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I'm going to put in a serious post here. There is a dear family in our church that has a son who tore the family apart. Anger and rebellion defined him as a son, and the family was in so much pain they were at a loss. Nothing, no amount of love seemed to help.
Five weeks ago they contacted Teen Challenge Int. Two large men drove across state lines, arrived at 5 am, and forcibly took custody of this young man with full permission by his desperate parents. The program was for 18 months of residential life, defined pretty much as a Christian teen boot camp of sorts.
The first weeks of contact from the boy, via letters were filled with venom toward his parents and family. No phone calls were permitted as he did not earn them. But by the fifth week he changed.
He wrote the most beautiful letter of love and gratitude to his parents and sisters. He accepted full responsibility for his part in the destruction of the family. His letter went on and on and his parents wept with joy.
He is not coming home. The letter was not a ruse to get early release. He wants to stay and finish the program. He will be about 18 at the end of it. He said it took complete removal from his situation of negative peers and their encouragement of his rebellion, and the focus on basics of living, working, focusing on priorities, and the like to finally break through the walls he'd put up around his heart.
He has also suffered from severe physical maladies. Those have eased to being nearly non-existent in the last month. A nod to the fact that stress, anger, and a rebellious spirit can wreak havoc on your body.
I know many of us either have, or know of a young person who could use something like this. I have no idea the logistics of this program, but I wanted to share it with you. Save the page for someone you love enough to do what may be the hardest thing you've ever done.
Love is not always warm and fuzzy. Real love is doing what is best for a person, no matter how hard it is. No matter how much they may vent their wrath on you. You are willing to take it. Because you love them.
http://www.teenchallengegaintl.com/
God bless.
~Faith
Years ago, when our now 29 yo daughter was a teen, we looked into Teen Challenge. At the time, they would only take you if you were 18, and you had to go willingly, and you had to stay for the entire 18 months. There was NO way she would have gone willingly. Wish she would have. Things might be a whole lot different if she had.
ReplyDeleteI love David Wilkerson and his ministry. What an awesome testimony that young man will have!
How awesome! This is what my cousin Z. needs...though I know he would NEVER go. Praise God for ministrys like this!
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