Dear Family Member:
For eight years beginning in 1990, Cliff and I traveled one month each year with Pastor C. D. Brooks and Pastor Reginald O. Robinson working as Bible workers for the Breath of Life crusades in several cities – Detroit, MI, Portland, OR, Sacramento, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Newark, NJ, New York City, Baton Rouge, LA and the Bahamas.
In addition to the nightly crusade meetings, we held drug support groups for visitors and their family members who were addicted to drugs. Many of them were baptized in the crusade.
Listen to the story of Bob and Denise Gary from Detroit who attended the crusade:
Bob and Denise both grew up in an Adventist home and attended church school. They met through their two brothers who knew each other. After dating for three years, they were married in April 1973. Denise had no idea that Bob used drugs. He smoked marijuana and drank alcohol at the beginning of their marriage. At first, she saw no harm in what he was doing and she engaged in his drinking from time to time. Two sons were born in the mist of this chaos growing up with no stability. Their dad’s drug addiction was the norm in their home.
His drinking increased to a level where he was labeled an alcoholic by his employer, Chrysler Corporation. He was laid off and sent to a rehabilitation program. Soon Bob started smoking crack cocaine which affected his job attendance once again. After the second rehabilitation program, he went on sick leave and he did not work for 1 1/2 years. The family never knew when they would see him. After being gone for days, he came home, rested up and returned to the streets again. He thought he had permanently lost his job of 18 years.
In 1990, the Breath of Life crusade came to Detroit. Denise ‘s mother attended and heard Cliff ‘s testimony. She reached out to him because of her concern for her daughter’s husband and their family. She gave the crusade brochure to Bob, which included Cliff ‘s personal testimony that aroused his interest. Bob’s address was given to Cliff to visit him. The very next day, ironically, Bob was looking out his living room window at the very moment Cliff drove down his street looking for his address. Bob saw Cliff and recognized him as the person on the brochure. He hollered out the door telling him that he was the person he was looking for. That’s just God!
He invited Cliff in. He reached out to shake Cliff’s hand and, as usual, Cliff gave him a big hug and that sealed their relationship. During their conversation, Cliff asked if he wanted to get ‘clean.’ He replied, “Yes.” Bob and Denise started attending the nightly meetings as well as the Drug support groups. They were both rebaptized.
Cliff gave Bob the money for a doctor’s visit to obtain a permit for him to return to work, which was a miracle within itself. During his sick leave, he did not lose any employment time and retained all of his company benefits. The family was back together with Christ as the center of their home and life was good. However, six months later, Bob relapsed again. Denise asked for her car and house keys and told him to leave. In the past, he could do whatever he wanted and always come home. But this time the door was closed and that woke him up. His friend, a recovering addict, reached out and worked with him. Then Denise allowed him to return home.
After returning home, Cliff called Bob who told him that he had relapsed. Cliff replied, “Relapse is a part of your recovery.” That gave Bob hope and he returned to church that same week. That was 35 years ago and he has not regressed since that time. He retired from the Chrysler Corporation in 2005. He has been active in his church, sharing his testimony with others and made many good memories with his family. He thoroughly enjoys his six grandchildren.
Bob and Denise have appreciated us being a constant influence in their lives for 36 years. They realize that God miraculously used us to turn their lives around. It’s indeed a miracle! Their success story is one of the hundreds of lives that has been transformed by Jesus Christ through DAP. We hope their powerful testimony has touched your heart as you have witnessed the power of God’s love for precious souls caught in the web of drug addiction. We receive calls almost daily having to turn men away because we have no room. The need is so great!
Family member, the finest words we know cannot began to express our thankfulness for your love and financial support of this ministry. May God multiply your gifts 100-fold as you help in finishing this part of His work. It won’t be long now when Jesus will return, not as a broken lamb or a high priest, but as ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords’ to take us home with Him. We long to see Him face to face!
Come, Lord Jesus!
Cliff & Freddie
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