He Woke Up Not Remembering Who He Was | R.J.'s Story
- Western Michigan Adult & Teen Challenge
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
R.J. is 29 and from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Before coming to Adult & Teen Challenge, he was living a life he describes as chasing the devil, treating it all like a game. That game caught up with him in the form of an overdose. He woke up in the hospital with no memory of who he was or how he'd gotten there.
A Video That Gave Him Hope
After the overdose, R.J. went to stay with his parents. There, he came across a video of a Christian facility in New Jersey, and he describes God speaking to him through it, giving him hope for the first time in a long while. That moment led him to reach out to Western Michigan Adult & Teen Challenge (WMATC), and he arrived shortly after.
Letting God Rebuild Him From the Inside Out
R.J. describes his time at WMATC as a place where it finally felt okay to be vulnerable, to break down, and to let his guard down completely so God could rebuild him from the inside out. He's experienced a kind of joy and happiness he'd never known before, and he credits that change entirely to God working in his heart and mind.
A Pastor Who Reflected Christ's Love
The most impactful part of community life for R.J. has been Pastor Del, whose consistent reflection of Christ's love in everything he does has helped build R.J. and other students up and draw them closer to God.
Four People, One Week, One Message
One of the clearest moments R.J. points to as evidence of God working in his life came during a week when he was facing a warrant and wanted to run rather than turn himself in a second time. Over the course of that single week, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday night, and Friday morning, four different people brought up the book of Jonah on four separate occasions, without any coordination between them. R.J. believes God used that repeated message specifically to convince him to stay and turn himself in rather than run.
Prayer, Worship, and Scripture
R.J. names three fundamentals that have shaped his relationship with God during his time at WMATC: prayer, worship, and reading Scripture. Scripture helped reconstruct his mind and clarify what it means to be a man of God. Worship opened his heart to let God in fully. Prayer built what he describes as an inseparable friendship and bond with God.
What Comes Next
As he finishes his time at WMATC, R.J.'s plan is to live out the calling Jesus has placed on his life and to pursue God first in everything, whether at work, in reconnecting with family, or simply growing as a man of faith day to day.
His message to anyone stuck in sin and looking for a way out: look to Jesus. He's standing with his arms open, ready to accept you exactly as you are and meet you wherever you're at.
Why R.J.'s Story Matters
For donors, R.J.'s story shows how the program reaches someone at the most dangerous possible point, after an overdose, and turns crisis into a foundation for lasting faith.
For prospective students and families, especially those facing legal consequences and tempted to run rather than face them, R.J.'s story shows what it looks like to stay and face the consequences with God's support instead.
For the WMATC community, the story of four people independently pointing to the same passage in one week is a striking reminder of how directly people experience God at work during their time in the program.
If someone you love is running from consequences instead of facing them, there is a better way through.
Help make stories like R.J.'s possible.
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