He'd Lost Count of the Times He'd Been to Jail. Then a Loss in the Family Finally Brought Alfredo to Rise.
Alfredo is a graduate of the Rise Discipleship home. Before he got there, addiction ran his life. He'd been in and out of jail more times than he could count on one hand, unable to hold a job or keep a relationship together, because the addiction always won.
His family loved him through all of it. They practiced tough love, drew a line he wasn't allowed to cross, but they never cut ties. And he's grateful he never burned that bridge, because they stuck with him through every incarceration and every up and down.
"The lie I believed was that I would never amount to anything. I'd made too many mistakes, so I just gave up on life. I kept telling myself I'd never be successful."
His Mother's Tears
What finally moved Alfredo wasn't his own rock bottom. He'd hit that too many times to count. It was watching his mother grieve.
When he recently lost his aunt, his mother's sister, his mom sank in and out of depression, crying and praying at night, carrying the extra weight of worrying about him. Alfredo had seen her pray before, and somehow it had never been enough. This time it broke through.
"I'd hit rock bottom too many times. I finally stopped leaning on my own understanding and gave it to God. Twelve months later, here I stand."
Broken Open at the Altar
Alfredo arrived scared, not knowing what to expect. But he did the one thing that changes everything: he surrendered. He poured himself out at the altar and asked God for forgiveness, broken like most of the men and women who walk through that door.
"By doing that, I was able to finally break out of that shell, out of the bondage of not wanting help, and give God a chance."
The home gave him hope, and a future he couldn't see before. His past, he learned, did not define him. The man who walked closest with him through it was a leader named Steve Miller, who stuck by him through his depression, worked side by side with him, and discipled, encouraged, and corrected him.
That correction was the hardest part. Being corrected by another man was something Alfredo did not like at all. But it turned out to be the very thing that set him free.
"It wasn't just the person. It was who God was working through, to help me see the bigger picture."
Finally, Peace
The moment God truly broke through was at that altar, when Alfredo let it all out.
"I finally understood what it meant to have peace in my heart, to be mentally stable, to be equipped with the tools to fight for my soul, against the strongholds of my addiction and my old ways of thinking. That's when I realized God was there in my life."
He clung to the truth that he was a "whosoever", that if he believed and sought God, God would meet him, and that the battle was already won. He just had to walk in it. And seeing what Jesus had done for him on the cross reframed his daily struggles as a cross worth carrying.
What Alfredo Wants You to Know
Alfredo believes God is using his story to reach others who have walked the same road, addiction, incarceration, the loss of loved ones.
"I know I'm not the only one. If God can help me through my struggles, He can help anyone, as long as they believe."
If This Is You
Alfredo was convinced he'd never amount to anything and had lost count of his trips to jail. None of it was the end of his story. If that's where you are, or if you're the mother praying at night for a son who keeps ending up back inside, don't wait. It's free, a real person answers day or night, and it starts with one call.
Ready to reach out? Get help now. Freedom really is just one phone call away. (325) 232-5449.
And it's all free because of people like you. In Alfredo's words: "Without you, my family would not have their son today, and my brother and sister would not have their brother back."
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or thoughts of suicide, you are not alone and help is available. Rise Discipleship's 24/7 helpline is (325) 232-5449.
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