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TEEN CHALLENGE, LONDON
A Personal Testimony
“My name is John Manley and I’m from Chigwell. I came from a broken family. Going into school, signing my name and jumping back over the fence is all I knew about school. By the age of 15 I had smoked my first cannabis joint which I believe was the start of 14 years of drug abuse.
At 16 I was experimenting with ecstasy, sometimes taking up to 15 pills a weekend. I was just looking to fit in and wanting excitement. At 19 I got introduced to cocaine not knowing that the next 6 years of my life was going to be controlled by an addiction to it.
By this time I was in a deep relationship with Julie, a girl who was at this time pregnant with my boy. She gave me an ultimatum: her or the drugs. I wanted both. 8 months later Julie and I split up. I moved into my own flat and it was there that I believe I hit rock bottom. I started using crack cocaine and heroin. I spent the next three years robbing homes and garages to feed my habit.
Then I believe that God intervened in my life. My uncle Bob, who was a born-again Christian and who I hadn’t spoken to in years, started speaking to me and my family. He found out about my addiction and got me into Teen Challenge London.
On 4 March 2003 I entered Teen Challenge London with a string of convictions and looking at about three years behind bars. However God had other plans. He delivered me from my addiction on the first day and as a result of that I never suffered from any withdrawal. I went to court after six months for all the cases that were pending against me but the judge was so pleased with the progress I had made that he said I should continue and finish what I had started.”
John finished the programme and worked as staff member at Wilkerson House for a Number of years. He is getting married to Rhonda Noble, who is also a graduate, on 9 June 2007. |