to survive the clutches of drug addiction and alcohol abuse, and release the men to serve a productive life of service for their Father in Heaven.
This has been a year of real struggles here at Drug Alternative Program. But it’s a year where we have seen the Lord triumph in ways we cannot imagine. The faces that you see at the top of this year-end letter, they mean the world to us, but what’s more, they mean the world to our Heavenly Father because they are His children. Anytime you or I attempt to help rescue one of God’s children, we are promised heaven’s assistance in a mighty way.
This year, of all recent years, we witnessed our finances stretched to the limit. And when we wrote to you during the year, asking for your support, we often focused on the story of one person’s life. However, today, we wanted to graphically show you the magnitude of your gifts and how they have helped all our clients in ways none of us could ever imagine.
The pictures to the left show Brandon Crarey, a client from Maryland. This young man came to the program only to prevent going to jail. He was arrogant and disrespectful to the staff and clients. After two months, he left DAP, remaining in California. To make a long story short, after many struggles and setbacks, he decided to return to the program and ‘try Jesus.’
Dr. Carlton Byrd, his cousin, was the guest speaker at a camp meeting in Riverside, CA. In response to the wooing of the Holy Spirit, Brandon gave his heart to Christ and was baptized by Dr. Byrd. Brandon is not the same man that entered these doors last November. He has grown ‘leaps and bounds’ with a bright future ahead for him.
As you are aware, this is our 30th year of operation. When we began this ministry, we didn’t clearly understand the power of heavenly teamwork. It is the grouping together of likeminded individuals to see that God’s work is accomplished here on earth. There could be no better example of what team work can do than in the ministry of DAP. Through the years, people we never knew before, have stepped forward to assist our work with gifts, large and small, and believe us, all the gifts, no matter the size, are a part of this miracle we call teamwork. And now, at the close of this, our 30th year, we’re coming to give you an opportunity to help raise $50,000 which will get us over the finish line in 2017.
Family member, we are so blessed by your friendship and support through the years, and may you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.
We love you,
P.S. As the days go by and we get closer to the end of the year, we will let you know how we are doing in reaching our goal.