FROM SMALL BUSINESS MAN OF THE YEAR TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON

Mike, with children from our Right Tracks program, an after-school program for inner-city children.

"I grew up in a Christian home. My parents took me to church on Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday night. As I entered high school, I started drinking and smoking pot on the weekends. When I was 17, it really began to get out of control."

"At 18 I was introduced to meth. That was what I did the most, meth and drinking. I went to a trade school for 2 to 3 months but I did not go to class, spending most of my time drinking and getting high. I quit and came home."

"I began working for a construction company. That was when I started using heavily. That was all I lived for. I was working constantly. I was the only one in my family who did not go to college. I was determined I was going to make it big no matter what it cost me."

"Two years later I got married and we had our first child. That’s when reality hit— the pressures of having a child. It was pretty heavy. I wanted to be a good father and a good provider. I was working 70-80 hours per week. I was using in order to maintain that pace. Eventually we had two more children."

"Over 13 years I was a partner in a directional drilling company that installed fiber optic wiring. All four of us were using heavily. I stayed gone with the job. Through all that time, my addiction was out of control."

"I would go to my dad a lot of times when things were getting tough. He would tell me there was more to life than money and would point me to the Word. But I would still go back to my drug lifestyle."

"I knew things were out of control, that I needed to do things differently. I knew of God but did not know Him personally. I would come in every two to three months and talk with my dad and really wanted to change. I was so physically addicted that I knew it would take something different than just saying I wanted to quit."

"My dad got me into Teen Challenge and I went to the Hot Springs Induction Center. After two months I quit. I was already drunk before I got to the state line. I knew what I needed to do and didn’t do it."

"All the money I was making and all we were doing business wise helped keep me from doing what I needed to do. I was driving a new truck and we had the best of everything. In 2001 we were the Small Business of the Year and did over $2,400,000 worth of business."

"My relationship with my wife began falling apart. I was never at home. All I cared about was my job and doing drugs. I never had a life with my family. I felt like that as long as I provided for my family, I was an okay father. We grew apart and divorced after 12 years of marriage. Shortly after that, the market fell out and our company went bankrupt. That put me out of a job."

"That was when I returned home. About all I was doing was cooking meth and using. We would do some little jobs for other contactors out of state. We were back and forth across the state line a lot."

"We were coming back from out of state when we got pulled over. We were charged with manufacturing meth and conspiracy to manufacture meth. I spent five months in the county jail. The penalty I was facing was 20 years to life in prison. That was what they offered me."

"While my buddies were trying to figure out how they could get out of jail, I wanted to go back to Teen Challenge. I wanted to finish what I had started. I talked to my attorney. The prosecutor was against letting me go into the program. He kept pressing the 20 years to life sentence. They finally offered me seven years probation plus I am required to complete Teen Challenge."

"I returned to the Induction Center in Hot Springs. This is where I finally let go and started letting God work in my life. Throughout my whole addiction I know it had to be the hand of God that kept me. I know that I should not be able to be in Teen Challenge, that I should not have this opportunity to change my life. But God has given me the opportunity to do that."

"God is doing an awesome work in my life. I had come to the conclusion that I would die in my addiction. That is how it would end up. It was too late to change anything and I would always be addicted to drugs and alcohol."

"God has restored my relationship with my family. They always loved me but now we have something in common. We can talk about God and the power of his love. I have a good relationship with my children now."

"Being in Teen Challenge International of Mid-America has taught me a lot about being obedient to authority, how to learn from those in authority. I now know about God’s love."

"The program has taught me how to forgive and has given me a peace in my heart. I have learned to love others as I love myself. Before I had a lot of hate, rage and anger. I was angry because I thought it was wrong that everything fell apart. I worked so long and had nothing to show for it."

"Without Jesus being the center of my life there is no way it could have worked. Jesus is the Lord and Leader of my life. From God’s Word I am learning how to prosper the right way and how to do things right."

"After I leave I will go to re-entry for six months and just let the Lord lead me this time. I know God will give me direction. I just want to do what God wants me to do. He has given me a second chance. I want to serve God and know about God and his love for me. I have a hope now."