Participants: Cheri Peters (Host), Apryl Cordry, Nicole Day
Series Code: CLR
Program Code: CLR00095A
|
00:11 Welcome to Celebrating Life In Recovery,
00:13 I'm Cheri your host, today we are going to talk about 00:15 your organization Teen Challenge. - yes. 00:18 You've got to join us in, it's an incredible organization 00:21 and you get to meet some of the kids, 00:22 that's my favorite part. 00:52 You know I travel a lot, and what is really fun about 00:55 traveling is that I get to meet some folks that have 00:59 incredible stories, you get to meet them as I meet them. 01:02 If they have good story I bring them right here. 01:05 But some of my favorite things to do are treatment 01:08 facilities and so today I get to bring in Teen Challenge. 01:12 I loved them, Teen Challenge is, well I'm going to let 01:17 them explain what it is. 01:18 But I get to meet people in recovery, sometimes I look 01:21 at the girls or the young men that are in Teen Challenge 01:24 and I think you know what they are me, that's exactly 01:28 what I would have said at that time. 01:29 If they cuss me out, or if they are excited about the 01:33 recovery, either one you may run into and I just think 01:36 oh that was me, how cute are you. 01:37 I love it and so I'm going to introduce you to a couple 01:41 today and we are going to have some more on the program 01:44 next week so I just be blessed, just be blessed. 01:48 I'm going to start Apryl with you, and the first time 01:52 I came to Teen Challenge and I came in and I saw you and 01:56 I wanted to hear your story. 01:58 You know what is, where did you come from? 02:01 I was surprised when you said no really it's not me, 02:05 it's my family. 02:06 So start us out about your family and how did you get 02:10 involved in this organization? 02:12 Okay, well I can definitely do that. 02:14 Both of my parents are actually recovered drug 02:17 and alcohol addicts. 02:18 My mother was an alcoholic for many years, up until the 02:22 age of 22, she struggled on and off and finally entered 02:25 treatment at a Teen Challenge program actually located in 02:28 Garrison New York which is called The Walter Hoving Home. 02:31 Were you born yet? - no, no I wasn't, this was all 02:34 before I was born. 02:35 My father at 18 years old also entered the Teen Challenge 02:38 program, he tried every drug there was, he stole cars, 02:41 and was a mess at 18 and had nowhere else to go and Teen 02:44 Challenge was the only program that would accept him. 02:47 So both of them, that is how their journey started. 02:50 From there God transformed their lives. 02:53 Which is what I love, what I love too about some 02:56 organizations like Teen Challenge, is when you say 02:59 nobody else would even want to touch him. - right. 03:02 Yet there are programs that will say, you know what? 03:05 You don't scare us, come on in and sit down. 03:08 They will come in angry and rebellious and lying and 03:12 manipulating and trying to play everybody and within 03:15 a short period of time they get their life back. 03:19 And God does that, it is so fantastic. 03:21 My first home was the Boston Teen Challenge which was 03:24 then called Boston Outreach and my parents started it. 03:27 - you was born there. - Well I was born close by. 03:30 My first home, I was brought home from the hospital was 03:32 to see the Boston Outreach Team Challenge on Bloomfield 03:35 Avenue in Dorchester Massachusetts. 03:37 So you never saw your parents acting out, using, or 03:41 - no. - they probably have the stuff because we all 03:45 have stuff. - right, right absolutely no family is 03:49 perfect but at the same time I saw God shine through my 03:53 parents, they are amazing example to me as a kid and 03:57 even now as an adult, it's somebody I can look to. 04:00 When I hear your story, I know my daughter was born way 04:05 after my recovery and I do ministry so I feel like 04:08 I am looking at Jackie my daughter. 04:10 I feel like she has the same story, so I want to ask you 04:14 things that maybe I would love to even ask her is that 04:17 when you hear your parents, cause you hear them tell their 04:21 story, you gave me a book the story was in the book. 04:24 Like when you hear them tell you your 04:26 story what do you think? 04:27 Were you ever ashamed of where they came from? 04:29 Absolutely not, to me it is the greatest miracle. 04:32 I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the power of God, 04:35 think about it, both of my parents met God and they 04:38 would have never met if it weren't for the fact that 04:40 they went through treatment and recovery. 04:42 Met at a school designed specifically for graduates of 04:45 the Teen Challenge program. That is where they met. 04:48 Then later on they married and four years later I show 04:51 up, and so if it weren't for the power of God I wouldn't 04:54 be here, my life wouldn't exist. 04:56 So there is a joy in their journey? - absolutely. 