Testimonials
LETTERS FROM THE HEART
Periodically, we like to share with you Letters to God, written by residents of the Home With the Heart during their stay. We hope you will find these to be encouraging as an example of the wonderful change taking place in the hearts of men in their walk with Christ.

Dear Lord,
I come to you for thankfulness, that you sent me the way to the Home with a Heart. Lord this is a blessing. Thank you for Alex, and in the way the Holy Ghost speaks through him to help us. In our walk and recovery over addiction. We give you every honor and glory for your son Jesus Christ, my personal Savior who died on the cross for our sins. I pray that you will keep healing my sick body, and all the other men and women suffering the same or different addiction. May we draw closer to you and your word. May we be leaders and not followers. Lord I pray for my Fiancé, to see that she gets the help that she needs. Heal her mind as well as her soul. Be with my family, as they support me with my addiction. Its all about your grace, how your Holy Spirit sets me free. May you be with me as I leave this program, with your guidance and support. In Jesus name I pray, amen.     Sincerely, A Resident

Dear God,
I just wanted to say thank you Lord for what you have done for me. My life was so unmanageable before you came into it. Thank you for the Home with a heart. There’s a lot of people just like me that need a wonderful place like this. I can feel your presence all over this property. Thank you for restoring the love with my family. I don't know why you love a man that was so wicked as myself. I am so unworthy. Help me to be a better husband and father and servant. Help me to carry your word Lord in every thing I do. Thank you for always being there. When I never knew, you were there. thank you for Alex, he is a good man. He just doesn't know how he blesses my heart and the heart’s of many others. I love you God.        Sincerely, A Resident

From an anonymous Supporter

When I was asked to jot down a few lines about why I support the Home With A Heart, I had to think about  that for a minute. When I first started to give something back to God, I didn't really want to. I wanted to be obedient, but 10% of my take home pay back then that wasn't very much, and it was a burden to give it up. I gave to my local church until the church disbanded. I was very upset that the money wasn't spent the way I would have liked it to, so I started paying closer attention to where I sent my offerings.

The first time I visited the Home With A Heart I knew that I wanted to help. These folk's were doing what God had intended for us to do. I started sending my offerings to the Home. In a very short time I started feeling much better about giving back just a small portion of what God had given to me. As time went on I decided to give 10% of my gross income instead of the net. Ouch, did that hurt! I was worried that this might mean giving up some "stuff" and tightening an already tight budget. God is so cool. Looking back I can't recall anything we had to do without, as a matter of fact God has blessed us even more abundantly.

Somewhere in this process my feelings actually turned around. Giving was no longer a burden, in fact I found myself looking forward to giving. Since then I have learned that I want to give God only my first fruits. I used to make God wait until I could see what was left, but God in his patience still blessed me. Today I can see the difference and it is awesome. Since I've been giving to God first, He has poured out blessing after blessing on my house. Also, since starting this, my business has grown from a sideline into a growing concern.

In the time since I've been giving to the Home, I've seen quite a few addicts and alcoholics turn toward Jesus Christ. They have re-centered themselves in the right direction and have started to make to make a difference in my neighborhood. I really like that.

The greatest reason I give to the Home With A Heart is because I get to see miracle after miracle performed by God. You see, it is my belief that when you witness a miracle you are standing in the presence of the Holy Spirit. This helps me to get out of myself and focus on the "big picture."

I thank God for the opportunity to serve this ministry. Your loving and faithful servant

I started experimenting with drugs when I was approximately 12 years old. I started out drinking beer and liquor, then came the marijuana. When I first started using drugs, it was so I could be cool and have fun. I always promised myself that I would never do any of the harder drugs, but, as I got older I began to experiment with harder drugs such as crank and cocaine. Before I knew what was happening I was addicted. I started doing drugs such as acid and ecstasy, going to clubs, getting into trouble and finally selling drugs. This ended up costing me a marriage, my home and my car. My only concern was getting high. It was about this time that I started doing crack cocaine. Crack cocaine was the one drug I always promised myself I would never do and before I knew it, I was hooked on that too! I was living with so called friends, robbing whoever I could and stealing anything I could to get high. I didn't care about anything or anyone except myself and drugs. I stopped picking up my daughter and stopped spending time with her. I was totally selfish. Then, one Sunday morning I woke up and realized I had a serious problem that I could not control on my own. I knew I needed help because I had tried to stop on my own and couldn't. I called my mother and asked her if she would pick me up and take me to church with her.

