Editor’s note: More than 20 years ago, two brothers in a family in Guangdong Province were addicted to drugs. Later, the elder brother died of a drug overdose. The younger brother continued to use drugs, plunging the family into a financial, credit, and reputation crisis. A pressed reed will not break, and a smoldering wick refuses to be quenched. After going through the eight rounds of rehabilitation through the gospel, he has been determined to help more addicts get out of addiction and lead a normal life.
Below is the brother’s testimony in his own words:
Being a drug addict for over 20 years, I’d been to different kinds of drug rehabilitation centers. Eventually, after I got involved with the Christian rehabilitation ministry, I got clean to start a new life on the eighth time of drug treatment. During that time, I experienced fellowship, acceptance, and caring. I went through gospel-centered rehabilitation programs for the eighth time in October 2013. Seven previous attempts of Christian drug rehabilitation seemed like a waste of time. But then, many church members tried to persuade me. Because I was too embarrassed to refuse that, I agreed to go.
At the eighth time, my mindset was completely different, as I realized that the end of man is the beginning of God. Because before I went there, I wondered who would want to accept someone like me. I knew no one would like me as I felt unlovable and had nothing to be proud of. At that time, I thought that I might even be inferior to a dog, feeling very bad about myself. I used to run a company with 200 people working for me, of which I was proud. But I couldn’t even afford to eat a bowl of noodles due to an addition to drugs, and I knew I went bankrupt. One female believer who served me bought clothes and shampoo for me. I held them in my hands with my eyes turning red. Now every time I washed my hair, I would cry when seeing this shampoo. I was finally looked at as a human.
It was the seventh day of the detox, all the people attended church services, with no one in the room. Alone in my room, I was looking for a Bible. I once joined church services in 1997, and I saw the parable of the prodigal son when I opened the Bible. My life changed when I read that the little son didn’t even have a pod for food. I still remember that I used to eat the leftovers of other people and that we had workers and fields at home... Why should I live such a humble life?
I suddenly felt that I had a choice for my life. I should rise up to draw near to God, so I knelt down and wept bitterly. And I said unto God, “I have sinned against heaven, and against thee.” Then I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, “Clean your hands and live godly.” I prayed to God, “I don’t want to go back to the life of drugs, please take away my memories of drugs.” I was sure my heart was healed. Before, I was insensitive to sin. From that day on, I understood that I wanted to be aboveboard.
On the 18th day of my eighth detox through the gospel principles, I told others I was going home. At that point, the idea of returning home was no longer about quitting rehab. At that time my body was in pain, with the trouble of sleeping and the feeling of dying. When I arrived at the bus station, I didn’t have to worry about where to find drugs like ever before. My whole mind was to find those people to whom I owed money and who had been cheated by me, to say that I was sorry. I wanted to tell them that I did not take drugs now and that I would return money to them after I found a job. I really want to express gratitude to those who helped me through my life.
That same day, I told my mother that I wanted to live a normal life. Being a drug addict for more than 20 years, I had not had a meal and a walk with my family for a long time, nor had I lived with my wife and daughter happily. Back home, on the third day, my mother went to a prayer meeting, and I was alone in the living room staring at the wall of the living room. I suddenly became very happy, then a voice came from my heart: “You will follow me. If you may lose your life for that, would you be afraid?” I said I was not afraid, saying to the Heavenly Father, “Please let me follow you, and heal me.” He replied to me, “Be obedient, and I will heal you if you do not sin.”
On the third day back home, a junkie called me to treat me with drugs. I suddenly felt that I must invite him to my home, telling my mother, “You have to trust me that this time we will not take drugs together, as God let me invite him here.” Having seen the change in my life (I previously could not sleep without the TV on, but I hadn’t turned on the TV once since I had come home this time), my mother began to trust me, agreeing to host this former drug friend. After he came to my house, I talked to him for over an hour about all the changes in my life these days.
He said he believed me. A sum of 100 yuan was enough to buy drugs that day, but I asked him to take the 100 yuan to his wife and tell her that he felt sorry for lying to her. After about half a month, he quit taking drugs. Later, he shared that his friend who was addicted to drugs was living on the street. I felt compassion for him, paying a visit to the friend. I laid my hands on him with prayers, inviting him to my house. “There is food for you, but my family had nothing left because of my drugs, as I sold the lights and even the wires on the second floor,” he said.
When I first received these drug addicts, there were no other beds in my home. So he slept on the mats of the second floor of my house. After a week, there was a friend of his looking for him. He also wanted detoxification but had no place to go. So I said to him that his friend could stay there. a male believer who heard about this moved to visit us. He gave me lamps and beds, donating 500 yuan, which was a great encouragement to me. And I learned to keep track of expenses and distinguish between public and private. I started to try to live a frugal and peaceful life, with many addicts coming. Later, many people around the country began to find out that people could get clean here. Based on the experience of drug rehabilitation in various places, we have concluded our own unique mode of drug rehabilitation in China through our own life, study and exploration.
