We recently celebrated Phase I graduation for 5 ladies in the Charis House. Last week and this week, we will read a little about their testimonies. *Names have been changed to protect their identities and allow our clients the fresh start they are seeking.

Women who enter the Charis House commit to a minimum of one year for Phase I of the program. They live under strict guidelines and are held to high standards of conduct and behavior as they work through their substance abuse addictions as well as the traumas and emotional issues of the lifestyles that led them to the Charis House. After a minimum of one year of Christ-centered counseling and Bible-based classes on life skill development -- all while being monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by a House Manager -- the women are reevaluated. If they have met the standards of the Charis House and shown growth and stability, they graduate from Phase I and are invited to go into Phase II of the program.

Crystal*

“I grew up in a church family, and we went to church every Sunday. When I was about 10 years old, my mom met my stepdad. He was a recovering addict, and he slipped and fell back into his addiction. When I turned 14, he gave me one of his pills. He was taken oxy pressed with fentynal. Things just went downhill from there. I got kicked out of high school when I was 16, and ended up getting my GED instead of going to school. I was really messed up one day, and I was driving down a road with a bunch of friends. I couldn’t drive – I was tripping on acid – and I called my youth pastor’s wife, and she came and picked me up. The next time I saw her she told me I needed to go to school…I needed to get out of town, and relocate, and so I wound up going to Pensacola Christian College for about 2 years.”

“I didn’t do so well there, but I went. I overdosed, and I tried to end my life. I just didn’t feel like I had anything to live for anymore. I didn’t really understand God or know God, and I just felt like there was no point in continuing. I wound up in a mental hospital for about a day or so. They pumped my stomach. I remembered being here for college and hearing about the Charis House. So I called Ms. Vanessa and 3 days after Christmas, I got on an airplane and came here.”

“Now I work at the food pantry, and I feed the homeless every day. I just get a chance to love people like God loves me.”

Morgan*

“I did not grow up in church at all. I knew John 3:16 because of my grandma. It was one of the scriptures you had to memorize when you went to VBS, and that was one of the only times I got any kind of Word at all. I went to college and did all the things that you had to do to be successful. The only thing I didn’t have was God. I started using drugs when I was 31 years old. Just one bad choice. All it takes is a choice. For so long, I could handle anything that was thrown at me. I assumed that I could do it one time and it just be an experience that I had. But it was not like that. It eventually became a weekend thing, to an every day thing, to something I couldn’t stop on my own.”

“Lost my career – just became alienated from my family. I have 2 beautiful girls. I knew they would be taken care of by my mom, so I just quit showing up, and even when I was there, I wasn’t there. I just wasn’t present in their lives. You’re just numb to everything. You’re numb to the feelings that you’re suppose to have as a mother – you just don’t long for your children – but you don’t see it at all.”

“I ended up in jail and on probation. I couldn’t follow the rules of probation, so you just end up going back to jail and the judge gives an ultimatum. It was either prison or the Charis House. I got here and started reading the Word and I just fell in love with how God loves people and how redeeming His love is. I started reading the Gospel and just overnight it changed my life. It changed a lot of things as far as my perspective on life – what I want and how I want to raise my children. It has been a true blessing.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without God. He gets all the glory. He is the bomb dot com.”

Graduating from Phase I and moving into Phase II presents these ladies with opportunities to continue working on developing confidence and faith. During Phase II, the women enjoy a bit more freedom from the strict regimen they followed during Phase I, but many things stay consistent. They must still attend church classes and Most Excellent Way meetings each week, but they can enroll in school, and pursue jobs. Clients in Phase II are still part of the Charis House family, eating meals together with the Phase I ladies, continuing counseling with the Charis House therapist, and living without transportation. Since Phase II women are not permitted to have a cell phone or their own vehicle, a House Manager or Charis House volunteer must drive each woman to school or work. Phase II typically lasts around one year.

Join us in praying for these 5 recent graduates as they take the steps to move forward in their recovery and continue to find God’s grace and mercy in their lives.

·      The Charis House is a non-profit Christian-based residential substance abuse recovery program for females. The program is designed in 3 phases, each offering stages of recovery that provide the necessary tools for a practical transition into a new lifestyle free of addiction. The faith-based recovery program addresses the client’s personal relationship with God as the foundation for healing and wholeness. It requires a willingness to change and adhere to a controlled, strict and disciplined environment, allowing life-changing experiences to occur. There is no fee to apply.  

·      To learn more about the Charis House, or how you can support our programs, click here or contact Vanessa Bettis at 850-475-1116  or VBettis@MinistryVillage.org.

·      The mission of Ministry Village at Olive is to put the words of Jesus into action throughout our community – “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40, NIV) If you are looking for a place to demonstrate kindness to others for the glory of God, give us a call. We have opportunities through the Bargain Center; at our Tender Hearts Caring Hands benevolence program and food pantry; through the Most Excellent Way addiction support groups; at the Charis House; and at the Ministry Village Early Learning Center.

·      If you would like to volunteer to support the Charis House, contact our office at (850) 473-4466 or visit Ministryvillage.org/volunteer-registration. All volunteers through Ministry Village at Olive, Inc. must be properly interviewed and screened. Depending on the program and position, volunteers must also undergo background screening and be properly trained by MVO staff. While we are deeply appreciative for any and all support, it is our primary responsibility to those we serve to protect them and their privacy, and we do not take that responsibility lightly. Those interested in serving through MVO should contact the appropriate program manager to discuss opportunities and the necessary requirements. We appreciate your understanding.

·      To donate to the Charis House or any Ministry Village program, click here.