My name is Craig Ross. I am 27 years old and currently volunteering at Impact Direct Ministries. I work closely with Pastor Roger Petersen on the Drug Prevention Programme.

Part of my duties include: counselling, developing programmes for drug addicts or potential users, mentoring and empowering young men. I was privileged enough to attended various training courses through Impact Direct namely: Leadership, Mentoring, First Aid, Listening Skills, Life Skills Facilitation, Marketing, Finance Workshop, Computer Training and Coaching skills. I just completed a soccer coaching course and am currently facilitating a soccer holiday camp for 60 young boys from the local community.

You might think, what an amazing young man! He has achieved so much and is helping others and giving generously of himself. This is not where I started out. My journey goes back to 8 years ago in high school where I saw a bright future ahead of me with my sports and education. While excelling in sports, my team mates and I were often celebrating, that was where the introduction to alcohol happened.

I lost track of time with all the partying and before I new it I was experimenting with drugs. Eight years of my life passed without remembering much or pursuing any of the goals and dreams I set out for myself. Only when I was in so deep that nothing mattered to me any more did I grasp the harmful effects drugs and alcohol had on my life. Due to drugs and alcohol I failed matric and did not go back. I went all through my schooling and did not finish the final year. Imagine running this long race just to stop short of the finish line. By this time whatever future I had in soccer was long gone. The time I should have been spending on my studies I was spending it on my habit. I regret it now but I lost interest all together in everything that meant something to me.

I thought I had the drugs under control but I was deceived. Before my eyes my life was spinning out of control. The next step for me was to get involved in gangsterism and started to partake in certain gang related activities. I also started selling drugs to the community. At this stage my mind told me that my lifestyle was right, this is how it should be even though I had no inner peace. Yet, as I watched the drugs destroy my life and there was no future for me, I just went deeper and deeper into it.

Praise God for two of my friends (they were like me but then became Christians and accepted Jesus Christ as their personal saviour) they invited me to attend a meeting at the Impact Centre. I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. That was where the transformation and turning point in my life happened. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal saviour and that was what I was looking for. The peace I was searching for I finally found. The Lord is just so good to me. Everything I lost I am gradually getting back. Since then my life has been reconstructed not only my life but my family, friends and community.
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In the past I have left negative footprints in the community, and now I am striving to leave positive footprints.

As a mother, I always had great expectations and high hopes for Brent, my only son. And almost 9 years ago I was faced with the nightmare that my son was on drugs.

Everyday I would watch Brent visit neighbours, which I naively thought to be innocent and safe. Suddenly his behaviour changed, he became aggressive and withdrew from the family. He frequently asked me for money and became careless about his appearance.

I only accepted the reality once I saw Brent deteriorating before my very eyes. I was forced to accept that my son was addicted to drugs and that help was needed.

This motivated me to do research on drugs and contacted various rehabilitation institutions in order to rid my son from this curse. We were unable to place him in any rehabilitation institutions due to fees being too costly. My state of health weakened as depression overtook me and the hope for my son’s future disappeared.

Brent became involved in gang related activities, lost his job and started selling drugs one after the other. Hallucinations haunted him almost everyday which resulted in him imagining that there were people trying to kill him.

Brent threatened to kill his father and myself on numerous occassions, this was the extent the drugs called TIK controlled him. He lost all respect for his family and the community. I was ashamed of my son. I became fearful and heart sore as I watched my son’s life being destroyed by TIK.

Every night I would cry myself to sleep and I continually blamed myself for his state of mind, a situation in which I was totally helpless. For 8 years Brent had to feed his drug habit, leading to greater harm, fear and pain to us.

One day I found him with cuts on his legs, bleeding and claiming that he accidentally hurt himself. Knowing that he lied, I realized that my son was at breaking point, as he continued to threaten to kill himself. There was absolutely nothing he or I could do to save him from his destructive drug abuse and related activities. I knew that only a miracle could set him free, thus urging him to call out to God.

The very moment he broke down and cried out to the Lord Jesus for help, God sent help his way. A family friend Terrence Hendricks (who belongs to Impact Direct Ministries), told us about a place that could help him. Brent was taken to the Impact Direct Ministries (founded by Pastor Roger Petersen) walk-in-centre where he was counselled and supported. Since then Brent was equipped by Pastor Roger Petersen and other mentors to become a leader himself.

He was sent on several community-based and leadership courses that helped him to plough back into his community. Together with other young men who were also helped by Impact Direct Ministries and under the leadership and guidance of Pastor Roger Petersen: they now go to schools, organizations, companies, clubs and shopping malls where they do presentations and outreaches on drugs and the effects it has on you. Through these outreaches they have helped many drug addicts and families.

I am so grateful to the Lord for giving my son and our family victory over the monstrous affects caused through my son’s past drug addiction. Instead of fear and tears of sorrow, our home is now filled with so much love, peace and a hope of a great future for our family. And this is my prayer for every mother and family.

Brent’s Profile:
Name: Brent Williams
Age: 30 Yrs
Area: Bridgetown, Athlone
Substances: TIK, LSD, Alcohol, Mandrax, Exstacy, Cocaine(Crack)
No. of years: 8 years addicted