Anonymous Letter from 423 Member

Good morning,

I have been a part of 423 men for nearly 2 years.

I wanted to write and express to you what a difference 423 ministry makes in our community. A brief story; I became a Christian when I was 21, a lone wolf in my family and very confused about life. I've been a part of several Churches and Bible studies, and programs focusing on accountability. While these were thriving Churches that impacted many in our community, I was living a life of deep pain from my past wounds: the loss of my mom when I was 9, my alcoholic dad, and a stepmom who dripped with hatred for me. I was never taught how to deal with these wounds, and as a result I spent much of my adult life addicted to sin.

Things changed when I came to 423 nearly 2 years ago. For the first time, I was taught by our team how to deal with the issues of the heart, instead of trying to just mask the pain. The cirriculum and the support of the men created an environment where I was able to put down my pain and deal with my wounds in a safe environment, and let God work in my life at last. While I am still dealing with my wounds today, I don't use the sin I once did to mask the pain in my life. I have been married just over a year, and I have been completely faithful to my wife in both mind and heart, something that I'm not so sure would happen if I hadn't gone through this program and if God hadn't got a hold of me.

I wanted to express my apreciation for the 423 Men, and it's deep impact it has had with me and many other men. For nearly a year, I have been a leader of our program after obtaining consistent sobriety, and I have seen similar transformations in so many other men in our group. I felt that the leaders of our Church should know the impact it has.
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Note: If you'd like to speak directly to the man who wrote the above letter or anyone in 423 Men, please make your request at 423Men@ajesuschurch.org.