04:59 When you first recognize, like when you were little, 05:03 for a long time and I'm sure you didn't even know they 05:06 could tell their story and it would even realize that they 05:09 were different, or had a different background than some. 05:12 But if you were raised in Teen Challenge 05:15 maybe they didn't, - right. 05:17 But when you first heard it and realized there was 05:20 a difference and they had all this chaos and all this 05:24 craziness or was all this rebellion, anything, did you 05:28 think about that? Did you think about you know? 05:31 You know what, my thoughts whenever I thought about my 05:35 parents, I mean as I was growing up well my parents were 05:38 really interesting, not that other people's parents were 05:42 boring, but kind of. I mean come on, your average church 05:46 family, I'm kind of going to be that boring parent 05:49 just a little because I had that crazy testimony in the back. 05:52 Now my testimony I think is awesome because I was able 05:55 to at a young age to grow up in the Lord and trust Him 05:58 and know He would take care me the rest of my life and walk in 06:02 love with Him, but at the same time looking at my parents 06:05 and looking at their testimony and where they came from 06:09 no, to me it was great. Now all the time people 06:11 are going your dad thought he was Geronimo, that's part 06:14 of this testimony. - he did? - Oh he did. 06:16 He was high on something, stole a van, ended up he was 06:20 surrounded by police and he thought people were after him. 06:23 He was one of those crazy stories, now everybody's like 06:26 yeah but what about your dad Geronimo. 06:28 He used to have long hair in braids and now he has a short 06:31 flat top, but to me that's like a movie when I hear his 06:34 story, it's hard for me to imagine that that was my dad, 06:37 but that was his story and to me it's like hey look, 06:40 I want you to hear my dad, I have never been ashamed. 06:43 If there was a day when they can come in, I remember a 06:46 couple of times they came when I went to a Christian 06:48 school, they came in and spoke, my father did chapel, 06:51 to me I was so proud that day, because their story, well 06:55 their story is the miracle of my life, but their story 06:59 shows more than just me, people around the world that 07:03 God is still in the business of miracles. 07:06 They weren't done, Jesus wasn't the end of miracles. 07:10 The disciples were at the end of miracles, 07:11 but God is still doing that, so their lives are 07:15 at testimony of that. 07:16 And as you can see I just love it, I just love it. 07:19 I mean I love the fact that I get to work in a place 07:22 that I know every day whether it be the turnaround of 07:25 not getting the ump, the attitude from a teenager to. 07:29 - because you do. - oh I do let me tell you but 07:32 at the same time it is getting that response that I know, 07:36 even if it's small step, to see that turn, that change, 07:40 to see that young lady kneeling during her prayer time 07:44 and really just seeking the Lord. 07:46 - that has never prayed before. - right. 07:49 - That's huge, you know what is amazing to me is the 07:53 joy that you have in your face and the love that you have 07:55 for your parents it's so tangible. And I love that. 08:01 Did you ever feel like you wanted to act out? 08:04 Did you ever feel like you wanted to go out 08:07 and kind of be that crazy? 08:10 I had moments when I thought about it, but the thing is 08:14 that, well you can ask my parents, I was a rebellious 08:18 teenager at one point too. Maybe not to the extreme, 08:22 I definitely wasn't the easiest kid at 13-14-15, but I 08:25 knew even then I can remember being at a convention 08:29 and they had a prayer time for those who felt called into 08:32 ministry and I wouldn't go, I wouldn't go down, I wouldn't 08:35 go down and I could feel like my heart was beating out 08:39 of my chest. I could feel it and I knew, and I knew. 08:43 Finally I was just like God, I haven't shared this yet, 08:46 but I grew up eight years of my life I spent on the 08:49 mission field in Parquet South America. 08:51 They were opening Teen Challenge there, those were the first 08:54 rehabilitation programs that ever existed in the country. 08:58 So in my mind, here I was 14 years old, I didn't need 09:02 any more, I already did my Ministry, did you know Lord 09:05 I grew up in the mission field? 09:07 But you know what, it was then that I really knew in that 09:10 calling that my heart was just beating, and I knew, okay 09:13 God if this is what you want from me than this is what 09:16 I'll do, and from there birth a desire and a love. 09:20 I mean I grew up around it and I just love it. 09:23 Yeah, so you end up and take that call and you come in 09:28 and you start to work in the lives of these, I call 09:33 them kids, I know sometimes they hate me saying that. 09:36 These kids, we don't come in very easy. 09:42 Some come in kicking and screaming and we want to run 09:45 away, we hate you and all that stuff, nobody has ever been in 09:49 some of the stories, nobody has ever been there for this 09:53 child and they just don't trust anybody and so they come 09:57 in not pleasant at all. - chuckle, chuckle you're right. 