Joseph Porterfield

I am from Garden Grove, CA. I am the oldest to a sister, and a brother. I am also a proud uncle to a niece and nephew. I served in the Army for 11 years. I served in Iraq and in Afghanistan. I spent over 10 years with a heavy drinking problem. If I had a bad day, was in pain, had anxiety, trouble sleeping, or a need for a good time, etc. I would turn to the bottle. I felt very helpless to life, and the bottle was where I went to for solutions. I was tired of the way I felt from alcohol, and the hold it had on me. So, I began to attempt to get away from alcohol on my own. I received substance abuse counseling, I attended group meetings, I replaced the void with all kinds of things. Nothing was working for me. I was “ping-ponging" with my addiction. I would get away, but be back again, and again. My problems in life began building up, and my way of dealing with having issues was to escape through substances, or alcohol. It led me to ultimately to an addiction to fentanyl. I was homeless and living on the streets for around 3 years. I was completely out of my mind. I was hearing voices, I was paranoid, I was talking to people that weren't there, and I did not think that I would ever be ok again. My family missed me, But God; brought me to Teen Challenge. This program saved my life and gave me hope and a future. I now have God in my life, and I know that He is there for me when I need anything in life. My family now has me back in their lives, and I have them back in mine. I have a brand-new relationship with Jesus Christ, and I have been guided into living a Christian life. I have also been blessed with a family of support around me. This program has equipped and prepared me for where I am now. I completed the program in its full entirety, to include the Ministry Institute. I now serve at the Shafter center as a Teacher/Student Advisor, helping to be a part of the transformative process that God delivers here. Teen Challenge is the answer to so many prayers and petitions from people all over the country. Thanks to all the generous people that keep this ministry open and available to those in need. 

 

Ephesians 2:10 -

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”