Dear Family Member:
What do the words, “Work in Progress” mean to you? Here at Drug Alternative Program, this phrase means something very special to the clients who come to us desiring to find hope as they struggle with addiction.
As they embark on a new life, we often hear our young men express the fact that they wish they had never fallen into the clutches of drug abuse.
How thankful we are that the Psalmist David reminds us that our Heavenly Father is the One who does wonders… “You have demonstrated Your power.” (Psalm 77:14, Amplified Bible). And this is exactly what God’s “work in progress” is all about.
So, we want to share with you the “work in progress” that God is accomplishing at the Recovery Home and in the life of one of our clients.
The improvements of the Recovery Home are coming along well. The house is almost a century old and more repairs have developed. Some of the windows are old and have to be replaced. The new storm windows we installed will add beauty to the front of the home. We have completed the pressure washing, scraping, calking, priming and now the painting is being done. It is looking much better and the men are proud of their work.
You have been most liberal in helping us fund this project and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We continue to move forward in faith to finish the painting of the house and the bathroom shower installation. We know from past experience that God will provide. Next month you will see pictures of the finished paint job. Next, we will start the installation of the bathroom shower. The freshly painted house is certainly adding attractiveness to the neighborhood.
Meet Emilio Castro, 35 years old, from Loma Linda, CA. He is one of the clients that we brought from the program in California to Huntsville.
Emil has been in the program almost two years. He regressed by using alcohol and marijuana and had to restart the program.
It has been a tough road and a real struggle for him. He lost his 13-year-old son last July in an accident with an All-Terrain Vehicle (4-Wheeler). It was driven by his uncle in the mountains of Utah during a family reunion. God has kept Emil strong and we have stayed very close to him.
Emil was baptized at the Oakwood University Church last summer and his life has changed remarkably. He was recently promoted to the last phase of the program and will be graduating soon. Emil received a certificate in Automotive Technology from a trade school. He plans to live in Huntsville, find a job in automotive service and ultimately attend Oakwood University to pursue a career in the medical field.
The following poem he wrote about his growth in Christ:
He has cleansed my body, His temple by having a vegetarian diet.
All the drugs and alcohol that I’ve been putting into my body has been washed away.
Now He’s putting all the healthy food in me and I feel perfectly fit.
He also forgave all my sins when I was baptized and reborn again.
He has changed me spiritually and mentally.
He changed the way I think of myself and other people.
Now I think of people first before myself.
I treat everyone with kindness and respect no matter what.
He has given me courage and confidence to stand up and do the right thing despite the consequences.
He has given me peace of mind.
He has given me hope for me and my family’s future.
We will reunite and live long and happy lives as long as we stay connected Him.
Thank you, Father God.
Stories like this fill our hearts to the brim and makes our years of labor worth it all.
If you could please take a moment to send a gift today to DAP. This year has been tough for all of us and we need your help more than ever. Whether you send, $25 or $250, every gift counts. But what’s more, your gift makes it possible for every “work in progress” to finish —to fall into completion of God’s work.
We appreciate you,
