Resting Arms Ministries offers faith-based recovery

Houlton Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
HELPING HAND — Resting Arms Ministries received a helping hand, as Dr. Donald and Helen Woods, gave a donation received from the untimely passing of their son, Randy. At the presentation are, from left, David Tuttle, president of Resting Arms Ministries; Dr. Donald and Helen Woods and Steve Richardson, Resting Arms Ministries treasurer.
    A young man came into Pastor David Tuttle’s church to see him. He had done it all, drugs, alcohol, lying, cheating, stealing and finally trouble with the law which resulted in time in jail.  He desperately wanted to stay clean, but the odds were stacked against him.
    He was a felon, so finding employment was difficult. If he was not working, he could not afford transportation, and his family had exhausted all efforts to help him because of all the lies and disappointments. They had written him off as “can’t be helped” because they did not know what to do. They did not want him around, maybe because it is a little easier that way or maybe they were just so angry. When he was around, their anger came out in hurtful ways such as telling him he was “no good” or “lazy” or telling him he could quit if he really wanted to or that he just used his addiction as an excuse.
    “He wanted to spend all his time with me, but realistically that was impossible,” said Tuttle.  So what happens when this young man and others like him, have no place to lay their heads. No job, no money and their families have given up on them?
    The young man found himself going back to the ones who would help him, the inner circle, the ones who would accept him and the ones who would understand him; the drug users, the alcoholics, the people who would share their bed, their food and their drugs.
    “He goes back with the idea that he is going back because he has to, that it is only going to be temporary, until he gets on his feet,” explained Tuttle. “He thinks he’s going to stay clean, but once he goes back, temptation is too much and soon he is back where he started. After two or three times of trying to get clean and stay clean, he just gives up and says to himself, ‘What’s the use. I don’t care anymore.’ But he does care.”
    And then there’s an 18-year-old girl whom Becky (Miller) met professionally.
    “We met through my work as a victim/witness advocate in the District Attorney’s Office,” said Miller. “She was a victim of a rape. In actuality, she was fortunate to have escaped with her life. But now she had to face her abuser and tell a courtroom of strangers what happened to her.
    During the two years it took to resolve this case, whenever the young woman came to my office she was alone,” added Miller. “No mother, no father, no one to walk this road with her except me, a stranger. She was frightened and I felt inadequate to alleviate her fears. We got through the trial, conviction and sentencing and my job was over.”
    However, this young woman would never leave Miller’s heart. She did not have the ability to take care of herself.  
    “As much as I had encouraged her to seek counseling for the trauma she had experienced, she refused,” explained Miller. “I helplessly watched as she stuffed her feelings and drank herself into oblivion. She got involved in unhealthy relationships over and over again and experienced more violence. She bore children, but lost custody of them because she was unable to keep them safe.  Today my heart continues to break as I watch her continue in a vicious cycle: she seeks treatment, gets sober, gets a job and then slips back into her unhealthy patterns of addiction.”
    These are just two examples of the many, young and old, who have lost everything dear to them because of an addiction. “To say addiction in today’s society has reached epidemic proportions is a gross understatement,” said Miller. “Addiction is a terrible disease.”
    According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use, 16 million people need immediate treatment for substance abuse, not to mention sex, pornography, eating disorders and other addictions.  
    “These two young people certainly are not the only addicted people we have encountered,” said Miller.  Dana Jones, Resting Arms Ministry board member, added, “Addiction affects families in all communities, and leaves in its wake young people and adults who no longer can function adequately, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Without recovery these people (someone’s son, daughter, friend or even father or mother) struggle on, trapped by the constant thought and craving for that which will not necessarily only give them the desired ‘high’ but enable them to feel normal and function in a very complicated and confusing life. These are people who try, but are unable to reach goals of college and career, of being an effective parent or of being able to reach financial stability. They have families that have been exhausted in every way by the costs of their addiction.”
    About four years ago, God began speaking to Pastor Tuttle about working to create a Christ-centered treatment facility in Aroostook County. In May 2008, Resting Arms Ministries was born. Along the journey to find the right fit for Aroostook County, the board of directors of RAM discovered His Mansion Ministries of New Hampshire.
    “We liked what we saw and developed a non-legal partnership with HMM,” said Miller.
    The following are some of the attributes of HMM that are desired for RAM: They developed their program through prayer and rely on continual spirit-driven support; they take no state or federal funds; no one will be turned away for lack of funds; residents are required to work (tend gardens, cook, process garden vegetables, cut wood, etc.); attend individual and group counseling along with Bible study and chapel and are given the opportunity to accept Jesus as their personal Savior; they raise their own produce and meat which helps with the cost of operation and gives the residents some life skills; their program’s duration is 12 to 13 months and residents live and work together with mentors and other staff.
    “There is more criteria, which RAM is hoping to incorporate, once we have our facility and program up and running,” added Miller. “As massive a project as this is, with as many obstacles as we will face in getting this ministry operational, we know that we serve a God who not only created the universe, but is deeply concerned in saving, delivering, cleansing and transforming lives in Aroostook County today.”  
    The organization recently received a 501 C3 non-profit status so they are able to accept monetary donations.  For those who would like to support the ministry financially or are interested in learning more, contact one of the board members, Jones 532-1552, Miller 538-9026, Eric Lincoln 532-4262, Steve Richardson 528-2806 or Tuttle 694-1595.