My name is Russ, I am 46 years old. I grew up on a farm in Jefferson, Oregon. I thought I had a normal upbringing. I got married January 1976 and my first daughter was born July 19, 1976. I turned 17 years old August 12, 1976. I have 3 daughters all 4 years apart. I got divorced in 1987 and won custody of the 2 oldest and I got their little sister about a year later. Drugs and alcohol were always in my life, but I always had a good job until the year 2000. I paid all my child support off because I never got custody of Tina. “I just took her.” My kids grew up and I thought I had done what I had to do.

In 1991 I went to rehab for meth and I quit. But I did not quit drinking. In 2000 I went to a rehab in-house program for 28 days, but I did not quit. In 2005 I got a drunk driving ticket. I still just would not stop drinking. Then a friend of mine hit a kid and almost killed him. This little boy was hit in early October and I just drank more. I would not go to work on a day because I had been drinking. I would not put the bottle down.

My girls had been trying to get me to know God for over a year, but I would just go to church to make them happy. On October 16, 2005 I cried out for help and something was telling me to call Candy, my oldest daughter. I wasn’t to go to friends or get a drink, I was just to call Candy.

I told Candy that I need help and A.A. is not the answer. (I didn’t know that Candy was in church.) She said, “I will call you right back.” She did and said, “We have an appointment in Portland tomorrow at Teen Challenge.”

Teen Challenge let me in the next week on October 25, 2005 and my life has changed so much. At first I didn’t want to submit. I could not see loving a God I couldn’t see or feel more than I love my children. I was ready to quit – quit Teen Challenge.

That’s when I received a letter from my daughter. She had sent some scriptures for me to read. They helped me a lot. She told me alcoholism was my prison. She told me to quit being so stubborn. She told me I have an enemy who is going to attach me like crazy because I am in Teen Challenge and if I quit the enemy is going to laugh at me and say, “I knew he couldn’t do it.” I decided to stay.

I have put God first in my life and the pay off is: I love my kids more than I ever did. Now I am at the Lebanon Men’s Center. Teen Challenge has taught me how to follow God’s perfect law of liberty – the law that sets you free. James 5:13 says, “And those who have reason to be thankful should continue singing praises to the Lord!” And that’s what I am going to do!

Thank you Teen Challenge.
 Russ