One year ago today I woke up in a hotel room in Lynchburg, Virginia separated from my family with my sin publicly exposed. Over the course of this past year I have lost my marriage, family, ministry, and credibility. For years I had wanted to be free from the sins that ensnarled me, but I still struggled with feelings that led me to do inappropriate things. I remember sitting in that hotel room feeling worthless, unimportant, ashamed, guilty, and worst of all alone. Many people considered me a colossal failure. In July of last year I entered a program called HopeQuest that helps the fallen back up on their feet regardless of what sin entangles them. Over time, God showed me I was a failure when I lived according to the flesh – when I lived in my own strengths and abilities. I came into HopeQuest genuinely believing that God had given up on me. The idea of ever being used to help others seemed unimaginable. I have learned that a mistake is never a failure unless I fail to learn from it. I learned that Satan, better known as the accuser, uses traumas and failures of our history to tell us we’re worthless, insignificant, shamed, guilty and alone. Thank God that Jeremiah 31:34 says, “God will forgive our wicked ways and remember our sins no more.” Many people go to their graves carrying the baggage that I tried for years to cover up. The good news in Christ is that separate of what I’ve done, He has redeemed me! I consider one of my greatest credentials to be my failure and brokenness because it has allowed my life circumstances to minister to so many who are hurting and need help. My testimony has become one of redemption and how God redeemed me from my sinful way of life. For years I believed that I was the worst Christian who ever lived. I was in bondage to lies. Instead of living life in bondage, I’ve chosen to receive God’s unconditional love and acceptance knowing that believing that doesn’t mean I’ve reached perfection, take sin lightly, or make excuses for it. I have learned that I have victory in Christ and holding onto bitterness is nothing short of giving the devil an opportunity. I am most like Christ, when I forgive. Now, I say all this to update and let you know that God has changed me from the inside out. It’s a continual transformation, but it’s a journey that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. It’s in the moments of toughest love when we learn some of life’s greatest lessons. I spent several months in a residential Christian discipleship program called HopeQuest and I say from the bottom of my heart, that God has used this ministry to help me walk a successful road of recovery. I give God the glory first, but without the team at HopeQuest I could have never accomplished what I have been able to accomplish this past year. I completed the program with such a level of success that I was offered a full time position earlier this year to come onto the staff with the very people that had helped me in one of my darkest times of life. I’m writing to ask if you would prayerfully considering donating to our ministry here in Woodstock, Georgia. There are countless people looking for light at the end of a dark tunnel. Without adequate donations, we are simply unable to help in many of the areas we would like to as a ministry. I was able to attend HopeQuest because of contributions of people just like you. Many of our clients are granted scholarships to attend as I was. Without the generous support of others, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Would you please consider sending a donation to The HopeQuest Ministry Group? I am available to answer any questions that you may have. God bless!
My life at 25 was a complex but fragile house of cards waiting to crumble down the more it grew. I was a believer; however the core beliefs, self-contempt, and self-protection caused by the trauma of my childhood trumped any truth from the God I was desperate for. I was a daily drug user for years. The drugs and the self-protection were my sin of independence in a fallen world that had hurt me, abandoned me, and I perceived had labeled me unworthy and unlovable. The deep pain and darkness was always there and my professional baseball career, endless relationships, and no amount of drugs ever ultimately remedied the raging storm in my soul. The house of cards fell as it was doomed to. I entered the TREK residential program on February 26th 2009, two days before I was supposed to be married. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy and my sin of rebellion against God had reaped a harvest of pure destruction for me and all of those around me I loved the most.
Our God never stopped pursuing me. That is something that leaves me speechless every day. His love and desire for us is immeasurable. A year after I left the TREK residential program, I know freedom, peace, redemption, love, and relationships I thought I never would know. God put a call on my life to take His message of freedom from the chains of our choices to act out in response to the sin we all encounter. I use my life now to write, teach, and mentor at the program that helped set me free. That place is TREK. While the enemy uses our sin to steal, kill, and destroy, we have a God who never leaves us and wants us to have life like we’ve never known it. It is the goal of my life to help as many as I can find that God and the life He longs to give the broken.
