With God all things are possible Matthew 19:26

For many years I struggled with addictive behaviors, guilt, shame, and condemnation. My journey of healing and building a relationship with Jesus has been nothing short of a miracle of God’s faithfulness, continued mercy and unconditional love. I came from a family that for years dealt with generational curses, grief, and anger. My parents struggled in their marriage and that relationship finally came to a divorce when I was 13.I struggled with depression and my identity. I didn’t feel as though I fit in anywhere.

At age 17 my mother was killed in a tragic accident and 5 years later my father left us in the same way. My struggles with alcohol and drugs became an everyday battle. I dealt with feelings of rejection and abandonment. Over the next 25 years my life would spiral downward with my own toxic marriage and poor choices that ultimately resulted in me losing my children and landed me in prison.

In 2017, I attended my first Freedom Friday. Over the last 7 years the Lord has been rebuilding me day by day. I surrendered my life to Him and he started working out the mess I had created for myself and my family. It has taken trials, errors and many hard lessons learned from mistakes to get to where I am in my relationship with Jesus today. There were many times I ran from his goodness, but he came after me like the lost sheep every time. Every time I failed, He was faithful and merciful. He placed the right people in the right places at the right times.

Having made Freedom Ministries of the South my “home” and family has been one of the most substantial blessings I have received along this journey with Christ. They showed me the light of Jesus, the love of Christ, and the forgiveness and acceptance I was so desperately seeking in the world. The Lord has given me healing from the pain and grief I tried to carry on my own for so long through Freedom’s grief group. He has been faithful in restoring my relationship with my children and family. I am now able to be a friend to others instead of being self-seeking and love others where they are, wherever that may be. As a result of completing the Celebrate Recovery Step Study, I have been able to see myself as Jesus sees me and take accountability of my own thoughts and feelings as Christ would have me do so. I am nowhere close to being “perfect,” but I am yielded to His Spirit and continue to persevere through tough situations. God bless, Amber

Richie

We have to share this testimony of grace,
Redemption and teamwork. Five months ago Richie was not in a good place. He was walking nowhere in the rain on a Friday morning in Lake Charles. Zachary Vincent who was in our men’s step study was compelled by the Spirit to go after him. They talked and Richie received the encouragement and a ride to the Sulphur Christian Community Coalition - SC3. However, they were closed Friday mornings. So he went down to the The Open Door Biker Church they showed him some love and told him about “Freedom Friday” that night. The enemy tried to derail him with down time on the streets. But, he made it to Freedom Friday at Sc3 anyway! While he was at the service he felt the love, the Spirit and found a familiar face and voice. It was Real Dee-Z just having conversation — Richie asked, “are you the guy that was rapping in jailhouse dorms?” Yes, it was him. But, today Dylan is living a completely different life. Richie observed and took everything in. We felt that he was legitimately seeking. So God made a place and a way. Hunter Bertrand, who previously stayed in the mission house, gave Richie a ride there and told him God can help you. Then Brad Lee graciously hosted him overnight and spoke life into his journey. The next morning, Uprising Addiction Center in Shreveport and Brandon Broussard was waiting to help him on the path. That next morning Martin Guillory and Pastor Sean picked him up, listened to him, fellowshiped, prayed with and got him to meet the transport in Alexandria. Then we ate some cracklings. The Lord made a way for Richie. He is always after us. The thing is Richie recognized all those events were not by chance — but by design. This is a great example of team work and the Kingdom in action. I pray, like Richie, we will open our eyes and recognize the goodness of God and His movement around us.

"I was asked to speak about this ministry in one paragraph, but how can I explain such a large and diverse family in such a minimum of words? I was saved here, on a Friday, it was what I could call the worst week of my life, I look back now and know it was exactly what I needed. The Lord drew me in by taking the one thing that mattered the most, my marriage. I prayed a prayer of salvation that night, through the tears and the sobbing I got out the words that would ultimately draw me closer to the Father that had been calling me all my life. Freedom Ministry has seen me through this journey and without it, and what I now consider to be my brothers and sisters, I honestly have no idea where I would be." - Jeff Daigle

What people are saying about #freedom337

"For months I felt like my life was falling apart then, God sent me to Freedom Ministry. I used to cry all the time, I felt the heavy chains weighing on me. Then we had freedom night, the lights went out completely but the Holy Spirit was as bright as the sunshine. I was crying and my sister April says it's time. She laid her hands on me and it was all over but the crying. The Holy Spirit took over! The chains were let loose I felt them break . I was set free! God got victory that night! The next morning the sun was shining and the birds was singing. Although I was told the sky was really grey. Not what I saw. God Bless you all I wish I could be there with y'all." - Margie Mason