She and I attended church that night and afterward I explained to her all of my problems (like she didn't know them already). My mother told me would help me find the help I needed. Thank God for mothers! We called several Treatment Centers without any success. Then we called Home With A Heart and Alex, the director, told me to come for an interview. I went to my interview and talked with Alex, who told me he would have a bed in approximately one week. I came into Home With A Heart on November 2, and rededicated my life that night at the Halls of Hell Presentation held at Gethsemane Baptist Church in Anderson, S.C. I have been at the home for approximately 5 weeks now. It is a wonderful place where God is working miracles everyday. Not only in my life, but, in many others while I have been at the Home With A Heart.

Testimonial for the Newsletter

My name is Chuck, and I'm an alcoholic. Once that was the most difficult thing in my life to admit. After twenty years of drinking, partying, two marriages, two divorces, one DUI, and one felony drug conviction; I still could not admit that I was an alcoholic. Does that sound insane? It is! It's also one of the symptoms of addiction. Finally, with no where else to turn, I realized I needed treatment.

It didn't take long to find out that without insurance or lots of money, I could not get into a treatment facility. Then I found out about HOME WITH A HEART, a Christian-focused retreat for men who are trying to overcome addiction. It cost nothing for me to go through the eight-week program. I was saved, I was baptized and now enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. By believing that Christ died for me and by working the 12-steps of AA. I am sober today, one day at a time.

I have been blessed in so many ways. Let me share with you a few. A few months ago the Home had a need of a Resident Assistant, someone to stay in the home in the evenings to help the men in their recovery process. I was not a choice, but circumstances presented themselves and I was able to fill in until we could find someone permanently. During this time I was re-united with my 12 year old son. He stayed with me in the home and his youth and innocence touched the hearts of the men in the home. He gave these men hope that they could start their lives over again. In return, these men gave my son an education in alcoholism that he could never have received anywhere else, the fact is that most addicted men start abusing drugs and alcohol at the age of 12 or 13.

The most blessed event happened when the Home held our 1st ever revival. On the night before my son was to fly back to California, he accepted Jesus Christ into his heart.

Those events have touched my heart and have given me the conviction to make the HOME WITH A HEART my permanent home. The blessings continue everyday.

ONE DAY AT A TIME

Rick

My name is Rick , and in 1976, at the age of eleven,, I began using drugs. For the next 23 years this destructive behavior continued . I tried every drug imaginable. Several times I attempted to stop or at least slow down. My life was miserable.

On November 14, I entered Home With A Heart. I was a broken man_ strung out on Crack Cocaine, no friends, no family, and no will to go on. The second day at the home I got saved. Two weeks later I was baptized in a local church, and my life has gotten better by the day. Today I love my life to Jesus Christ and thank Him for every day that I wake up and live a sober life. Home With A Heart helped me get my life back. They also helped me to find Jesus Christ. For this I am forever grateful. It is as close to heaven on earth as I can imagine.

I also write, play and sing Christian music. Since I came to Home With A Heart, I have written fifteen songs, and I am currently recording my songs in a studio owned by a man who I met through the home. God truly blesses me every day. Thank you, Home With A Heart, and God bless!

Those events have touched my heart and have given me the conviction to make the HOME WITH A HEART my permanent home. The blessings continue everyday.

 

Barry

My name is Barry Anderson. I was born in Greenville, S.C, and am the youngest of seven children. I started drinking at the age of twelve, and by the time I was fourteen, I was doing drugs and drinking regularly. This life pattern continued for the next twenty years until I finally decided to get help for my problem. I tried several rehabilitation hospitals, but none of them seemed to help very much. After finding myself in jail on burglary charges, I came to Home With A Heart. The small size of the home and its director’s genuine Christian love really showed me what Christian values are. The home taught me how to live life and make it count. The classes on money management and twelve steps have really helped. It has been a real boost to my confidence to learn that no matter what I’ve done, God still loves me. By doing the things learned from the program and going to the meetings regularly I have managed to stay clean for over seven months. The most wonderful thing that has happened to me here at the home is the most priceless gift of salvation through Jesus Christ by the grace of God. I will never be able to repay John Brock for his love and the wonderful blessing he has been to me.