Wow, God is awesome!! A year ago today, I was laying in my bed here at home detoxing off heroin and other drugs thinking I was never going to make it, but today I am celebrating the goodness of my Saviour and his grace and mercy of 1 year being sober. It is an amazing feeling. I wanted to thank everyone at HopeQuest for their support and many many prayers that have been lifted up for me and my family. We have gone through manydifficult trials over the past year(s) but today we are stronger than ever. I want to say a special thank you to the HopeQuest ministry for their grace of allowing me to come back and never giving up on me. You all have no idea what that meant to me and my family. I hope everyone is having a wonderful day and I just wanted to say thank you.
God bless you all,
Melissa Walraven
| Please be a Partner in Hope. Visit our Prayer Needs page. |  |
| God is using this ministry. We are making a difference! Lives are being transformed, daily! Families are being healed. Children are getting their parents back. People are getting saved, baptized, and discipled!It takes money to make it happen. I will never apologize for the fact that we have to spend money in order to accomplish the Lord Jesus’ work. Will you prayerfully consider helping us? Will you be an instrument in our Redeemer’s hand? Willyou help make His ministry work possible?Make a contribution now! |  |
| Help us with gardening at the Crossroads Campus! We need a rotary tiller, tools for hoeing, weeding, pruing, planting, etc.Want to help with the gardening project? Email us at: click here |  |
| Do you have a vehicle you could donate to HopeQuest? Currently, there are four clients who need to establish some form of transportation.Do you know how to work on vehicles? We currently have one nice automobile that needs some engine work.Clients who have successfully completed the TREK Program and who are in our transitional Continuing Care program really need transportation options. |  |
| Our Executive Director shares about HopeQuest and our current national economic condition. |  |
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| What is your ministry doing? Get an update here. |  |
| Have you read about the acquisition of our new campus, the initial development of the property, and the opening of the men’s dorm?Click here to visit the HopeQuest Blog Site and read the history of this miraculous project! |  |
| Could you be a Challenge 1000 business partner? |  |
| One of may favorite Swahili sayings - actually, it is the only Swahili saying I know:“Kidogo Kidogo, Kujaza Kibaba.”“Little by little, The bucket get’s full.”With all of us working together, we can continue to be an instrument in the hand of our Lord Jesus as we minister grace and healing to so many who are in bondage to alcohol, drug abuse, and sexual brokenness. Every 1$ that is contributed helps. |  |
| Will you be a Partner in Hope with us? |  |
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Facilites and land are never what we set our sights on. We fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Facilities and land exist simply for the purpose of accomodating souls that our Heavenly Father sends to HopeQuest to receive discipleship, counseling, therapeutic assistance, healing, and resulting life transformation. I have come to believe that the resources that are miraculously made available to us are in fact a way to evidence God’s provision for the ministry work that He is doing at HopeQuest. The Crossroads Campus is certainly an evidence of God’s provision and His blessing upon the ministry work that we do in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In May of 2009, the adjacent five acres to our current campus was made available to us. It has two residential structures that afforded us the opportunity to move all of our female clients to the campus home. The unbelievable thing is that we were able to accomplish this with less cash outflow that we were already spending for rented facilities in Cobb County neighborhoods. In other words, we have better facilities and we are spending less cash! We now have almost 17 acres at the Crossroads Campus, literally all of the land needed to build the facilities and ministry space for the future of HopeQuest. The vision of becoming a national training center with replicatable programs continues unfold. Please pray for this Kingdom work. Blessings! Roy Blankenship |
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Women’s Dormitory.
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Storage and work space for vehicles and equipment.
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Transitional housing residence for female clients.
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Azalea’s in full bloom behind the men’s dormitory.
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Picnic tables for client use at the campus.
