New Hope Recovery Ranch Mashach Inc.

 

 

My drinking ruled my life. I was always being told drinking was ruining my life and those around me. We treat the ones who love us most the worst.

 

In 1996, I went to jail for three months for drug use. I was doing meth, so the people around me thought I’d quit drinking for periods of time, then go back when meth really got bad. I finally quit meth; then the drinking turned on me. I got to the point of craving it. My day revolved around pints of vodka. I’d wake up in the morning at my sister’s, knowing I did something stupid the night before or not remembering a fight and saying to myself, “I’ve got to stop!”

 

Right after the New Year in 2000, I ended up in a mental health facility in West Sacto. I was told I wanted to end it all, but I 
called the cops on myself. My mom took me to Yearington to "fix me." That lasted about 1 1/2 months.

 

I then went to Reno to a mental health facility for three weeks. They told my mom to let go—and she did. I was on the streets of Reno. I remember I woke up strapped to the floor face down in a padded room. They let me out. I woke up there again in another room. A nurse asked me if I liked it there in mental health because I kept coming back.

 

I ended up at the Center Street Mission at the drop-in shelter. One day, we got food at St. Vincent. I was done with it all. I grabbed a metal can lid and put it in my pocket. I had a vision of sitting under a tree and cutting my throat. I saw no way out.  I just couldn’t do it anymore. I had a sore that wouldn’t heal and for the last two years my blood alcohol level was 0.23.

 

As I walked out of the mission, a man grabbed my hand and asked where I was going. I said, “For a walk,” and he said, “No. I know another way.” I didn’t know anyone was watching or cared (but God). I still cry to this day about that moment.

 

I learned a little about Jesus for four months. I was on the pantry truck doing okay…then I stopped "doing" and drank again. I picked up right where I left off. They shipped me out of town to Silver Springs.

 

I got to [New Hope Recovery Ranch] in March 2001. I was the 33rd person to go through there then. It was a struggle at times. Change was the hardest thing. Learning to take care of animals and myself. I’ve got hundreds of stories of how God worked at New Hope. I learned that the power to change only comes from the Holy Spirit, if you’re willing to be totally honest and work at it.

 

I was the first foreman and the first one to finish all 12 steps–a spiritual journey. Not those little 12 steps–this Rick and Teresa (aka Ma and Pa), my spiritual parents. Eight years and five months I’ve not once had a desire to pick up a drink.
Thank you, Jesus. I could spend half the day telling of the miracles and the move of the Lord out here."

 

 

Six months ago, I was living only to drink and get by. I had a gallon-of-whiskey-a-day habit, plus all of the marijuana I could smoke. I would also medicate myself with anything else that came along. I’ve died twice and been hospitalized on a few different occasions, all due to drinking or drugs. 

 

Although I’m only 31 years old, I’ve been drinking and drugging for almost 20 of them. I was at a point in my life where I had lost or walked out of six different jobs in the last year. I had completely lost any relationship with my son. Most of my friends did not want anything to do with me. The ones who would talk to me, I used to get as much out of them as possible.

 

I had pretty much sold everything I could to drink myself to death. I decided to leave my house and rent a motel room. It was there I decided that I did not want to live any more. I had enough money left to buy four gallons of whiskey and a bag of pot and I was going to drink to my death. After two days, all was gone, yet I was strangely alive. It was then I decided I wanted to live, just not as I was.

 

I’ve been through three rehabs already in my life, so I knew that if I were going to survive, it was going to have to be something different.  

 

For the first time in my life, I reached for the Bible for an answer. I honestly can’t remember what I read but somehow it got me through the night. The next day, I went to see a social worker about getting into a rehab. The first thing I asked was were there any “long-term” facilities in the area. She dug through her desk drawer and found a card for New Hope Recovery Ranch. So I made the call on that Monday, leaving a message. By 9:00 Tuesday, I could no longer wait and I called again. I got Pastor Teresa and I spoke with her briefly, telling her my story and she simply said, “Get out here now. God is telling me you need to be here!” So I came to the ranch that night, without a drink and shaky as could be.

 

In the last six months here at the ranch, I have learned that it was God missing from my life. I must say I was very doubting for awhile; however, as time progressed, it became evident that God was real and active in my life. This is my Spiritual Awakening, as described in the Big Book of AA! I have learned how to let God work through me, and that He would love me no matter what. I’ve been given the tools to keep my life going in a positive direction. The classes and the program are totally different from anything I’ve been taught before. 

