Albert, 36, was an intravenous drug user for about seven years. After the mother of his two children, ages 5 and 3, died from complications of an infection, his use intensified. The mother of his late significant other implored Albert to get help at Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio Valley. He hesitated at first and after arriving, he fought the program, giving everyone a hard time. Albert stuck it out though.
The Weirton, W.Va., man knew the program was working when he started to see doors begin to open.
“Family restoration, my spiritual growth, myself… God just started working on my heart right away,” Albert said. “It was exactly what I needed,” he added. He’ll graduate Aug. 20 and hopes to work as an intern at the organization.
By attending church regularly and being around like-minded people, Albert started to grow in his spirituality while at ATCOV. “I got saved here the day after I came in,” he said. “I was a mess, but I signed up for the baptism sheet and got baptized.” Albert wanted to be baptized, but he didn’t really know much about what that meant. He didn’t have a foundation of faith in his life. That came through ATCOV and when he started to accept and work the process.
Now his life is completely different. “I have a positive outlook about everything,” Albert said. “I tend to want to help others, like always. Before it was just kind of like a dog-eat-dog mentality.” Had he not come to ATCOV, Albert doesn’t think he’d be alive.
Now he’s just excited about life and everything in it. “I just have a totally different outlook on life,” he said. “Every day, I see where I’m just sowing seeds for my children.” “Teen Challenge really did save my life,” Albert said. “It took me a while to hear some of the other brothers’ testimony, but that’s what really got me. After I heard what they had been through and saw where they are now, that’s the reason I’m still here for sure. And God being the centerpiece is definitely it, too.”
