PARTICIPANT'S VIEW.

Ash:

What led me to a life of drugs was that I was full of guilt, shame and anger. I’ve lived a very complicated life and my experience with the drug scene was, in a way, a coping mechanism for everything that was going wrong in my life. I was a sergeant in arms of a one per cent outlaw club for around six to seven years and I was given a choice between my now fiancé and the club. I chose her and so the club burnt our house down and tried to kill her. I ended up in jail for possession with intent to kill and I just carried around all the shame and guilt of everything I had done and I just couldn’t lose it. As my relationship with my family, my friends and my partner all suffered, I just fell deeper and deeper into drugs and became disconnected from everything, including myself.

I ended up living in a car with my dog for about 8 months because no one wanted anything to do with me. All my relationships were dead. My family wanted nothing to do with me and I was paranoid about anyone who did want anything to do with me. I tried to take my life a few times and the last attempt was just after my birthday. I loaded a shotgun and pulled the trigger in my car and it’s only by the grace of God that I’m here because it ended up being a blank. It was after that moment that I decided that I needed to find help. From there I ended up going from place to place looking for help only to be told that there was a six to eight month waiting list for a rehab. I couldn’t wait six minutes. It was at one of the last places I visited looking for help, that a lady wrote down Pastor Luis’ number and told me to give him a call. I gave him a call and was down here the next week.

It was a rocky road to begin with but praise the Lord because everyone was very patient and caring and loving. I was a bit of a scumbag and when I first entered I kept the mentality of ‘violence is the key, violence is the key’. If someone doesn’t listen to you or someone doesn’t respect you, then you make them listen and make them respect you. I quickly realised that I wasn’t doing myself any favours acting like that. So for the first few months that I was there, God was trying to speak to me and I just wasn’t listening.

Then one day I had a revelation, where everything that I looked at from my past till now, I could see God’s hand in. Situations that I had been in, where there was no way I should’ve walked out of them. Even in finding a place like Remar, I know that it was God’s hand. Since being there, I’ve gotten my state of mind back, my relationships back and I’ve actually learned to be receptive to love. I could never accept love before. I couldn’t accept it and I didn’t want any part in it. But being at Remar allowed me to ask for a softer heart and I think, bit by bit, He’s giving it to me.

If you’re trying to get off drugs or trying to renew your mind, I can honestly tell you that it’s what I’ve been told my whole life: no one is going to help you if you don’t try to help yourself. So you need to take that first step and once you do, you’ll find that there’s a whole avenue of people who will be there to help you. But even with all that support, you’re not going to be able to do it without God in your life. He is the key to it all. There’s different vessels that God uses like Remar, but it’s important to understand that these vessels are not the ultimate solution. They’re just channels that God uses to help you and bring you out of your problems.

Kelvin:

My name is Kelvin. I am 46 years old. Three years ago I was so lost because of my drug and alcohol problem that I didn’t know what was up or down. I had tried all types of drugs to deal with the personal issues in my life and lacked a purpose and direction. I approached a gentleman from a church who directed me to Remar and decided to take the first step on my road of recovery.

During these past three years I have been re-establishing my walk with God and have seen him restore many things in my life. I had completely destroyed all ties with my family for many years, to the extent that they didn’t know whether I was dead or alive. But fortunately, God has started to restore my family. I am learning to depend on God and he is teaching me how to be a father to my children. God is very important in my life and by His grace I am still here. It is through Him that I have been able to achieve a purpose, handle responsibility and react differently to problems.

PROFESSIONALS.

To Whom It May Concern,

This is to advise that I have known and been involved with the organisation Remar Australia for the past 10 years and as a retired social worker highly recommend it’s services to anyone in need of drug/alcohol rehabilitation.

In my opinion the current Directors, Luis and Karina Brito and their various assistants, operate at the highest level of integrity and sincerity as evidenced by the way they live communally with all residents and receive little renumeration themselves for their work. Indeed, I regard their sacrificial love and care for each resident as a key to the success of their organisation in assisting people to refrain from their respective addictions and reintegrate into society, entering into meaningful employment as they do so.

This high regard for each resident was further evidenced in the aftermath of the horrific bush fires of 2009, when their then premises at Kinglake was totally destroyed along with the personal possessions of each member of their complex. Even though the Brito’s and their four children suffered much personal loss and devastation themselves, they kept all residents with them wherever they went, until they were finally able to settle in their delightful surroundings at McDonalds Track.

Another key factor that I believe contributes to their success as a rehabilitation service is their vision and drive to make their community as self sufficient as possible thus involving each resident in meaningful activity and helping to restore a work ethic. This is interspersed with communal meetings and outings thus greatly contributing to a loving, family atmosphere for each resident. As a retired social worker I am more than happy to be associated with Remar Australia and I know there are many others in the health/medical field who see them as a unique and highly valuable resource in the community.

Joy Heylen

(Social Worker with Queensland Health 1990-2006)