10:02 I am, I am in our house in Teen Challenge, it is an active 10:08 one, but it is also a home that we pray, when I pray 10:11 for our house is that even as a new student walks in 10:15 with their lives filled with chaos, unrest, 10:18 that they would feel the peace of God. 10:19 Just to surround them, Heh we have girls who have moments, 10:23 whether it be on their first day are they make it through 10:26 a couple weeks and they hop on a window and we have to go 10:29 find them, Heh it happens, that does happen. 10:33 At the same time I think it's only the Lord because 10:37 I feel like even when my heart breaks, 10:39 He just mends it back together. 10:41 There are times when you hear the stories of the these 10:44 ladies and my heart is just broken for them because 10:48 I know that their lives were in shambles, but to know 10:51 when somebody walks in and you have heard their story, 10:54 many of our girls to come to us because their parents 10:56 placed them with us in our program. - yeah, right. 10:59 But to read their story you know on paper and to know 11:03 the brokenness, and the chaos and to watch them walk in, 11:06 the greatest part about my job is knowing that that is not 11:09 the girl I'm going to see leave Teen Challenge. - Amen! 11:12 And you know that - I know it, I watch them walk across 11:15 the stage, whether they walk across the stage or they 11:17 don't make it to the stage - it's almost like 11:19 a graduation? - yes, yes, yeah they have a graduation. 11:24 But when they do that it's then if they're up there 11:28 I am still amazed, every time I know God is going to do 11:33 something amazing, but it's like I never, I never cease 11:37 to be amazed by the power of God in watching these young 11:41 ladies really become someone that 11:42 I couldn't even Envision. 11:44 And I have watched it over and over again. 11:45 So what really is, your faith because you saw it with your 11:49 parents, like I know this is true, I know this is going 11:53 to happen, and the more you see it the more 11:54 you have faith in that. 11:55 Could you tell us a story that really got to you from 11:59 the beginning to the end. 12:01 Okay, a story that really got to me, well. 12:04 I guess I'll talk about my husband's story. 12:08 My husband is a graduate of Teen Challenge as well. 12:11 Walked through the doors of Teen Challenge at 20 years old, 12:14 a heroine addict hopeless, no one else would take him, 12:18 same type of the story, nobody would take him. 12:19 He had too many court dates, too many charges, it wasn't 12:23 going to happen, armed robbery, his life was a mess. 12:27 He didn't believe, - look at your sweet face and I'm 12:32 thinking, God that is an incredible pair. 12:35 So he didn't believe in anything and was very jaded? 12:39 I mean just to the core, nothing, to him religion and 12:44 God is a crutch. 12:45 How weak, he tells stories about one time he worked in 12:49 a deli and there was a lady there who was a Christian 12:52 and he used to just berate her, and berate her. 12:56 I can't even believe it knowing the man that he is now. 13:00 But he came through the door of the Teen Challenge, six months 13:02 in he really gave his life to the Lord and started to get 13:07 his life on track and met God and felt love, felt peace. 13:11 - for the first time. For the first time, yeah 13:13 Things that he had been searching for his 13:15 whole life, in drugs, in relationships and the people 13:20 around him, but they weren't going to fulfill that. 13:25 He had that deep nagging feeling, but he kept filling it 13:28 with all the wrong things. 13:29 So here a hopeless heroine addict, as I say a heroine 13:34 addict for ever, hopeless. 13:35 He went through the program at Teen Challenge, finish 13:39 the program and we met in the span of the end of him 13:43 being at the program. 13:44 To me I just said oh look he's a nice guy, he was a friend 13:48 of a friend and whatever. 13:50 He says that that moment he knew that I was the one. 13:53 I don't know I guess so. 13:56 What is really interesting is that as God changes us, 13:59 and one time I was in the restroom and this girl was 14:03 crying and I went up and I said to her can I help you? 14:07 She was so sad and just in tears, she said you probably 14:10 wouldn't understand a thing that I'm going through. 14:13 I thought stop I'm homeless, heroine addict, and have all 14:17 that background, but even like with your husband as God 14:20 changes us you could hardly see our background because 14:23 God really says let me take all those grave clothes off 14:27 of you and dress you. 14:29 It's amazing. - so he sees you, he knows you are the 14:35 one, what did you think? 