Chanel’s Story
Teen Challenge helped Chanel find her way!
Chanel struggled with addiction from an early age. Growing up, she watched first-hand as alcohol consumed her father. “He drank up every cent we had. Living without electricity and having ketchup sandwiches.” Because of his example, she felt her own options were limited.
“I made the decision at age 10 that I was going to be doing something like drinking, drugs, or alcohol.” And she did. Chanel’s father died when she was 14. She dropped out of high school and headed her own way down a destructive road of drugs, alcohol, and unhealthy relationships.
While she and her family did come to God in the 1990s, Chanel still struggled. Because of her father’s alcoholism, she had such a hard time figuring out God as her Father.
Teen Challenge helped Chanel find her way!
Chanel struggled with addiction from an early age. Growing up, she watched first-hand as alcohol consumed her father. “He drank up every cent we had. Living without electricity and having ketchup sandwiches.” Because of his example, she felt her own options were limited.
“I made the decision at age 10 that I was going to be doing something like drinking, drugs, or alcohol.” And she did. Chanel’s father died when she was 14. She dropped out of high school and headed her own way down a destructive road of drugs, alcohol, and unhealthy relationships.
While she and her family did come to God in the 1990s, Chanel still struggled. Because of her father’s alcoholism, she had such a hard time figuring out God as her Father.
Then she met a young man in church and they got married. But he was using drugs and within eight months, they split and she turned away from God. Chanel left the church and started living in her car.
Thankfully, Chanel’s story doesn’t end there. Even though she was completely broken and had relapsed into drugs, her soul remained sensitive to the Lord. And she had a friend who never gave up looking for her. When this friend found Chanel homeless and strung out, she brought her to Teen Challenge.
There, Chanel’s view of God as her Father changed and her soul healed.
While an intern at Teen Challenge, she felt a pull toward missions. She went on to attend Bible school, and then entered life as a fulltime missionary. Today she is an ordained minister and a missionary to Austria.
“I thank God for Teen Challenge,” she said. “I love this program. I’m one of literally thousands who have been touched by Teen Challenge. This is an important ministry that helps you find your identity as a child of God.”
Today there are so many men and women who are where Chanel was. They need your help.
“We’re not done,” Chanel said. “There are a lot of prodigals out there right now, running from the Lord. Many who have had encounters with Christ like I did and who aren’t sure about their call because they just can’t get over a life-controlling problem. But I can tell you that Teen Challenge can help them find their way.”