Testimonial - John Felts
By Sally Van Shaik

John Felts was a latch key kid in Washington, D.C. who came home from school and did pretty much as he pleased. His father, an oceanographer, died when John was six. His mother was a teacher.

John attended Catholic church as a child. At the age of 12, he was introduced to a non-denominational, spirit-filled church which he attended for the next six months.

At age 15, John began partying with a college crowd, using drugs (pot, LSD) and alcohol. In and out of college and trade school, John was a “maintenance drinker” who managed to get to work every day. By age 27, people began noticing lapses due to drink. Tardiness at work became the rule.

At 29, John fell on his face. He was stopped for a DWI and ordered into an Alcoholics Anonymous program. He now states that it was “the second best thing that ever happened to me.” Over the next four years, John had two more DWIs, lots of attorney’s fees and jail time. He finally had enough, went to an AA meeting and broke down. “My body and spirit combined couldn’t take it anymore,” he explained.

From age 33 to 38, John was sober and attended AA on a regular basis. He acquired Union Mechanic Status and took up travel, taking vacations to the Caribbean and Europe. He was also in a long term relationship.

All this, while normal living to most people, was very new to John. While on a cruise, he gave into temptation, drank one beer and didn’t stop. Soon, he added crack. At this point, John quit his job, took money from his 401K, and lived out of hotel rooms. He got high every day, lost everything he had accumulated, sought sobriety, even asked to be hospitalized and was very depressed which would get him started drinking again.

One evening, John was sitting in his car, out of gas, when he was approached by a Maryland State Trooper. Begging for help, he was sent to SonSpot and was then invited to go to The Seaford Mission (now Mission of HOPE). Arriving in November of 2006, he went through the classes and graduated - only to begin drinking again. Although planning to eject John from the program, the Mission Administrator decided to give him one last chance. John admitted that he had screwed up big time.

Remaining sober, John now considers his move to the Mission of Hope as the best thing that ever happened to him. He states, “I cry out to the Lord to help me with everyday life. God has put me where He knows I should be. He has something for me to do. It’s part of His plan for me.”
John has been ordered by the court to stay at the Mission. It’s where the Lord has met him in his quest for sobriety, wholeness, and peace in his life. It’s where his restoration is taking place.