14:36 Well I thought he's a funny guy, he's nice I like him but 14:40 there was no thought beyond that at that point. 14:43 I mean come on, he's a student in Teen Challenge so my 14:45 mind is not going to Hey you are prime relationship 14:48 material, - that's funny. 14:52 But I will tell you, but one of the biggest miracles he 14:56 had nine felony charges against him. 14:58 He was in court week after week they had him in court. 15:02 In the end he received a judge who said we are going to 15:06 give you a chance, he could have been in jail until 2013 15:10 and I would never have even met him. 15:12 But he, on those charges was released with three years 15:16 probation because which are long completed already. 15:20 Because the judge even saw there's a change in this guy. 15:23 Yet there's a change in this guy. - that God does and 15:26 what a miracle and then to see that, and that is how 15:30 my father knew that he was definitely a man of God. 15:34 Because at that point when he looked at his 15:36 record and pulled out his student file, you know 15:38 he is my dad and he is going to go check into this. 15:40 - teenage challenge guy. 15:42 Right and he's liking him and he is like, okay we really need 15:44 to check this out, so he checks them out and when 15:47 he saw that, he said alright the hand of 15:49 the Lord is on this man. 15:50 So the story from there continues. 15:55 So for a lot of people, a lot of people watching even, 16:00 that even when you see all of those miracles it is hard to 16:05 believe that God is changing this person and this person 16:10 is walking out new. - right, right. 16:13 This is not the same person and how, do you have even any 16:17 suggestions on how you get someone to do that kind of 16:20 shift in their head? 16:22 Especially when you are looking at someone who is coming 16:25 out of recovery, their lives are not perfect like 16:27 I'm saying, not even my parents changed, transformed, 16:29 married, me four years later, still not perfect. 16:32 They still have their own stuff going through and 16:35 processing and so patience, patience is the greatest 16:38 gift and grace, I mean God gives us so much grace but in that 16:43 also they began to develop new skills. 16:46 Like is the first time they are learning them, because 16:48 you have to remember someone who is coming into recovery 16:51 is really restarting whenever they started using. 16:55 So for my husband who started abusing his prescription 16:59 pills as a kid at 10 years old, you go far back. 17:03 ADD, on meds, and given him meds taking extra pills here, there. 17:09 So he started those patterns at 10-11 years old. 17:14 That is very young and most, of his life- so even he is an 17:18 adult body, he's a 10 year old. - right, right, so but not now. 17:22 I know - We're not talking about you now Hon. 17:28 I love you, so you know it's in that, you have to give 17:32 them that grace and patience to allow them to start 17:35 rebuilding from the past you know, and remove those 17:39 childish ways, but remain as Christ says with the faith 17:44 of a child that is that new wonderest twilight in the eye 17:49 feeling. - so now you are looking at him knowing that 17:54 he has got this joy of his recovery, he is stepping 17:58 into a new life, and you are having to trust that. 18:02 Was that hard at first? - you know what, honestly 18:06 because I have known him as the man that God created him 18:10 to be, as much as there have been struggles, there have 18:14 been trials, I know with all my heart that you know what 18:17 God, what ever you bring us through, You are going to 18:21 bring us completely through, You are not going 18:22 to leave us in the middle. 18:24 - if he needs to learn something else he will have to 18:26 learn it. - if that's what has to happen, 18:28 that's what has to happen. 18:29 But at this point I love that I can leave my life in 18:32 God's hands because what is the point of me holding on 18:35 to it, I can't do anything with it that's going to turn 18:38 out alright so leave it in God's hands and know and 18:41 trust Him, He is going to be the one, He is the perfector 18:45 an author of our faith. - Amen, so you have been married 18:48 how long? Three years. - so you are kind of newlyweds. 18:52 - yep we are. - so dad got, even though he saw his 18:55 record, dad just, you know God's hand is on him and I am okay 18:59 with that. - yep. - everybody has been blessed. 19:04 Yes, absolutely and not only that but then the story 19:09 continues, well a year before we married, on December 1 19:14 December 1, 2006 my mother-in- law, 56 years old, 30 year 19:18 alcoholic walked through the door of Teen Challenge. 