It is gospel-centered detoxification, which influences life by life and emphasizes the influence of service and example. Then, we start from various aspects of life. Those who came to my house must learn how to cook and buy food, how to save money, how to clean the house, and then there are examinations. After that, we help people get rid of their addiction through music lessons, such as playing guitar. Besides a guitar assessment, there is a supervision group to help with their lives. In the copying training course, they have to write the words down to the size of a sesame seed in the end. Such training let people improve their concentration, helping them get rid of addiction.
On the other hand, people who come here have their whole image and posture changed. They learn how to sit and how to communicate politely, as well as the principles and bottom line of being a person. These addicts usually stay here for about one year, with an overall assessment every 6-9 months. Those who pass are promoted to the team leader. They can use the telephone with a holiday. After they graduate by passing the final assessment, we give them a medal to encourage them and to witness their growth and change. I would lead them to take the garbage out of the public areas of our community, to help our neighbors with cleaning, and to repair some damaged roads, so our lives and services were recognized by the community.
Since 2013, the team I have led has helped a total of 96 addicts successfully return to society. Currently serving projects are to help people with drug addiction, gambling addiction, alcohol addiction, mental disorders, and to provide counseling for problematic youth and other special groups.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
编者按：20多年前，在广东的一户人家里，兄弟二人都染上了毒瘾，随后哥哥因吸毒过量离开这个世界，继续吸毒的弟弟使得全家陷入经济、信用、名誉的危机。压伤的芦苇他不折断，将残的灯火他不熄灭。历经8次福音戒毒后成功的他立志从事帮助更多吸毒者从毒瘾中走出来，过一个正常人的生活。以下是这位弟兄的见证：
我吸毒20多年，去过不同种类的戒毒所。最后，我接触了福音戒毒事工，在第八次才戒掉毒瘾，拥有了新的生活。在那段期间，我经历了团契生活、接纳和关怀。我第八次去福音戒毒，是在2013年10月份。之前的七次尝试福音戒毒都觉得是浪费时间。但后来，很多教会的弟兄姐妹劝我，因为不好意思，我同意去了。
第八次的时候，我的心态完全不一样。我体会到了：人走到尽头，是神的开始。因为我没有去之前，我有过反思，谁能要我这样的人呢？ 我知道没有人会要我，我觉得自己不可爱，没有什么骄傲的地方。那个时候，我想到了自己可能连狗都不如，开始认识到自己的可怜。我曾经也做过生意，有200多人跟我工作 ，那个时候很骄傲，而现在吸毒吸到吃不起一碗面，我知道了自己信用破产了。有一个服事我的一个姐妹给我买了衣服和洗发水，我拿在手里，眼睛红了。每次洗头，看着这样的洗发水，我会哭出来，我终于被当作人看了。
脱瘾期的第七天，这个时候没有人在房间里，大家都出去聚会了。我自己在房间躺着，想要找一本圣经看。因为我1997年在一个教会信主，我一打开圣经，看到的就是浪子的比喻。我看到那一段经文之后，我的人生彻底改变，当我读到小儿子连猪吃的豆荚都没有的吃。想起自己曾经吃别人吃剩下的菜，想到我们家里有工人，有田地……我为什么要过这种卑贱的日子。
我突然感受到，人生是有选择权的，我要起来，我要到父那里去，跪在地上拼命哭。我对天父说，我得罪了天，又得罪了你。随后，我听到圣灵的声音，他说：“你要手洁心情，敬虔度日。”我祷告说天父，我不想再过以前吸毒的生活，求你把我吸毒的记忆都拿走。我当时确信我的心是被医治了。从前，我的人生价值观对罪是没有感觉的，从那天起，我明白了，我要做光明磊落的人。
在我第八次来福音戒毒的第18天的时候，我对大家说，我要回家。那个时候，我要回家的想法不再是中途放弃的戒毒。身体当时很痛，睡觉艰难，整个人是濒死的状态。当我到了汽车站，没有像以前那样，想着回去后到哪里找毒品。我当时整个人的意念，是找那些欠钱的，被我欺骗过的人，想对他们说对不起。想告诉他们说，我不吸毒了，以后工作后，慢慢的还给你们。很想对帮助我过我的人说感谢的话。
当天，我也告诉我母亲，我想争取过正常人的生活，我吸毒了20多年，我很久没有过一起吃饭和起散步的生活，也没有去过老婆和女儿一起融洽的生活了。回到家，第三天，我母亲去参加祷告会，我一个人在家的客厅里看着客厅的墙发呆，我突然间很喜乐。有声音从心里出来。“你要跟随我，连生命都不要，你怕不怕？” 我说我不怕，我跟天父说，你让我跟随你，请你医治我。天父跟我说，“你要听话，不犯罪，我会医治你的。”
