Previous Articles

Finding My Way

As I grew older, I started to drift away from a Christian lifestyle…

A Need for Change

Within a year I was taking hallucinogens, then discovered cocaine, meth and various other drugs to escape from the deep hurt…

An Instilled Passion

I didn’t grow up wanting to be a teacher. I wanted to be a pilot, then an accountant…

Facing my Issues

Get to Know Us: Edition #5

"Ivan" - RSR Student

My name is Ivan, I’m 17 years old and I grew up in a caring Christian family. We went to church every Sunday, prayed before meals, and listened to the Christian radio station.

I began smoking in grade 5, and by grade 8, began to smoke weed which became a daily practice. The spiral continued by experimenting with other drugs and drinking. I could not stop. I lied about what I was doing and this became the main issue with my parents.

My addiction led me to breaking & entering and other unhealthy decisions. I did not trust people and felt I was all alone. I kept my struggles to myself.

I used to sneak out at night to do whatever I wanted. My parents would call the police if I left the house, so I started to run from the police. To keep me out of trouble, my parents and uncle decided to just move me around. For a number of months, I bounced between different family members. I hated everyone and everything, and buried my issues in the drug scene.

Everything came to a head when I broke into someone’s house. I was charged with breaking & entering and got remanded to Rock Solid Refuge (RSR). I put minimal effort into the program and it showed. I ended up leaving, thinking my minimal efforts would be enough…and they weren’t. I fell on my face and kept making terrible choices. I thought I had everything figured out and that my plans would work. After that, I entered the drug scene completely, now using and selling.

In October 2021, I returned to RSR because I desired change. I knew that something had to be different. I learned that if I wanted to stay clean, it would take more effort this time. It has not been easy. I have come face to face with my issues as to why I choose certain activities and decisions. I’m looking forward to graduating from RSR soon.

Hebrews 11:35 says, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” I cling to this promise because it gives me hope. With the return to RSR, I recognized the ‘pull’ drugs had on me, the downward spiral I had entered, and how it led me to a dark place which included paranoia and broken relationships.

My success is found in Jesus, who is my Rock and my Deliverer.

We hope that this content has been informative and helpful. It is our desire to help families and bring struggling teens back together. We encourage you to share this information with others who may be in need.

 

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