By John F. | Staff, Recovery & Transition Program Graduate 

I grew up in a home the youngest of three brothers.  I had a Christian mother and an alcoholic father who was not present for much of my childhood.  I started to drink alcohol when I was 12 years old, my mother did not like it but my father permitted it.  I drank heavily and at the age of 18 I tried cocaine for the first time at gunpoint by my boss.  Up until that night I was the only one of his workers who was not a user of cocaine.  For the next two years I snorted cocaine for free while I worked for him.  When my wife became pregnant I left my job and started a new job with people who were not so tied to the drug community.  I stopped using cocaine for 5 years, it was the best time for our marriage but with time, our marriage started having problems and my wife left me.  I left my job and my new job was located in one
of the biggest selling and trafficking neighborhoods in Medellin.  Alone, depressed and constantly invited to drink and use drugs with old friends, it was only a matter of time.

My life at that point hit an all time low.  I was no longer in control of my addiction, but my addiction was in full control of my life.  I began to think and then made the decision to commit suicide.  First I bought enough cocaine to overdose, but it did not take my life.  So one night I decided I would jump in front of the metro train.  I called my mom, my ex-wife and my kids to say goodbye.

I boarded the train in San Antonio and began to look for where I would get off and jump in front of a train. I sat next to an old woman who reminded me of my mother.  The woman was sound asleep. As I sat next to her I recognized she was listening to a Alex Campos song written about friendship.  As I began to listen the woman woke up and grabbed my arm she said, “Jesus loves you and he wants me to tell you that what you are planning to do you should not do.  Jesus loves you.”  As quickly as she woke up she went back to sleep.

Not long after I arrived at the City of Refuge.  After the encounter on the train I called my mother and told her to speak to her Pastor about finding me a recovery program.  The Pastor had recently met a young man who had successfully completed the City of Refuge recovery program.  He made the connection and we went for an interview.

It was not an easy choice to come in to the foundation.  Although I was at the bottom, I was still working and I had “freedom.”  But I made the choice and it was the best thing I have done.

Three days into the foundation and I had not slept because of my anxiety for cocaine.  I met the evening of the 4th night with my mentor and I prayed to accept Christ.  Then I found a corner in a room where I could pray and I said to God, “please if you are real and you want me to stay, I need to sleep.”  I have never lost another night of sleep. 

“God will keep in perfect peace the man whose mind is steadfast upon him.”

I finished my one year program and am now working in the foundation, helping manage the foundation bakery and a project called, “Manos que Obran.”   I am trusting God to continue restoring my family and my future.