 

I thank God for this program and my life every day. If it wasn’t for the Pastors and their hearts, I would most likely be dead.  Thank God I’m not!  Amen!

 

 

My name is Jared. I was born and raised in Turlock, CA. I grew up in a very verbally and physically abusive home, where my  
parents were both alcoholics. My parents divorced when I was 9 years  old; I was very confused about life. They found Christ separately and re-married when I was 11 years old. 

 

Things were great at home since they got back together, but I decided to use drugs, and had no idea about the consequences. I was living two different lifestyles and trained myself to be normal around family; I still believed I didn’t have a problem, even though I was using pain killers every day at 14 years old. By age 17, I fortunately graduated high school, then shortly after became homeless. At 18, I was fully addicted to opiates for going on 8 years and heroin for about 2 years, and I knew there was no turning back. 

 

I had had nothing to do with God, but one day sitting in my broken-down car on the side of the road where I slept at night, God spoke to me, saying. “Are you going to live, or die?” At that moment, I realized He had a purpose for my life, and it surely wasn’t this. After that, I begged my parents to take me to rehab, not caring where I had to go or what I had to do, but just desperately wanting to straighten up my life. I knew I had a problem.

Sept. 21, 2005, I got my last heroin high at the Perko’s Restaurant in Placerville, while on my way to Silver Springs, NV. I knew I was going to rehab, but didn’t know where it was or what it was truly about. All I could do was envision the day I would get out of rehab, before I had even arrived. We drove into the desert, and soon arrived at New Hope Recovery Ranch. I was shocked; I thought I would be in a hospital-type environment. I was a skater, so I was just wondering where all the concrete was!

 

I had a ten-day detox; I started to feel peace over my body and mind. After I detoxed, I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, and my eyes were opened. It was around this time I met my wife-to-be; we were forbidden to talk to each other, and I continued to follow the program the right way, and I was blessed with her friendship after leaving the ranch around two 
years later.

 

In the meantime, at the ranch I was taught about and learned how important it was to live by God’s word - the Holy Bible and the 12 Steps. I made a commitment to stay for 6 months; before the 6 months were over, I was asked to become ranch foreman. I took the position and then made a commitment to stay for a whole year. 

 

God was changing me daily. God put me in a position of leadership and responsibility back then, and that experience gave me the strength and wisdom to stay clean and sober to this day. I thank God for Pastors Rick and Teresa and this program that God has given them, and how effective it can be for those who really want to work it. At the ranch, I was blessed to see miracles and healings done by God for both people and animals. God even used me to heal a goat’s eye!

 

I graduated from the program after 1 year and was ready to go back into the real world. I wasn’t afraid, God was in control of my life now, and he was leading me through it. I moved back to Turlock and got plugged into a spirit-filled church and 12-step class. That’s about all I did besides work for almost a year.

 

One week before I attended a spirit-filled conference in Rocklin, CA, my dad came to me and told me something I would never consider my dad saying to me. He said, “Son, God spoke to me and said that a woman is going to come into your life, from HIM.” I didn’t believe him. I laughed about it, but deep inside I had almost completely given up on finding someone that was equally yoked, and that held the same values and morals that I did. The time came to attend the meeting and I saw someone I never thought I would see again, Ashley. I immediately asked for her phone number, and I was happy to make a friend; I didn’t have any real friends, and it turns out she didn’t, either. We became the best of friends; we talked about any and everything there was to talk about, we prayed for each other, and we encouraged each other daily. I fell in love with her, and after only 2 months of dating, I was already certain she would be the one I would marry. I did marry her, 1 year later on September 7, 2008, and Pastor Rick was blessed to marry us.

 

We are very happily married. We are best friends and always have a lot of fun together. We love God, love nature, always work as a team, and can’t wait to start a family of our own. We live in Turlock, CA, we have 3 dogs (our children!) and 2 cats. I work full time for a painting business, and Ashley is studying to become a CNA. We often testify to others of the new life God has given us, and wonderful things he brought us through and all he has blessed us with. God is so good, every day is a new day, and I look forward to every moment I am alive. I thank Him for everything He has done, and may He receive all the glory.