We left off last time with Arlan suggesting he had hit rock bottom. It was there in that place that, instead of going to the bar again like he always did, he decided to go a Bible study that he had been invited to. Sounds crazy. But what happens next is amazing.

Sometimes people need to hit rock bottom before they’re ready to look up. That’s what happened to Arlan. In part one of his story, Arlan shares how he got to that place. Then, in the next episode, he’ll tell you what happened to him when he decided to look up.

Making pottery is part of the O’odham culture. One day while in boarding school, Miss Ira Redbird came to teach Mike’s class how to make pottery. Mike explains the process as he was taught and likens it to how God works with His children.

There are significant moments in each of our lives that we will never forget. Some we wish we could forget, but others we cherish because of the positive impact it had on us. Today, we’ll hear about one of those moments in Mike Andrews’s life as he opens up and shares from his heart a deeply personal experience.

Mike grew up in foster homes and boarding school – all the while longing to be back with his family. When he started high school, he learned to play sports, especially football. When the school he was playing for closed, his only alternative was to play football at a Christian school. It was there that he learned about the love of God.

When Harlan decided to follow Jesus his life drastically changed – including sobering up. His wife was convicted by what she saw. First she made it hard on him which pushed him away. but then she realized how wrong she was and wanted him back. Even Harlan’s mother and youngest brother noticed the real change in his life.

Harlan kept telling his wife that he was going to change his life and start going to church. “I was so good at lying, making people believe that what I say I was going to do.” His promise about church was just part of his plan to win her back. But something unexpected happened when he finally did go to church.

One day while she was home with her baby and Ivan was out, there was a knock at the door. When Sophia opened it there stood an older man asking for Ivan. She quickly got annoyed with him and wanted shut the door in his face, but instead, for some unexplained reason, she invited him in for tea. That was the night that everything would change for her and for Ivan.

Sophia grew up without her mom. As a child she was back and forth from her dad’s place, her kookum (her grandmother), and the group home. Later, Sophia moved to Onion Lake to care for her grandma as she grew older. Then in high school Sophia got involved in an abusive relationship and a lifestyle of drinking and drugs. She felt trapped.

Leo grew up around the Stomp Dance but didn’t know much about it. What he did know is that it didn’t seem to make a difference in his community. People were stuck in alcohol, drugs, and violence. Feeling hopeless and caught in his own battles, Leo considered suicide. But instead, he reached out for God.