回家的第三天，有一个吸毒者打电话给我，说要请我吸毒品。我有一种感动，邀请他来我家，我当时跟我妈说，你要相信我，这一次不会一起吸毒，我有感动要请他来。因为我妈看到我生命的改变，从前我不开电视无法入睡，回到家没有打开过一次电视，母亲开始信任我，同意我接待这个曾经的毒友。他来了我家，我跟他聊了一个多小时。见证自己的改变。
他说，他现在相信我，当天拿了100元买毒品是够的，但是我让他把100元拿给他老婆，对她说：对不起，我欺骗了你。从那一刻，后来去他家探访，再来我家，就这样半个月左右，他戒掉了。后来，他说有一个朋友吸毒吸到流浪街头，好像很可怜。我当时就有了怜悯的心，就探访他。他就在出租屋里，只有面包，不知怎么，眼泪流出来，我为他按手祷告，我邀请他来我家了，“有饭给你吃，不用自己这么可怜。我家因为我吸毒，一无所有的，家徒四壁。二楼的电灯，电线都被我卖掉了。我家什么都没有了。”
一开始我接待这些吸毒者连床也没有，铺着席子他就睡在我家二楼。过了一个星期，又有一个他的朋友找他，也是想戒毒没有地方去，那我说来我这里吧。然后叫他来了。后来有一个教会的弟兄听说了这个事情，他就有感动来探访我们，就帮我拿到了电灯和床和500元的奉献。这500元对我是很大的鼓励，之后学会记录花销，分清公私。努力过手节心清的生活，后来不断来了很多学员。后来，全国很多的人知道我这里能够戒毒。我们从一片空白，借着去各个地方戒毒的经验，通过自己的生活，学习，探索的经验，总结有自己的全国独一无二的戒毒模式。
这个戒毒的模式：首先是福音戒毒，以生命影响生命，注重服事和榜样的影响力。之后，是从生活方面开始，每个人来到我这家里，都要学会做饭和买菜，怎么学会用钱，学会做内务卫生，之后有考核。然后，我们通过音乐课来帮助大家戒除毒瘾，来到这里的人都必须学吉他，吉他要考核，生活方面有督导组帮助，还有学习态度，还有抄写训练。最后要抄写到想芝麻粒的大小，这样的训练，让人提高专注力，可以辅助摆脱瘾症。
另一个方面，来到这里的人，他的整个人形象仪态都改变了，怎么样的坐姿，怎么样礼貌的沟通都要学习，有做人的原则和底线，做这一切的目的是帮助他们重塑人生价值观。学员们来这里是一年的学习期，6-9个月会有整体的考核，通过的人就升级小组长，他们就可以用电话，可以有假期了。最后一次考核达标，他们就毕业了，我们会发一个奖牌给学员，鼓励和见证他们的成长和改变。我也会带他们社区的公共区域的垃圾，帮助邻居打扫，也会修一些破损的路面，我们的生活和服务得到了社会的认可。
从2013年到如今，我所带领的团队共帮助96个家庭，成功戒毒返回社会。目前服侍项目有：戒毒、戒赌、戒酒、精神障碍、问题青少年辅导等特殊人群。
专访| 福音戒毒成功后，他成了一位受伤的医治者
Editor’s note: More than 20 years ago, two brothers in a family in Guangdong Province were addicted to drugs. Later, the elder brother died of a drug overdose. The younger brother continued to use drugs, plunging the family into a financial, credit, and reputation crisis. A pressed reed will not break, and a smoldering wick refuses to be quenched. After going through the eight rounds of rehabilitation through the gospel, he has been determined to help more addicts get out of addiction and lead a normal life.
Below is the brother’s testimony in his own words:
Being a drug addict for over 20 years, I’d been to different kinds of drug rehabilitation centers. Eventually, after I got involved with the Christian rehabilitation ministry, I got clean to start a new life on the eighth time of drug treatment. During that time, I experienced fellowship, acceptance, and caring. I went through gospel-centered rehabilitation programs for the eighth time in October 2013. Seven previous attempts of Christian drug rehabilitation seemed like a waste of time. But then, many church members tried to persuade me. Because I was too embarrassed to refuse that, I agreed to go.
At the eighth time, my mindset was completely different, as I realized that the end of man is the beginning of God. Because before I went there, I wondered who would want to accept someone like me. I knew no one would like me as I felt unlovable and had nothing to be proud of. At that time, I thought that I might even be inferior to a dog, feeling very bad about myself. I used to run a company with 200 people working for me, of which I was proud. But I couldn’t even afford to eat a bowl of noodles due to an addition to drugs, and I knew I went bankrupt. One female believer who served me bought clothes and shampoo for me. I held them in my hands with my eyes turning red. Now every time I washed my hair, I would cry when seeing this shampoo. I was finally looked at as a human.
