– Update from Trisha Page, BD Missions Team
When I first learned about New Life rehab center in Missouri from my friend Harout in L.A., who was a New Life graduate, I was actually interested in the program itself because of the great work I heard they did in people’s lives who were struggling. But I was also a little scared because of all hard work they did all day, every day. I knew that I was still struggling with some issues from my past and still needed some help figuring everything out, so I actually thought about staying there for a little bit to learn about the program, but I didn’t want to go there alone.
When I found out that we as a team would be going there to serve, I was excited to see what it was really like! I wanted to see how it worked and what made it successful.
Of course, we met Uncle Dave out on the property, and he was there to greet us when we first arrived with his usual joking and fun! New Life is on 102-acres of beautiful farm land, and the people who live there in the program have all kinds of different jobs as a part of their daily recovery process – like farming, mechanics, woodshed, stonework and more.
After a week of serving there, I would have to say, if you know someone who needs help with addiction, New Life is the place to go. The staff really cares about the people who are there and want to help them become sober and lead them into a relationship with the Lord. When it comes to getting sober and right with Jesus, I can honestly say that not having friends or other people to reach out to is one of the hardest things. New Life allows fellowship with people who are on the same path as you and it is encouraging to have someone beside you working toward the same goal, who can ultimately become a long-term friend.
My team and I served at New Life joining in all the daily activities, as if we were enrolled in the program too. But wound up getting so much more out of our time there then we thought we would. It really shows how the spiritual enemy fights hard to keep his foothold on the world through addiction. It was uplifting to see that New Life can really help those who seriously want to change and experience true transformation.
Personally, the only way I was able to let go of my addiction was being plucked out of my situation and placed in a completely new environment with people who really wanted to see me succeed. It’s very much like what New Life has to offer! I also learned that I’m not alone in my struggles to find sobriety and find true freedom in the Lord. It was encouraging to not feel so alone.
Our team has a lot of young adults, and I really believe that our willingness to work hard beside the New Life patients was encouraging for them all. At the end of our stay we all stood up in one of their nightly meetings and got to share what this trip meant to us personally. They were all talking about how they wouldn’t have been doing a missions trip like this leaving everything behind when they were our ages, and they were thankful that we wanted to share our experiences with them.
If I had to say anything to anyone reading this I would say that Jesus wants your love and your life, and New Life wants to help you find the true freedom your heart so desperately is looking for!
– Team Courageous is recording all of their experiences on camera and soon our audience will be able to see the full story! In the meantime, enjoy the Compassion Journals here!
