March 2019 Newsletter

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Push Restart

During Lauren’s formative years growing up, there was chaos and a lack of proper guidance. She dropped out of school in seventh grade, with no parental consequences to her. Both parents were methamphetamine addicts. When she was 14, she stole some of their drugs to try for herself. When they found out, it just became normal for them to do drugs together as a family. She said, “I knew it was illegal, but I grew up that way. I thought it was normal. I didn’t know there was another way to live.” They avoided truant officers and social service people by not answering the door to anyone well dressed or unknown.

In the course of time, Lauren had two children by her longtime boyfriend, who was a part of the same drug culture. A third generation was in the same house, watching and learning and not going to school. The generational cycle of drug abuse was continuing. There was no moral compass pointing to truth. There needed to be intervention and rescue.

That fateful day came when she was 24. The family lifestyle caught up with them. Authorities took her children to foster care. Her boyfriend’s behavior had already put him in prison. Her parents left the state. Her world had collapsed, and she was all alone. A Department of Human Services caseworker told her to go to our Samaritan Inn as a requirement for structure and supervision to get her children back. Then that drug house in a Roseburg neighborhood was left for the next opportunist or unsuspecting person or family to occupy.

DHS had already intervened, now Samaritan Inn was here to rescue. Lauren needed to push restart on her life. But it was not a matter of returning to a healthy, organized lifestyle; she needed to learn for the first time what that meant. Then she remembered the Vacation Bible Schools that her grandmother had taken her to years before. That generational influence was still there and now resurfacing. She was in a process of transformation. Lauren said, “At first, I didn’t want to come here. I was not used to structure, but I realized I needed it. I was introduced back to God here, and it really helped. I don’t know what I would have done without it. I wouldn’t have been able to do it.” She recalled a chapel service in her first week here. After the message, the chapel volunteer asked if anyone wanted to accept the Lord. Lauren publically repeated the sinner’s prayer. After the service the volunteer prayed with her for encouragement, strength, patience, the ability to stay strong in her recovery, and to not give up.

They moved from here into an apartment on their own, paid for by a state child welfare program. When that six month housing voucher ended, they moved back to Samaritan Inn. She said, “I would have been better staying here, because I thrive with structure. There was no structure out there, and I struggled with that. When I was away from here, I was drifting away from God. Now my relationship with the Lord is better than ever. It has been very humbling. This time, I am doing way better things. I am one test away from getting my GED and have applied to UCC to major in nursing. I want to replace my addiction to drugs with success, even return one day and speak in chapel.”

For 16 months, she has been clean from drugs. Lauren said, “I honestly don’t want to go back. It scared me to not want to use again. I don’t want to lose my kids again. I’m not building my life on sand here. This place gave me hope, my way out of my old lifestyle. I give all the glory to God. This place pretty much saved my life.”

And the generational cycle of abuse has stopped. Lauren reported that both of her children have been student of the month with really good attendance since being here.