It was the seventh day of the detox, all the people attended church services, with no one in the room. Alone in my room, I was looking for a Bible. I once joined church services in 1997, and I saw the parable of the prodigal son when I opened the Bible. My life changed when I read that the little son didn’t even have a pod for food. I still remember that I used to eat the leftovers of other people and that we had workers and fields at home... Why should I live such a humble life?
I suddenly felt that I had a choice for my life. I should rise up to draw near to God, so I knelt down and wept bitterly. And I said unto God, “I have sinned against heaven, and against thee.” Then I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, “Clean your hands and live godly.” I prayed to God, “I don’t want to go back to the life of drugs, please take away my memories of drugs.” I was sure my heart was healed. Before, I was insensitive to sin. From that day on, I understood that I wanted to be aboveboard.
On the 18th day of my eighth detox through the gospel principles, I told others I was going home. At that point, the idea of returning home was no longer about quitting rehab. At that time my body was in pain, with the trouble of sleeping and the feeling of dying. When I arrived at the bus station, I didn’t have to worry about where to find drugs like ever before. My whole mind was to find those people to whom I owed money and who had been cheated by me, to say that I was sorry. I wanted to tell them that I did not take drugs now and that I would return money to them after I found a job. I really want to express gratitude to those who helped me through my life.
That same day, I told my mother that I wanted to live a normal life. Being a drug addict for more than 20 years, I had not had a meal and a walk with my family for a long time, nor had I lived with my wife and daughter happily. Back home, on the third day, my mother went to a prayer meeting, and I was alone in the living room staring at the wall of the living room. I suddenly became very happy, then a voice came from my heart: “You will follow me. If you may lose your life for that, would you be afraid?” I said I was not afraid, saying to the Heavenly Father, “Please let me follow you, and heal me.” He replied to me, “Be obedient, and I will heal you if you do not sin.”
On the third day back home, a junkie called me to treat me with drugs. I suddenly felt that I must invite him to my home, telling my mother, “You have to trust me that this time we will not take drugs together, as God let me invite him here.” Having seen the change in my life (I previously could not sleep without the TV on, but I hadn’t turned on the TV once since I had come home this time), my mother began to trust me, agreeing to host this former drug friend. After he came to my house, I talked to him for over an hour about all the changes in my life these days.
He said he believed me. A sum of 100 yuan was enough to buy drugs that day, but I asked him to take the 100 yuan to his wife and tell her that he felt sorry for lying to her. After about half a month, he quit taking drugs. Later, he shared that his friend who was addicted to drugs was living on the street. I felt compassion for him, paying a visit to the friend. I laid my hands on him with prayers, inviting him to my house. “There is food for you, but my family had nothing left because of my drugs, as I sold the lights and even the wires on the second floor,” he said.
When I first received these drug addicts, there were no other beds in my home. So he slept on the mats of the second floor of my house. After a week, there was a friend of his looking for him. He also wanted detoxification but had no place to go. So I said to him that his friend could stay there. a male believer who heard about this moved to visit us. He gave me lamps and beds, donating 500 yuan, which was a great encouragement to me. And I learned to keep track of expenses and distinguish between public and private. I started to try to live a frugal and peaceful life, with many addicts coming. Later, many people around the country began to find out that people could get clean here. Based on the experience of drug rehabilitation in various places, we have concluded our own unique mode of drug rehabilitation in China through our own life, study and exploration.
It is gospel-centered detoxification, which influences life by life and emphasizes the influence of service and example. Then, we start from various aspects of life. Those who came to my house must learn how to cook and buy food, how to save money, how to clean the house, and then there are examinations. After that, we help people get rid of their addiction through music lessons, such as playing guitar. Besides a guitar assessment, there is a supervision group to help with their lives. In the copying training course, they have to write the words down to the size of a sesame seed in the end. Such training let people improve their concentration, helping them get rid of addiction.
On the other hand, people who come here have their whole image and posture changed. They learn how to sit and how to communicate politely, as well as the principles and bottom line of being a person. These addicts usually stay here for about one year, with an overall assessment every 6-9 months. Those who pass are promoted to the team leader. They can use the telephone with a holiday. After they graduate by passing the final assessment, we give them a medal to encourage them and to witness their growth and change. I would lead them to take the garbage out of the public areas of our community, to help our neighbors with cleaning, and to repair some damaged roads, so our lives and services were recognized by the community.
Since 2013, the team I have led has helped a total of 96 addicts successfully return to society. Currently serving projects are to help people with drug addiction, gambling addiction, alcohol addiction, mental disorders, and to provide counseling for problematic youth and other special groups.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Former Drug Addict Becomes Wounded Healer With Gospel-Centered Rehab Ministry
