The Men of Koinonia House Wheaton
Manny R. - As the oldest of six children, I was raised in a very strict home environment. I grew up in Chicago's Humboldt Park area with its gangs and drugs. Two things were most important to my father - that we excel in our education and that we have a relationship with the Lord. I managed to do both. In 1977, I went to Wheaton College where I majored in education and met Lisa, who later became my wife in 1981. After raising 3 children, I continued my educational path and eventually became Principal at Lyons Township High School in 1993. We attended a very big church and I simply got lost in that church. I was challenged by my wife, parents, and other friends to get involved in that church, but it was to no avail. As the time went by, I was introduced to gambling and that addiction totally consumed my life. I found myself spending every minute that I had in the casino. I left education because I was offered a job that doubled my salary and I thought that I could really support my gambling habit. While at that job, I embezzled money. I was immediately caught and I was sent to prison in Centralia, IL. My wife told me about Koinonia Houseâ and she sent me Manny Mill's book, Radical Redemption. It was then that I knew that God wanted to restore my life. I arrived at the Koinonia Houseâ on Wednesday, September 3, 2008. My spirit has been renewed and I am alive again because of the Christ and His finished work on the cross. Manny currently attends Grace Community Bible Church in Roselle, IL
Daniel A. - Drugs prevailed over my life even before I was conceived. I learned that drugs and alcohol were acceptable at the age of seven, as my father brazenly snorted lines of cocaine in front of me and drowned in a bottle of Hennessy. My father made a lush living by trafficking large quantities of cocaine for a drug cartel. His opulent lifestyle glamorized drugs in my eyes. The party was over when a narcotics task force arrested my father. I was thirteen years old at the time and had already been exposed to weed and even cocaine. My father’s arrest influenced my decision to try heroin at the age of thirteen. But by God’s grace and divine intervention, He snatched me from this pit by opening a door at a boarding school in North Aurora, called Mooseheart. After graduating at the top of my class, I went on to study mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois. My flirtations with heroin at 13, made an easy entrance for my illicit affair with it at 18. The years between the ages of 18 and 25 were filled with destruction, loneliness, fear, pain, and failure. I was a slave to drug addiction, who did whatever it took to get high. I was a master manipulator, compulsive liar, and treacherous thief. My feckless attempts at sobriety were nothing more than ruses to make my family believe that I was clean. In the seventh year of my addiction, I was imprisoned for stealing to get money for my addiction. God has used all things in my life, including my childhood, seven years of drug addiction, and time in jail, for good. While at the Cook County Jail, I had peace that surpasses all understanding. My relationship with the Lord began to strengthen because of the time that I had in jail. Since my release from jail, my walk with the Lord and the joy of my salvation has been restored. I was met at the gate and have been a resident at the Koinonia Houseâ since September 19, 2008. I now have everlasting life and freedom from drug addiction and its inherent bondage of sin. I am living for the Lord, not by my own strength, but by the strength that is given to me through faith in Jesus Christ. In May of 2009, I will celebrate one year clean from all drugs and alcohol, and I will return to school. God willing, I will graduate and work in the field of addictions, along with post and pre-prison ministry. Praise God for His unfailing Love and the resurrecting power of Jesus Christ!. Daniel attends Life Church in Wheaton, IL and is an active member.
Carlos S. I was born on the Westside of Chicago and raised by a single parent, my mom. I came from a family of five siblings and three different fathers. At times this brought about much discord, fighting and much adversity. We were never a close-knit family; even as far back as I could remember in my youthful days. I left home at the age of 16 and took on the mean streets of Chicago’s Southside. I immediately took to the gangs and in an instance; the leader became the father I never had but always desired. It was not long after that I got involved into drugs. I eventually dropped out of High School. I felt I could not lead a double life, it was either stay in school or stay in the gangs, I choose the gangs. I eventually became addicted to cocaine and then heroine. I started getting involved with committing various crimes, which consisted of stealing, selling drugs and eventually robberies. It had become so bad that Cook County Jail became my second home. During my long years of straying and getting deeper and deeper into trouble with the law, I eventually wound up at Taylorville Correctional Center serving time for a crime I didn’t commit. I served 5 ½ years and learned to be a servant with the help of the Chaplain. While in prison, I was able to obtain my GED. It was during this time that I got arrested by Christ and He began to do a work in me that would forever change my life. The Chaplain told me about Koinonia House and I learned about their program for Christian ex-prisoners. I filled out the application and went through the process of becoming a resident. After several months, I got accepted. I was met at the gate by my Spiritual mentor Lee and the Resident Director, Willie. Upon arriving at the home, I was met by my adoptive church, Jericho Road along with their Pastors. I can clearly see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. What a wonderful God we serve who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever imagine. I am on my way back to a life full of hope, love and being fully restored from the life of crime and hopelessness.