Josue loves that the Mission is faith-based. It’s the first time he’s ever “fully surrendered” his addiction to God.

“I’m almost 30. This is not how I pictured my life,” Josue recalled, when asked what led him to the men’s Life Recovery Program at RMA San Fernando Valley.

In 10^th grade, Josue began smoking marijuana. “I never thought I’d be doing that and then more and more you try to chase that high. I was introduced to methamphetamines. That’s when things really took a turn,” he said. “I was hooked on meth by the end of my sophomore year.”

During his junior year of high school, Josue was sober, which lasted for two years until he relapsed after running into an old drug connection. “It all spiraled really quickly. I was doing full-time work, and I was a full-time student at Pierce College. I didn’t have room for rest. I lost a lot of weight; I wasn’t taking care of myself physically or mentally.”

When Josue started a new job, he also started a new drug. “I switched everything that I was using, including alcohol and marijuana, to just using crack cocaine. I couldn’t hold down a job because my addiction was so strong,” Josue said. “And then my drinking increased because I needed to combat the ‘comedown’ from cocaine so I could sleep, so I’d drink a lot of vodka. It took a toll on a lot of things.”

This cycle would last for years. “I hadn’t done any of the healing from my previous relationships. I had no type of healing except for drowning myself in drugs and alcohol. I never dealt with my emotional triggers, so I relapsed. It was on and off, on and off.”

In June, Josue was referred to Renewed Hope by a church friend. He knew instantly this was where he was meant to be. “This is the first time ever in my life, that I genuinely, with all my heart, mind and soul, attempted sobriety with the help of God.”

Josue credits the tools he cultivated in the program for his sobriety and the personal growth he’s experienced. “Here, with the Genesis Process, it makes me ask questions about myself that I would never have asked myself before. I’ve never been able to truly look into myself and find the root causes of my pain, or the reasoning for feeling like I had to mask with using (drugs and alcohol).

“Knowing my emotional triggers now, I haven’t had a single urge to use since I’ve been here.”

After graduation, Josue wants to maintain sobriety, give back to the community, and he’s considering returning to college to get an associate degree in business.

For now, Josue’s enjoying writing songs for the worship team and is inspired by the daily encouragement of those around him. He now knows his own life can change.

“This is a place that is literally saturated with the word of God, full of people that are men of God, who’ve literally been where I’ve been before and are now decades sober, they have a stable marriage and have beautiful communication with our Creator. All the things I want.

“I’m really happy I’m here.”