Michael Longbons was 16 years old when his parents enrolled him into TCAR in 2009. He had rejected God, mainly to rebel against his parents and to allow himself to continue self-destructive habits and behaviors. “I knew God was real. I’d even felt His presence at...
Changed Life Stories
Evidence of Changed Lives through Residential Mental Health Treatment with a Christ-Centered Approach
Renewing a Family
The teen years can be challenging. For some, drugs, defiant behavior, and difficulty getting along with parents can be the beginning of a lifetime of struggle that leads to addiction, incarceration and even death. Early intervention through Christ-centered residential...
Jorge’s Story
Jorge Bayona’s family migrated to America from Colombia when Jorge was a child. When Jorge was 15, his dad died from injuries sustained in a bar fight. After dad died, Jorge spun out of control. He started making friends that led him a negative direction. Jorge says,...
Luke’s Story
“The kitchen is my mission right now. Eventually I’d love to have a TC sort of ministry where people can come and learn life disciplines and learn a discipline that makes them financially responsible. But for now, I really try to invest in my [kitchen] staff. Christians in Portland are like lepers, but we can have conversations about values, and taking care of yourself and work long hours and I get to share my story with certain people. A lot of kids on drugs work in restaurants. I get to show people they are valuable and have potential like you guys did for me.”
Jordan’s Story
There is much to learn from Jordan’s life: relapse can often be part of recovery; God can use our failures when we turn back to Him; God meets us where we are and works with us in our jacked-up situations; and you never know how much God is doing in someone’s life even if you don’t see it in the moment. My favorite lesson from Jordan’s journey is the profound impact of fully committing to God. A half-hearted Christian life is arguably not even Christian at all. It’s not until full surrender that the born again experience really takes off and we truly begin living.
Jennifer’s Story
Jennifer Torres stood confidently before a small crowd at a dedication event for a new equestrian center at Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch. Two years before, she had been on her knees begging God to save her son. Today, she was in a very different and much happier...