January 2010, Odorheiu Secuiesc

The Aftercare Conference was organized between 29-31 January. There were approximately 140 participants, 17 of them were the residents from the Rehabilitation Centre.

We had planned our travel to the Aftercare Conference in advance and we also had planned the work there – since planning is an indispensable part of life. As the therapy is divided into stages, the residents who are in a higher stage – we call them veterans – are responsible for the other residents. Our job at the Aftercare Conference was to keep order in the main meeting area, to help with serving the breakfast, lunch and dinner and to help around the kitchen.

		It seemed as if we were the hosts there – this is how the residents interpreted the situation later on. It was also good that everybody could feel useful during the Conference. Our accommodation was at another location, a distance from the site of the program, so escorting the residents was also the veterans’ job, as also when they had a sightseeing walk in the town on Saturday afternoon. I enjoyed seeing how nicely and responsibly they could complete the tasks with which they were entrusted.

The whole time worked out as though we were a big family. The boys related that they were greatly supported by the participants. Many of them were impressed by the fact that among the participants were people who have lived an abstinent life for many years now, even for 10-15 years. The residents talked with these people, as they were interested about the hardship of life. During the small group discussions all of the residents, without exception, had a good time. The new ones could hardly believe that something like this could happen. Many of them got answers to their questions, they had a chance to talk about their fears and pains, nobody laughed at them and they were accepted, understood and supported. Are there nicer things than these for an addicted person? My experience was similar, in that I felt I was not alone with my problems, when I first attended an Aftercare Conference.

The sermons and the lectures gave some wake-up thoughts to many of the participants, things that they still have to work on and recognize that they need help in because they can’t handle their problems alone. They became motivated to continue their lives. It was nice to meet old and new faces, to hear that life is beautiful and one should not give up the everyday struggle.

We returned to the Therapy Centre, to Ozd, tired but filled with hope and joy, with a nice eternal memory in our hearts. Of course, there were some minor blunders like consuming more coffee or smoking too many cigarettes – there were cases where somebody gave up smoking or drinking coffee at the Therapy Centre, but during the Aftercare Conference they started to consume them again, as an old reflex. Instead of the theory, they could experience in practice that they have to be much more prepared to avoid a relapse and they have a chance to learn this at the Therapy Centre. These cases were very useful because we had something specific to analyze, we could use everything for our growth. After we arrived back, we talked about our feelings and we analyzed our negative and positive habits, behaviors, reflexes, desires, thanksgivings – and so we used these sets of competencies.

I pray to God to give us, all the Bonus Pastor staff, continuous strength for our work, to be able to complete what He has called us to do, for His glory.
Ferenc Bálint, TC staff