::dods' story
One young man, Dods, enrolled in the Fellows Program after facing deep and utter personal failure. Dods had dropped out
of college, could not hold down a job, and doctors were diagnosing him as bipolar, depressed, and anxiety-ridden.
Meg Rice (the Director of the Fellows Program at St. John the Divine) used the program as an opportunity to reach out to
Dods. His mental condition certainly posed a risk, but she faithfully invited him to join the next group of Fellows. Meg
asked him to give the Lord 9 months of his life, saying, “after all, it takes 9 months of gestation to create a new life, and I
believe the Lord can create a new life in you.”
Dods had a hard time in the program at first, and he required much patience from the other 6 Fellows, but he experienced
a turning point when the Fellows took a mission trip to St. Petersburg, Russia. The Russian orphan children who had
nothing captured Dods’ heart, and he wept when he had to return to Houston.
One young man, Dods, enrolled in the Fellows Program after facing deep and utter personal failure. Dods had dropped out
of college, could not hold down a job, and doctors were diagnosing him as bipolar, depressed, and anxiety-ridden.
Meg Rice (the Director of the Fellows Program at St. John the Divine) used the program as an opportunity to reach out to
Dods. His mental condition certainly posed a risk, but she faithfully invited him to join the next group of Fellows. Meg
asked him to give the Lord 9 months of his life, saying, “after all, it takes 9 months of gestation to create a new life, and I
believe the Lord can create a new life in you.”
Dods had a hard time in the program at first, and he required much patience from the other 6 Fellows, but he experienced
a turning point when the Fellows took a mission trip to St. Petersburg, Russia. The Russian orphan children who had
nothing captured Dods’ heart, and he wept when he had to return to Houston.
At the end of the program, Dods read to Meg from his journal. He stated that his parents did not understand his pain,
that he felt hopeless, forgotten, lost, inadequate, and friendless...that he had wished to end it all. Yet, when he finished
reading his journal, Dods closed the book and said, “I am a new creation in Jesus Christ.”
Dods graduated from the Fellows Program and went on to graduate from college with honors while serving as a youth
minister in a small town outside of Houston. Dods married a year and a half ago, and he and his wife just returned from
6 months in Russia doing missionary work.
that he felt hopeless, forgotten, lost, inadequate, and friendless...that he had wished to end it all. Yet, when he finished
reading his journal, Dods closed the book and said, “I am a new creation in Jesus Christ.”
Dods graduated from the Fellows Program and went on to graduate from college with honors while serving as a youth
minister in a small town outside of Houston. Dods married a year and a half ago, and he and his wife just returned from
6 months in Russia doing missionary work.
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dods.testimony
