Before I came to Faith Home Adult & Teen Challenge in April of 2019, I lost my job, my house, my car, and my son was taken from me. The judge told me because of my history with drugs and violence I wasn’t allowed to even have supervised visitations. I was lost and broken. I was out in Turlock homeless and on a handful of hard street drugs.
A couple months before the program I was picked up by an ambulance on the street and when I got to the hospital, they called my mom and asked her to identify my body and plan a funeral. I had a variety of issues in my body. There was an abscess in one of my lungs from heroin, meth gave me a heart murmur and pericarditis. Also, from sleeping on the sidewalk in the winter I caught severe pneumonia. I had a tube in my chest draining my lung, oxygen tubes and IVs. I spent over a month in two hospitals working with physical therapy because I could barely walk and I wasn’t talking in complete sentences. After miraculously being discharged from the hospital I went right back to the drugs like I didn’t learn my lesson.
This program is a vessel that the Lord uses in unimaginable ways. It taught me how to forgive and love myself and others. I was agnostic upon entering this discipleship program. I had no desire to read the Bible or pray but I gave my heart to the Lord a couple months in. I almost wasn’t accepted into the program because the staff thought I might die in the bed but thanks to Pastor Rick giving me a chance I have accomplished more than I ever thought I could.
I spent a week of my blackout in the hospital because my body was giving out again.But God had other plans and kept me alive. During my time here we went to see Billy Burk and I was healed by the laying on of hands and on my next doctor’s visit all the tests came back normal, and the doctor asked me how that is possible? I only knew one thing, it’s because of God! Also, during my time here, the judge told me, “Congratulations you can have your son back.” I put God first in all I was doing and He blessed me with new health and family restoration.
Since graduating from the program, I went back to school to become an Addiction Counselor. I finished all my classes and completed my internship hours at Prodigal Sons and Daughters. On July 3rd this year I passed my state exam to be a Certified Addiction Counselor. I now work for La Familia where I’m counseling the local homeless population and helping out at the We Care men’s shelter. I got back on my feet and now I’m engaged and have my own spot to live and be a happy and sober family man. I have self-published 10 faith-based books with more to come, all available on Amazon under the author’s name Z.C. Jackson. I wrote an 8 book workbook series titled Rising to Victory. They are geared towards addiction and recovery. I also have a 40-day Devotional out that my niece helped me with for the artwork. And I stay connected with my church with mentors and serving on the security team. I’m very grateful for this program for introducing me to the Lord and I can’t wait to see what else the Lord has for me in the days to come.
A few verses that I constantly go back to throughout my journey are:
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!”
Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Psalm 18:1-2 “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
GOD BLESS!
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