A father about to graduate from Adult & Teen Challenge says he is a completely transformed man.
Adam Lepp enrolled in the one-year in-house program last fall and has been working in the vehicle donation program in Winnipeg while recovering.
"At the shop I'm generally in the scrap bay, pulling apart cars. It ultimately helps us fund the program."
Lepp is celebrating one year in the program on Tuesday and hopes to apply for the SURGE leadership program ATC offers graduates.
After the year program, Lepp says it will allow him to "see my daughter more often and be more involved in her life."
In November 2020, Lepp had hit rock bottom.
"A year ago I was probably at the lowest point in my life. I had nowhere to live, no money to my name and really bad meth addiction. I hadn't been involved in my family's lives for a number of years. I was at the end of my rope."
With nothing more to lose, Lepp cried out to God.
"I vividly remember yelling at God in the middle of a parking lot in Winnipeg, 'God if you're real, I need you to help me.' The next thing I know I'm on the phone with my dad whom I hadn't spoken to in forever and he said, it's crazy you're calling because I just dropped off your daughter from a visit."
His dad asked where Lepp was and came to pick him up. Within three weeks Lepp enrolled in the one-year ATC program.
"I spent those three weeks at my parent's house, getting ready to come to Teen Challenge. During those weeks it was the first three weekends in a row I got to meet my daughter, hang out with her. I got to spend time with both my parents. It was incredible. I thought if this is what it's going to be, even remotely, than I want this forever."
His daughter Alia started kindergarten in September.
"I'm working on planning to have my own time with her on top of the time she spends with my parents after I graduate from this program."
While Lepp did grow up in a Christian home, he always thought it was religious garbage.
"After coming here and really experiencing the changes literally only God can do for me, seeing the changes happen in my family, I fully grasped onto the love and power of God. I've come to know and have a relationship with Jesus and it completely changed my life."
Lepp says that these days he's happy, but before he was a very angry and cynical person.
"I know how to love and to be loved now," he says.