The Difference for Trey

After years of struggling with drugs—and serving his third prison term—29-year-old Trey, a Texas native, knew he needed to find a Christ-centered long-term recovery program. “There’s a hole in me. I’ve been dealing with life on my own terms. I can’t do it on my own. I know I need God.” He was excited to find what he was seeking—at Hope Ministries—here in Iowa.

“I’ve always wanted to go to the Midwest. When I was a kid, my siblings and I all showed animals in 4-H,” he says. “It probably sounds crazy, but being in Iowa is literally a dream come true for me.”

Trey was released from prison in March and had decided to make a clean start. But within weeks, temptation beckoned. “I saw myself migrating back to a bad crowd. I could see it happening. I talked to my parents and told them I’d already jumped off the high dive and was halfway in again.”

With the support of his family, Trey began an Internet search for long-term recovery programs with a spiritual emphasis. And while he learned about a number of programs, he wanted something different.

Eventually, he found Hope Ministries. He made phone calls, talked with our staff members and bought a bus ticket to Iowa. “I like the family feeling here. There’s a homey distinction and the staff seem like they really care,” he says.

Trey is currently enrolled in our long-term Journey of Hope recovery program and looking forward to growing in his faith. “Time isn’t the issue. Whatever time it takes to get right with God and deal with my past, I’ll take it,” he says. “I need to stop living my will and, instead, live out His will for me.”