When life throws a lemon at you, take it and make lemonade out of it. Most successful and inspiring life stories were built on the back of tragic experiences that should have ordinarily ended in destruction.
A constant about life, even on it’s down side is: there is always a lesson to learn. What you become is therefore not necessarily determined by what life throws at you but what you make out of what life throws at you
Over the past 7 years, Mr Jim VanSice and Dawn VanSice have been on a journey to help addicts out of their misery with the Gospel of Jesus and their own life experiences. It didn’t all start smoothly, they have a history.
Dawn at a very tender age had to deal with an abusive parents, she took to alcohol and drugs until it got to a point where quitting became a battle she’d lose over and over again.
Jim began smoking cigarettes by the age of nine, this would progress to strong alcoholic and pornographic addiction with time.
To tell the two stories in one, both addicts got depressed, lost their way in life and their will to live went with it.
After many failed attempts to deal with it using all the methods known to them, they had an encounter with The Lord Jesus Christ that was forever going to change their lives as battling addicts to people at the forefront of helping others come out of addiction.
In spite of their tremendous achievement since embarking on the project, they take no credit for positive outcomes, to them, their life experience is a demonstration that it takes Jesus for a complete life turnaround to happen.
They are just instrument being used by a superior hand.
This is the story of Mr and Mrs VanSice, two people who have been to ‘hell’ and out to share their experience and message of hope to rescue many.
Currently collaborating with Laweh Open University to educate and assist persons struggling with drugs and other forms of addictions in Ghana, I had an exclusive interview with the couple after one of their sessions.
Sharing her experience with Ghana, Dawn VanSice indicated that coming to Ghana has been an eye opener, she was impressed with0 the many avenues the Ghanaian is allowed to use in propagating the Gosple.
“It is so amazing how much freedom the people of Ghana have to express themselves and drive an agenda”
Jim on his part expressed satisfaction about how they have been accepted and shown so much love wherever they went to.
Despite visiting Ashante, Western and other regions in Ghana, they indicated that the sessions held at Laweh Open University stood out because of how easily their messages were comprehended by participants.
In attendance were students from Laweh Open University, Nungua Secondary School and individuals
within nearby communities battling with one addiction or the other.
Areas of addiction addressed include: gambling, alcoholism, prostitution, smoking
These areas to an extent represents the combined addiction struggles of Jim and Dawn before they encountered Jesus and got liberated.
About Recovered 4 Life
Jim and Dawn VanSice are co-founders of Recovered 4 Life, an organisation that uses the word of God to help people out of addiction.
With two flagship programs: Elijah Project and Addiction Rehab in the Community- ARC Program, the organisation has succeeded in restoring drug addicts in Europe and now Ghana.
The Elijah Project is a good starter for those completely new to recovery, as well as those who have been in recovery for years, but who would like to take a fresh look at recovery from a Christian perspective. This is a 12 week course, but can be run continually as per it’s original design. There are 3 stages, and each stage builds off of the previous stages. They get progressively harder and in more depth as you move along the project. It’s called the Elijah Project, because we’re never a finished product in God’s eyes. So, we’re always working on something in our lives, and this course helps focus on those aspects you want to change.
The Addiction Rehab in the Community (ARC) is a 5 day a week programme for those that fit within the group. This is a day programme for those wanting to re-integrate back into society. It is designed to get people who have social issues as well as those recovering from addiction to get back into a normal productive life. The course has a set programme, but will adapt based on the clients needs as situations arise.
Isaac Kyei Andoh