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WE MADE IT! We received the Certificate of Occupancy from Cherokee County on Friday, September 12, 2008! Stephen and the staff at HopeQuest will begin moving the male clients to their new dormitory this coming week. I was driving to my office at the church (I have three offices - an ADD persons nightmare!) when the Lord helped me with a visual. This year, literally all of 2008 - we have been Living On The Brink! On the brink of the best days we have ever seen at HopeQuest! At the same time, on the brink of impending disaster and ruin. I am so grateful for my staff and team who have followed my leadership during these very difficult days. In the end, the Lord Jesus always wins! His wind in our sail is stronger than anything that the enemy can muster up. And today, I am grateful, humbled, and incredibly thankful as I share with you that we are no longer on the brink. We are well into our very best days in ministry. This time next year, you will see the 1,200 Sq. Ft. garage on the Crossroads Campus housing an additional six male clients and providing recrecreational facilities in it’s basement area. This time next year you will willness a major expansion of the Aftercare components of the TREK Program and InStep Program. Two to three years from now, I am confident that we will be in the process of building four major structures on the new Crossroads campus. One is a 45-unit transitional housing facility for clients who need such support after completing the residential component of their recovery work. Also, you will see a 3,500 sq. ft. facility that will house the job placement, career development, and life-skills training services for all HopeQuest Ministry Group program participants. We will be constructing a dormitory for women which will most likely look very much like the men’s dormitory facility. And finally, we will be constructing a three floor (12,000 square feet per floor) building to replace the Arnold Mill facility that we currently lease. The top floor of this building will counseling offices, administrative offices, and such. The middle floor will be four large group rooms that will be shared by our clinical programs. The bottom floor will be an open space that can be setup for chapel, the Friends and Family Successful Living Seminars, Walking Free group meetings, and more. We have all grown tremendously from this endeaver. It has stretched our skill. It has stretched our faith. It has stretched our stamina. Yet, the Scriptures are true and Jesus is faithful. Literally, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” This next year, I (Roy) will be focusing on staff development at HopeQuest, at First Woodstock in the Pastoral Counseling Ministry Division, and the ministerial staff at First Woodstock. We are looking forward to the process of asking the Lord to truly refine our skill as we draw closer to Him and learn how to lead others to a deeper relationship with Him. Pray for me in this. It will be difficult for me because it is going to require that I do not carry a personal counseling case load during this time. Since this is one of my heart passions, only Jesus will be able to enable this in me. I covet your prayers for wisdom, the Lord’s leadership, and protection for me and my staff and our families during these days. There are so many people I need to thank. I am going to work on some best way to do this. For now, I want to give grateful acknowledgement for these partners: Virginia Stephens: My faithful and loyal co-worker for twelve years. Much of what we do in ministry would not exist if it were not for your endless labor of love in serving Christ first, then First Woodstock and me as your leader. I love you and your family deeply and am humbled that you believe in me so. One day, we’ll all write a book. I think I have decided just on the title, Adventures! I promise it will be a good read - and, an encouragement to many who would follow Christ. John Humphrey: How could I ever say thank you! It seems such an inadequate thing to say. Because of your loyalty to me, your dependability, your concientousness, your determination, your love for God, your desire to help others, your belief in what we are doing at First Woodstock and at HopeQuest - and so much more - we have the beautiful Ministry Center facility at Arnold Mill Park and now, the incredible dormitory for men at the Crossroads Campus. Your tireless service and labor of love is an example to all who would follow Christ and submit to humble service for the sake of His Kingdom advancement. I love you and Anne. We will not know this side of Heaven the impact you have made in making life changing transformation possible for so many. Chas Becker: The Lord Jesus Christ sent you to help John. Know that I do not have words to express my gratitude. You came to Woodstock, showed up at our church, and immediatly began modeling sacrificial love and service to others. You made such a contribution to the Crossroads Campus becoming a reality. And, I am thrilled that you have decided to stay on and help Stephen in the House Mentoring role. We have been blessed by you. Know that I love you and am very grateful for all of your contribution. Then there are all of our partners who helped. In the very near future, as soon as I can get photos of each of them, you will see another ezine (electronic magazine or newsletter) showing you the myriads of those who helped make it happen. I feel blessed today. The reality though, we are all blessed. We have relationship with the Father through His Son Jesus Christ! Praise Him with me as we look forward to being Instruments in His hand to bring life transforing power to His broken ones. Your Fellow Servant in Christ, Roy Blankenship
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| Road work - and cutting out dirt for the fire truck turn around area (where the dirt was too soft). | |
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New Drive or roadway - widened to 25′
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| Our very own fire hydrant!. | |
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Fire equipment turn around area.
