I'd like to tell you a true story about a close friend of mine and Cheryl's named April Moore. She and her husband, Chip, are in a Newspring (our Church, baby) sponsored Home Group that meets in our house every Wednesday night. This is in her own words:
I was raised in an upper middle class neighborhood in Anderson. I am my father's only child but I have a half-brother that is 8 years younger than me. I left home at age 16 and was in full-blown active addiction at this time. I had only drunk alcohol, tried pills and marijuana. I left home and moved in with a boyfriend (who happened to use and sometimes sell drugs). I became pregnant at the age of 19 with my daughter. I found out I was pregnant after my first stay in jail. I stopped using during the pregnancy and she was born healthy and normal. I became pregnant again two years later (age 21) with my son and again stopped using and had a healthy child. After my son's birth I found what became my drug of choice-methamphetamine. I used constantly for the next two years-doing whatever necessary to obtain the drugs; staying up for days and days on end. The week prior to June 21st, 2001 was when I hit rock bottom. I was held in my house against my will and beaten and abused for a week. The whole time I was up on meth and not allowed to eat. The children were in the house. I had never been allowed to leave the house with both children at the same time because the person who I was with feared that I would leave. I wanted to get out of the drug lifestyle but at this point I wasn't able to get free.
At one point during this week, I was on the floor, physically unable to get completely to my feet. I mustered enough strength to get up on one knee. My then husband approached me with a 45 caliber handgun that was loaded with hollow point bullets and placed it between my eyes. He told me he was going to kill me and then kill himself. I wasn't raised in church, we didn't pray before meals or say bedtime prayers. However, I cried out in my heart to God with all sincerity and asked Him if he was there, and did exist, if he would give me a chance to get my kids out of there, I would sober up and find out who he is. I just talked to God from my heart- even though I didn't feel like I knew how to- and honestly begged Him to save me and my children. What seemed like about fifteen minutes passed and my husband took the gun away from my head and told me to take both of the children and go get him something to eat and more beer. Now I found the strength and I had the opportunity to pick up both of my children (then ages 3-1/2 and 1-1/2), put one on each hip and walk across a field to get to a phone to call police for help. It was June 20th, 2001.
I went to a safehouse with the children, got into alcohol and drug treatment, eventually re-connected with my family (I hadn't spoken to them in 8 years, my mother didn't see my babies born), and began a life finding out who God is and what He wants for me.
I later moved in with my mom and step dad, got a job, completed treatment, started going to church, saved money and got onto my feet. From there I have been blessed and blessed and blessed. God laid the vision for the APRIL house on my heart and has equipped me every step of the way. I am the most blessed girl ever!!
Having been around Chip and April these past few months, I can truly say that they have been radically transformed by God Himself. They both have terrific, powerful testimonies of what God can do. There coming into our lives has been a rich blessing that gets richer by the day.
Several years after April's escape she felt God prompting her to start a non-profit recovery house for men seeking a place to stay while they continue their recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. It is a place where they can get their feet back on the ground in the areas of learning to follow rules, accountability partnerships, gaining employment and in general to recover, manage and be responsible for their own lives. As in all 12 step programs, spirituality and worshipping a higher power is encouraged but of course in April's case it goes much, much farther than this as she will let you and anyone who will listen that this Higher Power has a name- Jesus Christ.
For April, this house is a Ministry and she is carrying through on a promise she made to her Creator when she was on one bended knee with a gun between her eyes. It is truly an outgrowth of her, in her words, "finding out who HE is".
The house opened in 2005 and has been successful in helping transform lives. The story of starting the APRIL house is much more complex than all of this so if you would like to know more, please let Cheryl or I know and we will be glad to explain more or we can put you in touch with Mrs. April herself. She would love to tell you more. And also, if you would like to make a donation to the APRIL house (I am encouraging you to do so) you can make your checks payable to:
The APRIL House
724 Anderson Street,
Belton, SC 29627
Following are some pictures from a few Saturdays ago, when most of our Home Group helped Chip and April have a "Clean-up" day at the April House. The first picture is of April.
Some of the men in the House:
Home Groupers:
Chip:
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