Heather’s Testimony – Teen Challenge of Texas

When i was 17 years old, I was dropped off at Teen challenge of San Antonio by my mother. I was an angry teen who’s father abandon her and had endured quite a bit of abuse growing up. None-the-less, an angry teen. We were forced to work in awful weather conditions for hours on end.

My room mate and I attempted to escape the program and we made it to the gas station. Got a hold of a pay phone and called my mom. She came to “pick me up” we spoke with the director and he had me go “gather my things” while my parents “waited” next thing i knew they had left me there again. My mom and step dad. Shortly after i was shipped off to Channel View Houston Women’s center (they have changed the location since then) against my will.

I arrived on discipline. While on discipline I was worked to the bone and woke at all hours of the night to load and unload vans from fundraisers. Not allowed to speak. Did excessive yard work. Ext. The worst part was the isolation. During my time there i endured serious abuse. We were forced to word fast. The entire group. All the women in the center for weeks, even months. If caught speaking you got discipline. No contact with anyone. So isolation on top of isolation. We worked at an auto auction 13 hours a day. Sometimes more. Outside. Drying cars after they were power washed. In the rain, snow, texas heat. While our intern would ride along side of us in a truck w the power washer eating yelling at us ” pick up the pace.” We got one 30 min break and a sandwich. Thats it. I remeber Christmas eve. We were word fasted again and the interns sipping coffee watching girls rake leaves outside in a flooded yard. ( it was cold) while she laughed at our expense. I also recall being forced to fast from food one day a week after working all day.

One day we all decided to eat a pb&j that day and the women’s director screamed at us all and told us ” we did not love God and she was disgusted by us. I was pulled into my womans directors office and asked to stay on and intern for her center. I declined her offer and i woke up the next morning to 3 made up write ups by her. I had time added to my program. I was weeks away from finishing. I was word fasted again. Even on my birthday. None of the write ups occurred and i refused to sign them yet still paid the price. I wrote her an apology letter and left it on her box and she came and found me with it in her hand balled up and literally threw it in my actual face. She gas lighted me and made me feel as if i was crazy. By the time i left there i was so beyond broken. I relapsed almost immediately. I ended up going back to the San Antonio facility for restoration because that’s all i knew. It was miserable but it felt safe because it was familiar. I endured more abuse in San Antonio. It was not till today that i woke up after having quite the dream about all of this and realized just how badly i was used and abused by these people.

I hope my story can be heard.

Thank you.