Robert was born on the Oneida reservation in Wisconsin but – because of the Indian Relocation Act – spent his growing-up years in Chicago. It was there that he learned to drink and fight. He would discover though that it was an empty life. Join us for part one of Robert’s story.

Victoria put her trust in Jesus at the age of eight and was raised in a loving Christian home. When she got to high school, though, she began to party with family and friends. She continued this life while in university until she finally saw how useless it all was and turned back to God. That’s when she found that Jesus offers the greatest high one could ever experience: joy today and Heaven forever.

Chester found out that, just because Jesus saves us from our past and gives us hope for the future, life can still be hard. Difficult challenges and choices are part of the journey. For Chester, this included something he was never able to do before… forgive his father for years of abuse and neglect.

The hate that Chester had harbored for his father since childhood was driving him to drink, despair, and death. Through the intervention of an understanding judge and a Bible-quoting friend, Chester would have another opportunity to face his self-destructive behavior and pursue a new life.

Chester grew up in Eel Ground First Nation. His troubled childhood left him with deep hurt and a miserable existence. He tried to end his life. Thankfully, he wasn’t successful. Listen to part one of his story which helps set the background for his inspiring journey of overcoming alcoholism and hate.

Like all of us, the Christmas story has a background and it begins with our Creator. Join us as Jason French starts at the beginning and helps us understand the significance of this day that was first celebrated by angels in the night sky near Bethlehem and now is celebrated by people from tribes and nations all around the world.

Sophronia’s life from early childhood was marked by anger at being shipped off to boarding school. Then alcohol took over after her mother died. When she ‘found Jesus’, she told everyone how SHE had won over the battle over alcohol, but until she gave Jesus full credit, she discovered that she really wasn’t free.

Paul is a full-blooded Aleut, born in Egegik in 1935. In part 2 of his story, he shares about one of his life’s most difficult moments. He lost his precious daughter Jewell to cancer while she was a college student. We understand though that words cannot describe the pain of losing a child that you have loved and cared for. How does one cope with such a loss? Paul was able to because of the hope and peace he had found before she passed away.

Paul is a full-blooded Aleut, born in Egegik in 1935. Growing up, he lived in the village of Kanatik during the winter. But in the Springtime his family would walk over the mountain and cross the lake called Becharof to go back to Egegik in order to make ends meet. Like this journey, his early life was filled with difficult challenges… but he was an ambitious young man.

Janet continues her story… sharing about how she was strong-willed but came to realize that she couldn’t do everything on her own. She took some formal training and got a job but didn’t like the work. So, she ended up joining the Marines. Years later she found herself in a relationship and pregnant. Against her boyfriends’ wishes she decided to keep her baby. That choice would ultimately change her life forever.