My name is Tonya Leigott.  I am 29 years old, from Trumann, Arkansas.  I came from a very dysfunctional home.  When I was younger, my parents were in a mess, along with my Aunt and Uncle, it was just kind of a family thing…When I was about 8 years old; my parents let my grandparents adopt me.  My grandparents tried to give me everything that my parents couldn’t, which in turn made me spoiled and emotionally unbalanced.  My best friend died leaving my 18th birthday party after a night...

My name is Felecia Brooks I am 41 years old and from Malden, MO. I have 3 children and I am the youngest child out of 7 kids. My mom was a pastor, and my dad was the one who worked all the time. I was raised in church, but I lost my faith and trust in God when my mom passed back in 2017. I blamed God for taking my mother from me so I stopped going to church and started doing things I shouldn’t do. I lost my brother, dad, and sister within three years of each other, so I had completely given...

My name is Michelle Weeks. I am 37 years old and from Hayti, MO. I was blessed with a Christian grandma who took me to church and taught me right from wrong. My mother, however, was the one who introduced me to drugs when I was only 13 years old. As I got older, I continued down the wrong path. I got married when I was at 19 to a man who was very verbally, mentally, and physically abusive. I left him and he stalked me and tried to kill me. This dove me deeper into addiction. In 2015, I was...

My name is Shannon Wayne Kender and I am 41 year old from Joneseboro, AR.  I’m no stranger to God’s love, grace and mercy.  This is my 3rd season in Mission Teens and each time He brought me out of my mess was nothing short of a miracle.  I have the best parents anyone could ever ask for they taught me to know right from wrong and shown love and discipline equally. I was saved when I was 12 or 13 years old and even though I know He genuinely came into my heart, I only asked Him so that...

My name is John Van Loan, I am 42 years old and I live in southwest Missouri.   I never realized the devastation alcohol would cause in my life when I started drinking at the age of 16.  I always just wanted to have fun and party. Little did I know that the alcohol and partying would eventually consume me with sin and shame that was taking me down a road that would kill me, and a road that did destroy my hope in life, along with shattering the hope and dreams of my wife Jana, my daughter...

My name is Kent Anderson.  I am the youngest of 3 boys from a loving stay at home mother and a hard working father.  Wanting to fit in to what the world called popular was my downfall.  I wanted to do all the things other kids did who had material things.  I was spoiled and didn’t even know it because others had more material things than I had but they didn’t have a father who took them fishing and hunting or a mother who spent time working in the yard or catching butterflies or going...

My name is Patrick Cook.  I am 40 years old and from St. Louis, Missouri.  I was raised by parents who did well but were alcoholics.  Growing up, I always felt different and had very few friends.  I also had a hard time fitting in anywhere because I was a very sick kid and couldn’t participate in what “normal kids” do which led to me feeling left out and very alone.  Growing up, I always said that I would never smoke, drink or do drugs and I didn’t until I went to college. That�...

      My name is Whitney Burnette.  I am 29 years old from Wynne,...

Hi, my name is Robbie Ingram.  I’m 31 years old and I’m from Dexter, Missouri.  I was born in South St. Louis, but when I was 3 years old, my dad went to prison and my parents got divorced.  My mom decided to move me and my 3 sisters and 2 brothers to Dexter and be near my grandparents.  My mom worked a lot to support all of us, but her heart was always with us.  I can remember going to church as a child. I loved learning about Jesus and singing the kid's songs, but what I liked...

My name is Jason Freeman.  I was born In Poplar Bluff, Missouri in 1982 and I was raised in Dexter, Missouri.  I have an older sister and an adopted brother and sister. My childhood was what I would consider normal.  I went to a Baptist church and I played all sports but was especially good at baseball.  When I was 13, I stopped going to church and started experimenting with drugs and alcohol.  In no time, I got in trouble for bringing drugs to school.  I got put on probation and...

My name is Darline Pehle. I’m 26 years old. I am the oldest of 5 siblings but because of my size, I qualify as the runt. I was very abused as a child. I went to church growing up, but in high school I started to rebel against my family and the Lord. During my rebellion, I denied my belief in Christ. I was doing all sorts of bad things and then I was with my grandma when we got the call that my mom had died in her jail cell. Instead of looking to the Lord for strength, I rebelled even harder...

My name is Earl Gyger and I’m 42 years old from Forsyth, MO. My childhood was great, but at the age of 14, I was introduced to “crank”, which is                             now known as crystal methamphetamine. That choice I made back then led to an emotional roller coaster of bad relationships and a very dark and                            ugly lifestyle. I stopped using meth for a short time and got married. She had a 2-year-old daughter and...

My name is Brittany Marie Brewer.  I am 34 years old from St. Louis, Missouri.  My mother worked really hard to raise me and my sister.  I was in beauty pageants and dance classes.  All of that changed in my early teenage years when my father introduced me to methamphetamines. This landed me in and out of several rehabs over the years.  In 2008, I found myself in an extremely abusive relationship.  One day in 2014, we were both high, arguing and driving down the road at 90 mph.  I...

My name is Rodney Walker.  I’m 42 years old and I am from Mississippi.  I had a rough childhood because my parents were always fighting, so I spent a great deal of time with my grandparents.  My grandma took me to church where I was exposed to the truth but also a lot of “religion”.  I was saved at the age of 11 but wasn’t properly discipled.  I used my involvement in sports to be a release of all the negative emotions I was trying to bottle up inside. I listened to so many lies...

My name is Gina Fugate, I am 48 years old from St. Louis, MO. I realized that I needed to make a change sitting under a bridge, after a tornado left parts of St. Louis destroyed. A couple of years prior I was laid off from work and faced with a breakup, repossession, and foreclosure which left me homeless and once again addicted. I was at a point in my life where I needed help and quick. I have 4 children, and I was always involved in their lives; it is strange how things can change overnight...

My name is Dezirae Starcher.  I’m 27 years old, I’m from Akron, OH.  I...

My name is Jessi Kamper.  I’m 29 years old and I am a current resident of Kennett, MO.  I grew up in a very loving household. I have an older sister and 2 older brothers.  My parents always showed us lots of love growing up and they are still married.  I grew up in church and my parents would have us there every time the doors were open.  When I was thirteen years old, I prayed the prayer, walked the aisle at church, and gave my heart to Jesus.  But really, nothing about my life...

Hi, My name is Billy Starnes.  I’m 43 years old and was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.  I was raised by alcoholic parents who would get very angry when they drank.  When I was 13 years old, I found marijuana as an escape. This small compromise changed the course of my entire life.  By the time I was 17, I had quit school, got a job and was addicted to meth.  My job took me all over the United State building mini storage buildings.  I was also addicted to the money I was making. The more...

My name is Tanner McCormick.  I’m 22 years old from Kennett, Missouri.  I am the oldest of 3 siblings.  My mother was addicted to pain pills, but she tried the best she could.  She blacked out a lot, so I basically raised my younger brother and sister until I was 11 years old. My mother got a boyfriend and I became very bitter.  When I was 13, I went to live with my father who I had only met once before in my life.  This turned out to be a bad decision.  I started drinking and...

Hello I am Kimberly Townsend (Kimmy). I am 54 years old and was born in St. Louis, Missouri. I am a proud mom of 2 very special men, Mathew Alan Trudell age 36 years old and his oldest brother(who is now with the Lord) Mack Andrew Trudell Jr.(1985-2004). Alcoholism and addiction have been a big part of my life since birth. My parents were both alcoholics and although I was never physically abused by either of them, my childhood consisted of watching them constantly verbally and physically...