I woke up this morning to the realization that my truck was missing. A sinking feeling gripped my stomach as my suspicions were confirmed – my truck had been stolen.
Bryan* arrived here from the streets of Indy two weeks ago. We have eaten every meal and spent nearly every waking moment together, battling the demons of drugs that have held him captive for the past 30 years. Nearly half of his life has been spent behind bars for one drug-related crime after another. Bringing him here was risky and most would say it was down-right foolish. We were supposed to be a short 3-4 day stop on his rehab journey. He was headed to a treatment program in OH and needed a safe place to stay until they could take him. COVID-19 restrictions meant that he spent 14 days here instead.
He had some drug withdrawal issues, but overall, it was better than expected. Then another guest at the farm went to purchase alcohol. One thing led to another, and the old thoughts and influences came flooding back. Bruce managed to take my vehicle, drive to Indy, and purchase $50 of illegal drugs. I called him at our normal morning prayer time at 7:00a.m., and miraculously, he answered. After several lies, I finally got the truth. He was terrified that I would call the police and send him back to prison. Instead, I forgave him and brought him home. I wept with him and called out to God on his behalf as we drove that hour back home.
“How can you just forgive me after all I just did to you?” he asked.
“I can forgive you, because God has forgiven me.” I responded, “While what you did was wrong and there are consequences and broken trust, I love you and forgive you.”
Walking the road with Bryan and all the broken, hurting people like him is not for the faint of heart. It is a battle. It is intense spiritual warfare. It is exhausting. I pray daily that God will give us His wisdom and protection as we fight this fight. I pray that I will not make the wrong decisions. People’s lives are at stake. My family is at stake. While what we bit off was probably more than we could chew, we did it for Jesus’ sake. All we do here at Victory Acres is for His sake. “I was a stranger and you took me in…,” Jesus said.
Hospitality from the “margins” is always a challenge. People are not down and out without a reason. Generally, the reason they are sleeping under a bridge is that they have burned every other relational bridge. They are the “men among tombs” of our day, living on the societal margins, driven from polite society. The demons that haunt and inhabit their troubled minds and torment their souls are unseen but very real. And too often we go through the same motions that the Gadarenes went through – binding with chains, or a modern medicating with drugs, but never seeing them truly delivered and made whole.
We ended the day with Bryan at our table eating with us, sharing our family’s devotional time, and then heading off on his next step towards recovery – an amazing treatment center in rural OH. In God’s good time, Bryan will be back. We are praying daily for his full deliverance.
As we continue this work, I need your help. The battle for life is real, and Victory Acres needs soldiers. We are praying daily that God will provide for those that He is calling to this ministry. Would you join us in that prayer? Also, we are praying daily for God’s provision for the farm. Would you consider giving to help us help others? Your gift will make it possible for us to do the work that so desperately needs to be done here.
Thanks to all of you who have prayed, given, and encouraged us through this challenging time. It means so much to have friends like you. May God richly bless you.
In Christian Love,
The Himelick Family
*Names have been changed for privacy.
The Gathering at Victory Acres 