You put the smile on Ron’s face. Because you support the Mission, Ron Davies is a new man.
Ron thought he had his drinking under control. “I believed I could quit drinking anytime I wanted to.” But when he realized alcohol was affecting his health and lifestyle, he found he could not stop.
“I was a police officer for 14 years and drank it away. I was married for six years and drank it away.”
Single and unemployed, Ron joined a series of recovery groups. Still, he could not shake the hold alcohol had on him. He eventually found himself hospitalized in a detox program. Then Ron received a call from Pastor Tony Peterson that changed the trajectory of his life.
Tony is the Senior Pastor of the Church of Christ in Frederick and a graduate of the Mission’s Changed Life Recovery Program (CLRP). Ron’s family reached out to Tony, asking for his help. When Tony recommended the CLRP, Ron was desperate enough to try anything—even giving up a year of his life in a residential program.
Ron had always been closed-minded about the Christian faith and knew almost nothing about it. “After I arrived, it took me a while to warm up to the program. Everyone was talking about Jesus and happiness, and I didn’t get it.”
But the examples of the residents and staff wore down Ron’s cynicism.
Jake Sexton is the CLRP Case Manager and a graduate of the program. He led an inner healing class that caused Ron to ask, “Why am I drinking? Why do I do things to excess?” Soon Ron realized he looked up to Jake, even though Ron was more than 10 years older!
“My father passed away after I had been in the program for a month. That was extremely hard, but the other program residents got me through it.” Ron started to see the genuine life in the believers around him. “The barrier between God and me broke down little by little.”
Ron graduated from the CLRP last May and has been sober for 16 months. Even better, he now has a relationship with his Creator. He is happier than he has been in years and has rebuilt his relationship with his eight-year-old daughter. This life change is possible because of your partnership with us. “The Rescue Mission saved my life in more ways than one.”
