Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (ANS) -- On October 17 2010, Robert Tenorio's life changed.
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Robert Tenorio |
He also had a Pro-stock racecar he raced regularly at Sandia Motor Speedway. He used to travel up to Wisconsin to visit his three children from his first marriage. In addition, he would often help a friend run a machine shop in Bullhead City, Arizona.
Robert's life was busy-to say the least. However, Robert said he had always been a social drinker-sometimes more-despite knowing the inherent dangers.
He said, "I would say about 60 to 65 percent of my family has died from alcoholism. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on."
One day, Robert confronted his girlfriend about their way the relationship was going. She seemed distant, and no longer involved. At that point, Robert said, she admitted to him she had been seeing someone else. Robert packed up his belongings, and out.
That's when the real problems started.
He said, "That's when I started drinking heavily. It got to the point I was drinking three quarters of a gallon of vodka a day. I was hiding vodka in water bottles so I could drink on the road. I had bottles stashed all over the garage, in my tool cabinets, and everywhere. I would never run out.
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Then came October 17. Robert said he was at Sandia Motor Speedway driving his racecar when he went around one of the turns and rolled the car seven times.
Robert admitted, "On a scale of one-ten on inebriation, I would say I was at about a six."
Robert said his car disintegrated in just a few seconds, and his next memories were of waking up at Lovelace hospital in Rio Rancho.
He recalled, "When I woke up, there were tubes in my nose and a tube down my throat pumping in air. I had tubes on my arms, and no clue who was around me. I didn't know if I was dying or not. I had no clue what had happened."
Robert learned he had pinched two vertebrae, broken his right arm, had 64 pieces of fiberglass fragments in his face, had bruised ribs and was very badly hurt.
He said, "When they told me about my vertebrae, the first words out of my mouth were, 'Am I paralyzed? Am I going to be able to walk again?'"
Robert said, "Doctors came in and told me there was a CHANCE I could walk again, but it would take a lot of physical therapy and effort."
He spent 45 days in the hospital recuperating.
After Robert got out of the hospital, he had no place to go.
While in the hospital, a case worked visited him, and gave contact information for Joy Junction. Robert called first, and talked to Anita McCullough, Joy Junction's resident services manager.A Lovelace employee called for a taxi, and gave Robert a voucher for a ride to Joy Junction.
He said, "I didn't see much when I came through the gates. I saw the building and stuff. Came around the corner to the multi, and the first guy I saw was a CIPP (Joy Junction's Christ in Power life recovery program) participant on the security team who started searching my bags. That kinda shocked me. They were digging through all my stuff. It felt like a high security area. I was worried and scared. Why was this necessary?" (The search is a necessary precaution for the safety of all of our guests).
Robert recalled being "pretty scared, and lost. All these people looking at me, searching through my bags. I remembered they were serving fish for dinner. I came in, they sat me down and brought me a plate. I was starving, and went up and asked for another plate, which they gave me."
Robert said that evening, "I went to sleep in the single male's room with my little bag of clothes, the walker from the hospital and my hospital bag of medications."
That was all Robert had to his name.
Robert said he remembers his first week at Joy Junction as being very scary. Even though everyone was very kind, the reality of his situation really began to kick in.
He said, "I felt I had to get on my feet and get out of here. At the same time, I realized I had already ruined the relationship with my children and I had no place to go. I was also only 110 lbs. at that time. I had no one to talk to about my problems. The floor supervisors recommended I look at the (life recovery) program. One of the participants helped me fill out the paperwork. I needed the help."
Due to his health, Robert was given an easy program assignment for the first month. As his strength started to build, he was given more challenging tasks.
Due to his health, Robert was given an easy program assignment for the first month. As his strength started to build, he was given more challenging tasks.
Robert's health was increasing rapidly. Where once it took him quite some time to get across the floor with his walker, he began to move around quite easily. He was now assisting newer Joy Junction guests with their needs.
Robert's progress continued. He was assigned to help the new programmers through their difficulties as they struggled with their own demons.
In addition to the regular (and essential) morning recovery classes based on the Tyndale House Life Recovery Bible and taught by Joy Junction Chaplain Gene Shiplet, during his status as a program participant, Robert stayed very busy. Among other duties he oversaw one of the housing units at Joy Junction, helped write assignment schedules for program participants and assisted our resident services staff in training new program members.
Robert successfully graduated from the Christ in Power Program, but kept on volunteering for a while.
He is now the newest Joy Junction staff member, holding a position as an overnight floor supervisor. His responsibilities include the welfare of our residents during the nighttime, as well as making sure new guests are comfortable.
Robert said he feels his life is headed in the right direction. He added, "It's been long time since I can feel success again. I am actually proud of myself and what I have accomplished."
Thinking about his experience since that terrible crash, Robert said "I feel that Joy Junction is a very good place for someone to come to learn more about God. You can see how much God can change people if you ask Him into your life. (I know) that God can make changes, and He can heal you and make you well."
My Take
We're proud of Robert and what the Lord has accomplished in his life during the last few months. I hope you will keep Robert in your prayers. Thank you for allowing us to continue this now quarter-century old ministry of compassion. We keep going because of the Lord's faithfulness and your prayerful and financial concern.
| Jeremy Reynalds is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, a freelance writer and also the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter,http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "Homeless in the City." Additional details on "Homeless in the City" are available at http://www.homelessinthecity. |  |
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