I had the amazing priviledge during this morning's church service to see this amazing choir perform. The choir is made up of men who are recovering from substance abuse. These men are so empowering and amazing. They have all come to a place in their lives where they realized that with the help of Christ that they could recover from their substance abuse. They all have such a passion and love for Christ and are allowing Christ to guide their lives every single day, and every single step of their recovery. They made a huge impact on me, for I too am a recovering addict. Through their songs, and testimonies I found even more strength and even more desire to live my life for Christ every single day in the same way as these men. The Teen Challenge Program runs all over Canada and the US and is not government funded. Today I signed up to help 1 man go through this program by pledging only $30 a month to help cover the costs for him to enter this Christ based rehab program. There are actually men who are dying of overdoses waiting on lists to enter this program and all I had to do to help was offer $30.00 a month to potentially stop that from happening. I probably spend more than that each month on my weekly visits to Tim Hortons with my girls. By sponsoring 1 man, I am giving someone the chance to learn as I have through my recovery that Christ loves every single one of us and that Christ can help us in all we do. In Christ we will find the strength to do what we may otherwise think as the impossible. If we give Christ control of our lives and live our lives daily for Him we can be so very blessed. I encourage anyone who frequents my blog to please visit the web link I added above. Please add theses strong, brave men, and this amazing ministry to your prayers, and please, please think of sponsoring someone to go through this program. By sponsoring, we are helping to plant the seeds of God in these men who can do incredible things with their lives. I know in my recovery, God has done so many incredible things, because someone believed in me enough to stand by me.
8 comments:
For more information on Teen Challenge, please visit my blog at http://karlycordaloni.blogspot.com/
Thank You!
Karly
Sandy-
To better understand why I haven't posted your comments on my blog, please see the updates I have made so you will better understand.
http://karlycordaloni.blogspot.com/
Karly
Bonifay, FL (West FL Teen Challenge Boys Ranch) regularly has volunteers, typically retirees who come and help out around the place living in RVs on site.
Here's a first hand account.
http://billanddolly.wordpress.com/2007/03/08/florida-bound/
My son has been enrolled at Teen Challenge Bonifay since June 2006. It has been a rewarding and life changing experience for him. He had a two-week Christmas visit and a two-week "re-entry" visit back home with family. His reactions to situations and demeaner are entirely different than when he first enrolled and he is returning to the son we knew and loved as a child.
The ranch is regularly monitored by county agencies and suprise inspections are frequently carried out without incident. This is a military style camp with firm strict rules, but my son has flourished with the consistency and discipline with love.
I could not see sending my son to a facility that would use drugs to control him nor could I see the benefit of a psychobable facility to rationalize his behaviour.
This is just what he needed to get his head screwed on straight. There is a proper amount of discipline blended with classroom, bible study and mentorship. As students progress through the program and show improvement they are given the opportunity to lead and mentor the newer students.
Its not a facility with ex-military drill instructors harrassing the boys 24/7. Its Christian men held to high standards of integrity and peers of the boys who have demonstrated a level of trust and accountability. There are also a number of ladies in teaching and facilitating roles.
Further, the students are kept busy with regular chores and exercise. This is a working farm and they do supply some of their own food items. Its a good way to give a young man some responsibility and have him gain self-worth through accomplishment.
There is also free time for swimming or fishing in the lake, playing board games, chess, table tennis, weight lifting, horse riding, reading, etc. My son is teaching himself to play the accoustic guitar.
The students are rewarded for acheiving school goals with field trips. My son has gone deep-sea fishing on a coulple of occasions, for example. During the yearly rodeo, in town, a large number of the boys are allowed to attend. There are opportunities for community service and missions trips both in the states and outside the U.S.A. as well.
Yes, the phone calls are monitored via speaker-phone. I haven't seen the need to discuss anything that couldn't be overheard by a dorm full of boys and I've never been cut off.
My son is in the best shape emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually that he has ever been.
All in all, its a great program.
My son is also a graduate student from the Bonifay Teen Challenge this 2007 year, and I can tell you this personally. Not only did it save my son's life, it restored him to his father and I, as well as help restoring our family as a whole.
Teen Challenge did not change my son, God gave Teen Challenge to us as a tool to use.
My son is also in the best shape emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually that he has ever been.
As far as phone calls go, I have never had them not return my call or hang up on me. However, we never discussed anything that the pastors or staff could not hear.
My son knows that we 100 percent support Teen Challenge in their rules. That makes a big difference in how the program will succeed with a child.
I knew from the moment I stepped on the property to Teen Challenge, before we brought our son, that it was a Holy Spirit filled campus. There was not one ounce of a "mom alert" that said don't send your child. The same feeling I had taking him there is the same feeling I had when he graduated. I know he is going to succeed.
He is a teen, don't get me wrong, but we know have the tools needed and support that we need that was not there before.
Our prayers were definately answered
Karly Cordaloni
http://teenchallengecult.blogspot.com/
Censors user comments and deletes anything favorable to the TC organization.
For those trying to make a decision about sending a loved one to Teen Challenge, voluntarily entering the program, or entering under court order.
Resource clearing house and place for testimonials both favorable and not.
http://vocalizeinprint.blogspot.com/2007/07/teen-challenge-experiences.html
For those who have benefited from TC congratulations!!
For those who trash it when they have only third party knowledge, shame on you.
It hasn't been my experience that drug addicts and alcoholics are reliable sources of information.
If they are looking for excuses to get out of a program that is helping them, do you think they may not be entirely truthful about their experiences?
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