I want to tell you a brief story about one new friend that I met. Her name is Sheila*. Sheila is in the program at Bethel Colony South, a rehabilitation program for men and women struggling with addiction. I've mentioned Bethel several times throughout this blog. I was first introduced to this ministry in 2006 when I was a summer missionary with MissionLab. Back then, the program was only for men--there were about 40 at that time--and it was a 90-day program. Now, the program is open to men and women, there are over 90 men and 30 women, and the program lasts 9 months. It's been incredible to watch this ministry grow over the years. I've been in awe to see all that God has done and how He has provided. One of the mottos for Bethel is "If you don't work, you don't eat". Each participant in the program contributes to the ministry by having a job either at the ministry or out in the community. Some are painters, builders, cooks, cleaners... and some work in the various income-generating projects that Bethel has going. Bethel will soon open their thrift store and they're working on getting a coffee shop up and running. They also have a car wash located right across from the seminary. That's where I met Sheila.

On Sunday morning, I spoke at Coker Baptist Church in Alabama. I was invited by my friend Ronnie who I first met in 2008 on my trip to Israel. Ronnie has supported my ministry in New Orleans and Namibia since then. He gave me a few bags of brand new shirts to take to Pastor Mel at Bethel. And his church as a whole blessed me with a love offering and bought most of the FHS calendars I had left. When I arrived in New Orleans, I took the shirts to Pastor Mel. He was very grateful and gave me a tour of the new parts of their facility. As we parted, I told him to let me know if there was anything I could do for him while I was here. He told me to go down to the car wash and encourage the ladies there. So I did.

I decided to swing by Walgreens and buy some drinks for the ladies using some of the money from the love offering I was given. They just happened to have their big Gatorades on sale and the manager said I could buy as many as I liked even though there was technically a 10 quantity limit. (Even a small thing like that is not too small of a thing for me to notice and acknowledge God's grace and provision.) I took the Gatorades to the car wash and let them wash my car as well. The money generated from that car wash goes towards Bethel's programs. I helped a lady unload the Gatorades and then I went to sit down. Ginger, who manages that part of the ministry, called all the women over and they were given a drink. As they passed back by, they all thanked me, a few even gave me a grateful hug. I chatted with a some of the women while I waited. I got to know one lady in particular named Feritha. We talked about her time at Bethel and all that God has taught her. She graduates from the program in one month. She feels called into full-time ministry. She shared with me that she'll actually stay at Bethel for another year, contributing to the program as a graduate. God has big things in store for that woman! I prayed with her before I left and tried to encourage her as she continues on this journey.

By this time, my car was ready. I got up to leave and thanked the two ladies at the drying station. One of them had only been in the program for a day. You could still see the wide-eyed look on her face. She was probably a few years younger than me. I encouraged her to stick with the program (many leave prematurely and return to a life of addiction). The other lady was Sheila. She's been at Bethel for 2.5 weeks. She gave me a hug and said, "I just want to thank you for the confirmation you gave me a few minutes ago." I wasn't sure what she was referring to, but she went on. "I'm used to getting what I want, when I want it. And just this morning, I had to cut ties with some relationships in my life that I was dependent on. Those people were holding me back from the changes I need to make in my life. It was a hard thing to do. I could always call them and they would bring me things. And about five minutes before you arrived, I had just been complaining to myself... 'I don't even have a cup to get a drink!'. And then you showed up. I can't tell you what that means to me. I know that God is going to take care of me and provide for me." There were tears in Sheila's eyes as she told me this. I gave her a hug and continued to encourage her. And I was reminded that what might have seemed like a small thing to me, was something God wanted to use in a big way in someone's life. I'm glad that I could provide a drink to all of the ladies that day, but I'm thankful most of all that God used me to make a big impact in Sheila's life as she surrenders to Him and continues to grow during her time at Bethel.

Will you join me in prayer for Sheila and all the men and women at Bethel? I believe in this program and I've seen with my own eyes the incredible transformation that can happen if they stick with the program and allow God to take away those strongholds. But it's not an easy journey for them. Many will give up and return to their previous way of life. But by God's grace and a commitment to change, they can overcome addiction and find true peace and joy.