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| Fire sprinkler control systems in dormitory.– yes, it is expensive! – | |
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| A fire sprinkler head. We had to tear all the ceilings out to install these. | |
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| Handicapped Parking area we had to build to meet commercial code requirements. | |
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| Just another view. | |
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| Fire suppressing hood ventilation system in the kitchen. | |
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| Exhaust for the fire extinguishing stove hood ventilation system.Looks like a space ship probe - or something …. | |
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| The dormer windows we added upstairs because Cherokee County requires that a bedroom has a window. | |
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| One of the new bedrooms. We built the wall on the right so that this large open area could become a bedroom. | |
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| Handicapped accessible bath. | |
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| Handicapped accessible bath. | |
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Carriage House - will be shared by two house mentors. The kitchen area in this small house will be an eating and meeting area for house mentors (There is a total of 4 right now).
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| Carriage House Kitchen. | |
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| Carriage House Bath. There’s a shower on the left that is not visible on this photo. There’s also a good sized walk in closet and space for full sized washer and dryer units. | |
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| This back courtyard area is really going to be nice! | |
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| Back yard area. | |
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| Batting cage for recreation! | |
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| We will maintain the look (architecture) of this structure. We plan to use it as an outside recreation area with bbq grills and picnic tables. | |
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| This enclosed detached garage structure will become an additional four bedrooms, with a small bath and a small sitting area. We will be able to put six more male clients and one additional house mentor here. | |
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| John Humphrey at work!John was the lead construction superintendant on the campus construction project. We could not have done it without John.
Thank you John!! |
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Chas Becker - John Humphrey’s helper on the construction superintending job. Thank you Chas! You have been a blessing!
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| The money jused to bring the property up to a commercial code standard was provided via a grant from the Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation.This project would not have been possible without their assistance.
Thank You! |
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| Pray for us!Make referrals to people who need help with life dominating issues related to alcohol, substance abuse, and sexual brokenness.l
Make a financial contribution - Click here. |
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Tags: HopeQuest, InStep, Journey, Of Interest, One Way, TREK, Walking Free
Please help me get the word out about the Save a life, Save a Family Rally at the new CrossRoads Campus of The HopeQuest Ministry Group. I have attached a poster showing our special guests, Ashley Smith, Hostage of the Atlanta court house shooting, former professional wrestler Lex Lugar and Georgia State Senator Chip Rogers. Please pass along this email, print out the poster and hang it somewhere and most importantly come to the event. Saturday September 27th 8:30-12 Noon. Parking behind Woodstock Furniture outlet 6250 Highway 92 Acworth, GA.
Click here to view the flyer!
Stephen D. Hendrix, CADC
Director of Clinical Programs
HopeQuest Ministry Group Inc.
678-391-5950
Tags: Alcohol Abuse, Christian Counseling and Discipleship, HopeQuest, Residential Recovery Program, Sexual Brokenness, Substance Abuse
| What you are viewing in these photographs represents a miracle of God. There is absolutely no way that we could ever accomplish such a project without the provision of our Heavenly Father. Purchasing this campus was one thing. Getting it ready to open for the residential clients in the TREK Program at HopeQuest, that has been an entirely different thing!