19:21 - no way. - yes she did. - because and I just want 19:24 you to say this because a lot of people think Teen 19:26 Challenge, they think teens. - right. - so how does 19:29 your mother in law walk through the door? 19:30 Well Teen Challenge we actually have predominately adult 19:34 centers, we have scattered teen centers around the United 19:37 States, and we also have Teen Challenge is a worldwide 19:40 organization, so we have Teen Challenges across the 19:43 globe, but when it comes to the program although the first 10 19:47 years were mostly, which was 58-68 were mostly for teens. 19:51 At the time they realized that the affects of gang-life drugs 19:56 and alcohol effected way more than just a population of 19:59 teens and young adults, and so from there they opened up, 20:03 although we kept the name of Teen Challenge, which at that 20:05 point had already caught on. - That's because everybody knows 20:08 it now. - right everybody knows Teen Challenge so here we are 20:10 50 years plus into it and we are still called Teen 20:14 Challenge but yes we have adults centers across the United 20:17 States as well as across - it's really worldwide. 20:20 I use you guys all the time come if I can't find a place 20:24 for someone I know that I can go online, Google Teen 20:27 Challenge in that city and in that state and find 20:30 a place for someone to go. 20:32 And what really is amazing is that I have never had a 20:36 center turn down anybody that we have sent, so I don't 20:40 know what the criteria is but it must not be, I've never 20:43 really had anyone say I called them and talk to them 20:46 and they said no. 20:47 You know we want our doors to be open to everyone. 20:51 We don't want anyone to be turned away and that is one 20:54 of our primary goals, we want to reach all of those 20:57 who are hurting, we want to reach the addict population. 21:01 The? say that 1370 youth will try an illegal drug 21:06 within the hour, within this hour, every hour that is how 21:10 it many. - how many say it again. 21:12 1370 youth, - every hour - every hour. 21:16 And if we are not aware or having places that we can help 21:20 them they are going to get lost and will lose years of 21:24 their lives sometimes. - right, right. 21:26 Especially now, you know in these times things are much 21:29 more prevalent, drugs are rampant, alcohol is being tried 21:33 younger and younger, our school campuses is one of the 21:37 highest percentages of places where drugs are sold. 21:40 School campuses and that is not just our public schools, 21:44 that's all schools, that's every school. 21:46 So to look at those statistics and know okay we have got 21:50 to do something about this. 21:51 So setting things in place that there is preventative 21:54 measures, parents get involved with your kids young. 21:58 That is one of the things that is very important, start 22:02 talking to them young. 22:03 - what do you mean getting involved? 22:04 In other words start talking to your kids young about 22:06 their choices, you know what? One of the greatest things 22:09 you can do is wrap them in your arms, love them and 22:12 hang out with them, have family time with them. 22:15 Because you know what? A lot of time you'll hear 22:17 stories from some of our young ladies who, yes they 22:19 had parents, they did have people that were around whether 22:24 it be broken families or not. 22:26 Some had whole families, but in the process of that still 22:29 may be the time wasn't there. 22:31 So that is so important, right everybody is working and 22:36 everybody is tired and just not enough time. 22:38 And then again there is also the choice, each adolescent 22:42 will come to a place where they're going to make a 22:44 decision, but the more you start filling their minds with 22:47 first of all their own self-worth, that is the biggest 22:51 part of the problem is low self-esteem. 22:53 So starting them out with how great they are, how 22:56 precious they are, not just in your site but in God's 22:59 sight as well. - Amen. We are going to go ahead 23:01 break and I want to introduce our audience and the people 23:05 in the café to one of the girls and hear her story and 23:08 her journey, but I would like you to come back at the end 23:12 of the program, is that okay? - of course. 23:13 Okay so are going to take a break. 23:15 One of the things I just got to say is that no matter what 23:19 you are dealing with, God pulls us through. 23:22 And what is really fun is to see the next generation. 23:25 When you give up your stuff and watch your children 23:29 and all the sudden they haven't taken a drug, they 23:33 may rebel but maybe not. 23:35 Maybe I will just have a regular life and my parents love 23:38 me and all that kind of stuff. 23:39 So I look at Apryl and just think how fun is that. 23:43 That for some of us addicts we can say that our legacy 23:47 changes and know that if you have any problems there are 23:51 places to go all over the world. 23:53 Teen Challenge is one of them but there are a ton of 23:55 places so we are going to take a break and we will be 23:58 right back and you'll meet Nicole and you will love her. |
Revised 2014-12-17