Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

(Psalms 51:10-11 NKJV)

Before coming to the Christian Aid Center, my life was a mess. I was tired of life ‘on the run.’ I did not have a relationship with the Lord and was addicted to pornography and marijuana.  I was bitter with the hand I had been dealt and it did not matter what anyone else thought I should do. I did not want to face reality and was set on doing things my way.  Eventually, the addiction became so overwhelming I realized I needed change. I feel that God led me to Walla Walla, to be planted here for Him.

My life as a born-again Christian began in 2004 at the Christian Aid Center.  I had been attending the Bible studies as often as I could, volunteering my time for the services provided at CAC — doing the laundry for the Men’s Dorm, the announcements at meals, and other necessary maintenance jobs on the weekends.  The aspect of giving back without the expectation of a return and being content with what God provided weighed heavily on my heart.  I went on a retreat to Wallowa, Oregon and that was where I made the public proclamation to give my life over to God. I was baptized in Wallowa Lake and lived on a spiritual high for about two weeks. During that time I became consumed with passion for the Lord.  However, the high hit me hard when I realized that not everyone else had the same passion for the Lord. I started having doubts, going through the motions, and eventually walked away from God.

In 2006, I came back to CAC and realized that God was still in my life, he’d been carrying me through my times of trouble and despair. I developed a new love for Him, confessed my sins and asked for His mercy, grace, and forgiveness.  Once again, I felt His presence in my life.  It was at this time that I was torn between staying in Walla Walla or going to Louisiana to aid the Katrina victims, God placed in my path the woman that I would eventually marry.  We are still married to this day because we both feel that God crossed our paths for a purpose that was beyond our understanding.

I came back to CAC in May of 2009 and got involved with the Men’s Program, a program that has completely changed my life.  I started participating in Bible studies and  classes — The Quest for Authentic Manhood, Victory Over the Darkness, The Bondage Breaker, Who’s Pushing Your Buttons, Boundaries, Safe People, and Changes that Heal.  As part of the men’s program, I also worked in the kitchen, monitored the men’s dorm, did maintenance jobs, and special projects.  I found a home church, Amazing Grace Church of the Nazarene, and a mature Christian man to be my mentor.  I am also on the greeter team and a part of the worship team ministry.  God has also placed it on my heart to help others in need of recovery from an addiction and I am currently preparing for that ministry. This program is Christian and uses Bible based material to make the spiritual aspect of recovery the key to true recovery.

I am currently enrolled at Nazarene Bible College in the Pastoral Ministry program because I have received the call from God to be a minister, which I am very excited about. I also have a position with Blue Mountain Action Council as an on-site manager for the Lincoln Terrace Apartments, a new permanent supported housing complex on 3rd Street. My duties there are very similar to the duties I performed at CAC while in the Men’s Program.

God continues to demonstrate His power to change lives one person at a time.  Please pray for Lee and his family as he continues to deepen his personal faith and follow God’s leading in his life.

The primary mission of the Christian Aid Center is to offer hope, restoration, and transformation to our guests by encouraging a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Lee is one of our guests who successfully completed the Men’s Program and has made many positive life changes. This is his story.