Dear Special Friend of Damascus Way:

Saturday morning October 21, 2000 I had the opportunity to perform the remarriage of a former graduate of Damascus Way.  The graduate, Larry Bryan, is a young man I knew while growing up in Brainerd.

I wrote a story about Larry back in January 1996, saying he had graduated from the Damascus Way program.  His story went like this:

Larry always felt like the “black sheep” in his family while growing up.  His older brother was set up as an example of what he should be like.  Larry described himself as an unhappy child most of the time.  He didn’t try hard in school, consequently he received poor grades, which earned him even more disapproval from his parents.  Continuing remarks, such as “Why aren’t you like your brother?” reinforced his bad attitude.

While he was in high school he began drinking with some of the other boys on weekends.  As time went on he became a heavy drinker.  His drinking contributed to his becoming very introverted; hiding his feelings of anger, hurt, and the fact he didn’t even like himself.  Larry went through treatment in 1978 for his addictions and remained sober until his downfall again in 1988.  In 1985 Larry’s dad died, which drove him into a three-year depression.  He came out of the depression, he said, with a bottle of Budweiser in his hand.  His wife and children were away for the day and he gave in to alcohol for the first time since 1978.

He told his wife he would only have a few drinks on Friday nights and got her to join him.  However, his drinking soon became an every-night event.  He began withdrawing from the family by busying himself with projects in the garage each evening.  Soon he was using “Crank”, “Speed” and finally cocaine. His habits were so bad that when his young son was asked in health class what his family had for breakfast that day, his son answered by saying that his dad had beer for all three meals every day.

Larry’s addictions finally led to the loss of his family, his savings and retirement investments.  He now says he is thankful he was arrested and stopped before he also lost his life.  The moment he walked through the prison doors was the moment he surrendered himself to God.  It took four months of incarceration for his sleeping habits to become normal, his thinking to slow down and adjust to the fact that he was going to be there a long time.  He became involved in church and Alcoholics Anonymous immediately upon entering prison.  Individuals from church groups ministering in prison shared testimonies of their own deliverance from cocaine addiction.  This gave him great hope that his life would become whole through Christ.

While at Damascus Way Larry did all the right things.  He got involved in church and a support group and found a full-time job.  By graduation, he was occasionally meeting with his ex-wife and had asked for her forgiveness.  (They had been sweethearts since he was 14 years old.  They had gone their own ways after school and each had married other partners.  When they met up in the early 1980’s they were both single again and began dating each other, and in 1982 they were married.  She had two children from her first marriage and together they had a son.)

After Larry finished Damascus Way he and Sue gradually began spending more time together.  Sue was very cautious after the years of heartache she and the children had suffered, but trust and love grew until they decided to marry again, this time putting Christ first.  Larry and Sue decided they wanted to have the marriage on the Damascus Way property because Larry’s new life had many of its beginnings there.  The wedding was small; Larry and Sue, the couple who stood up for them, Larry’s parole officer Gary Lundeen, and me. 

In the back yard of Damascus Way I talked with Gary Lundeen after the little wedding. Gary said he was always impressed with Larry.  Larry had made up his mind a couple of years before he was released from prison that he would live differently from then on.  The fact that he chose Damascus Way for his reentry point said a lot about him also because he could have gone to less restrictive places.  Gary also remarked that because Larry was an experienced carpenter he could have gone right out to work on construction sites, but instead took a lesser paying job with a more positive atmosphere and worked there consistently for a couple of years.  Gary observed and had stayed with that decision continuing the process at Damascus Way. Gary summarized Larry’s success by saying he turned over the direction of his life to Christ, he had a plan, he took his time and he was consistent. 

I know you join me in wishing Larry and Sue the best future possible. Please pray for His watch care over them as they go forward in Christ.

In His service,

Rev. Dick Harden, Director