Kristina

I was desperate

My name is Kristina Stanišin. I`m 31 and I come from Futog. I was born as a third child in my family of five. I was a much loved child. My parents had a developed family business from which all of us could live nicely and carelessly. Even though my mother was sick we didn`t feel it in any way. She tried hard to be always with us and to take care of our needs. She was my biggest support and I was very close to her. I was a good child, favorite, and an excellent student. All in all, I was someone from whom a lot was expected.

When I was 17 I met people whose influence changed me a lot. It was when I first met drugs. I successfully resist them until my mother died. Not being able to face the loss, I started using heroin, alcohol, and pills. At the age of 20 I left home. I was spending more and more time in the streets, and I committed many criminal acts in order to get the money for the drug. I was desperate. When I reached the bottom and when I couldn`t face myself anymore I tried to commit a suicide. I ended up at a psychiatric clinic where they gave me methadone therapy.

In the meantime, the family business failed, my brother and sister followed their ways, and my father scarcely made the ends meet. One day, my father visited me in the hospital and asked if I wanted to go to Crossroads. He told me that he had spoken with people in Crossroads and that there was a chance to get into the program for free. I accepted it and entered the program. I was very scared and unwilling to believe because I couldn`t imagine a life without drugs. All those conditions would surface through cheekiness which is why they wanted to expel me from the center. Then I decided to let the Lord into my life. I started praying and reading Bible regularly. Changes started to happen. The pivotal moment in my rehabilitation was when there came a court call for a criminal act from the past. I prayed to God for a miracle to happen. My counselor advised me to tell the truth. I told the truth and the truth set me free – there wasn`t a criminal proceeding against me. Then I surrendered everything to God and decided to be obedient. After 20 months of a thorough work I finished the program. Now I`m a new person who finds all her joy in the Lord. He renewed my home, brought new people in my life, freed me from the desire to get stoned, and took off all the guilt and shame. Now I know that God has a plan for my life and this is the beginning of His plan. I am grateful to my father and to people from Crossroads since they participated in the process of my changes, and because this is only possible with God and with that big amount of love they selflessly gave me.

Before

After