We were able to procure the property at a price that was way under the market price for a house 4 bedroom house with 3 large bonus rooms, 2 1/2 baths, along with 10 acres of property, a 1,200 sq. ft. enclosed garage building (with a basement), an attached carriage house (or inlaw-suite as some know it), and a barn. Acquiring the property for the future growth of the ministries at HopeQuest - that in itself was a miracle. Then, as always, the adversary raised his ugly head. Our architect at the time, (which was me - Roy), did not anticipate that Cherokee County would look at the property as a commercial building rather than a residence. I guess it pays to have an architect and General Contractor (also me!) who knows what he is doing! It took almost six months to get the required engineering and architectural plans approved and then get the necessary permits for the County. During that time, we paid for the lease payments on three of our current residences (which will be let go when this new home is opened) in addition to the mortgage payment on the new property. Ouch! Today though, it is done! We have the property. We have converted the residence into a 10 bedroom 5 full bath residence that has met all of the code requirements for the commercial building code in our county. The Lord Jesus used the Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation to help make it possible. They awarded us $150,000 which was applied to all of the capital improvements to the property. The other $60,000 of the total rennovations costs (which was $210,000) will be rolled in to the mortgage on the property. Along with our financial partners who have helped us keep the operating budget going during this difficult economy, we have made it! Will you praise the Lord along with us? It is truly a hallelujah moment. Keep in touch with the blog site (here) for furhter news. As soon as we know the date we’re moving in the clients, I’ll let you know. Too, I will post some new photos of the interior. It is absolutely beautiful. Don’t forget to pray for us. The enemy would like nothing more than to see us fail. And, don’t forget to ask the Lord how you can be a partner with us financially. Last week, while we were at our Senior Staff Retreat at the church, I was trying to find a residential counseling program/setting for a client that I have been working with who has some difficulties that are outside the scope of an addiction and brokenness program like TREK. The cheapest thing I have found so far is $35,000 per month. Can you believe it? For clients of the TREK Program, we charge $5,000 for a THREE MONTH program. Compare that to $35,000 times 3 - $105,000! However, the only reason we can make such a program affordable is because the Body of Christ helps us with the costs. The program fees we charge cover only approximately 30-35% of the costs of this ministry. Without financial partners, we simply cannot do it. I hope you will pray about whether or not the Lord would want you to be involved in helping us as a financial partner. Stay posted! More to come soon! Blessings, Roy |
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| This was the original driveway |
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| This is the new driveway. Revisit the pictures below to see the process of widening this road, adding the new bridge (or culvert), etc. |
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| Here you can see the front of the house before we began construction. |
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| You can see where we took the dirt to use in the fire truck turn around area. I think it turned out looking nice! |
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| In case you are wondering, here is the fire truck turn around area. It has to be 70 ft. in diameter and able to support the weight of the fire truck as it turns. Pray we will NEVER need it! |
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| This area was originally concrete. It is being prepared to meet the code requirements for handicapped accessible parking. |
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| The handicapped accessible parking area is almost done! |
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| Remember that fire hydrant? |
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| Here it is, completed. Looks nice doesn’t it! It ought to! It costs a fortune. There is an 8 inch water main from this fire hydrant all the way back to Crossroads Drive. There’s also a $9,000 “vault” (they call it) that connects our 8 inch water main to the city or county water system. Next time you go by a fire hydrant, reflect on what it costs to have fire protection! I may kill the first dog that uses this one! |
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| I finally found out what this is. It seems that there is not enough water pressure with an 8 inch water main. So, they require that this “fire department connection” be added. It is where the fire truck connects and pumps water to the sprinkler system under high pressure. |
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| And we have this huge red valve at the corner of the house that controls the water going inside to the fire protection equipment. |
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| Everyone helping did a fantastic job of erosion control. |
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| A view of the driveway from up near the house, facing back towards Crossroads Drive. |
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Pray for us - Click here for a list of prayer needs. Make referrals to people who need help with life dominating issues related to alcohol, substance abuse, and sexual brokenness. Make a financial contribution - Click here. |
Tags: Alcohol Abuse, Christian Counseling and Discipleship, HopeQuest, Residential Recovery Program, Sexual Brokenness, Substance Abuse
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John Humphrey and Bryan Edwards are consulting about the site development work and the landscaping project.
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Putting in the water main from the county water system up to our new fire hydrant.
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This is the water main from the fire hydrant on up to the main dormitory (residence).
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Just another view of the water main.
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| These guys are getting ready to connect the water main to the fire control systems inside the house.. |
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| Pray for us - Click here for a list of prayer needs.Make referrals to people who need help with life dominating issues related to alcohol, substance abuse, and sexual brokenness.Make a financial contribution - Click here. |
Tags: Alcohol Abuse, Christian Counseling and Discipleship, HopeQuest, Residential Recovery Program, Sexual Brokenness, Substance Abuse