Recovery

Justin from Novinger, Missouri, began his descent into addiction during high school when he started hanging out with older kids. What began as innocent partying to fit in eventually spiraled into destructive behavior—hurting his family, losing jobs, and disappearing for weeks at a time. “One day I woke up and I had been sitting in jail for several months, and that’s when I knew it had gone too far,” Justin shares. After 10 months in jail, watching his mom cry during visits and realizing his so-called friends had vanished, he knew it was time for change. That’s when the opportunity to come to Heartland appeared.

At Heartland, Justin found hope and guidance through his relationship with God and a mentor named JC Morgan. “He was a great spiritual leader and he was just there for me to talk to anytime I was having a bad day,” Justin recalls. That consistent support helped him break the cycle of hopelessness and begin rebuilding his life. Today, his family is proud of the man he’s become, and for the first time in a long time, he has real direction. “I have hope and just plans to go somewhere in life,” he says.

Kevin from Kirksville, Missouri, reached a point where addiction had drained all joy from his life. “I was broken… there was a lot of roads that led to nowhere, and I didn’t want that,” he shares. Though he had been in contact with Heartland Recovery for a year, he couldn’t enter the program until he dealt with outstanding warrants. Eventually, jail became the wake-up call he couldn’t ignore. Tired of living a life with no future, Kevin finally surrendered and took the step toward real change.

At Heartland, Kevin’s transformation began with trust—specifically from his group leader. “Once he began to trust me, that led me to kind of restore the integrity that I once had,” Kevin recalls. That restored integrity opened the door to a renewed relationship with the Lord and helped him find a sense of identity again. Life groups became healing spaces for him: “The cordiality of the life group… was the medicine that my heart needed to help me to just feel like I could be normal again.” Today, Kevin is rebuilding relationships with his family and especially cherishes the restored connection with his kids.

You don’t have to stay stuck in the cycle of addiction. As Kevin says, “Jesus is truly the answer… there is hope.” If you’re ready to take that first step toward healing, visit hlandrecovery.org and discover the path to restoration.

Andrew, from Hannibal, Missouri, started drugs and alcohol at just 14 years old. Finding himself trapped in addiction for years, eventually facing serious prison time and the heartbreaking reality of leaving his children fatherless Andrew recalls, “I just knew that my kids deserve better than that.” When given the option of long-term treatment or a 19- to 23-year sentence, he chose recovery—and God opened the door to Heartland. “I didn’t get past any other application but Heartland. I just knew that if anywhere I was going to change, it was going to be Heartland.”

Several months into his time at Heartland Recovery, Andrew’s life took another unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with cancer. Strangely, it became a spiritual turning point. “Cancer was the best thing to happen to me spiritually,” he says. It brought him closer to God and helped him see life in a new way, full of joy and meaning. Today, Andrew has restored relationships with his kids and family, and he knows his future is in God’s hands.

If you or someone you love is battling addiction, there is hope. Reach out to Heartland Recovery—where lives are being changed and restored through the love of Jesus Christ.