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For January 2022, Fellowship RCO would like to recognize Markus Hanneken

Hello my name is Markus H, I’m an addict in recovery.
 
My clean date is May 17th 2018, and my story starts with being arrested in December 2017 for possession of crystal meth. I missed my court date sometime in January because I was still using. 
 
The state of Florida put out a warrant for my arrest and of course it didn’t take them long to find me. I got re-arrested on the current warrant.  I had the privilege of spending 32 days in Miami County jail then was transferred to Broward County Jail where I spent another 30 days.  All I wanted to do was get out of jail. Life in jail wasn’t for me, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get clean or continue using. I just knew jail wasn’t for me.
 
This is when my blessings started, though I didn’t know it at the time.  My case was assigned to the Honorable Judge Tobin Singer who assigned me to 1 year of drug court, which included 30 days of residency at a sober home.

Judge Singer gave me options for many sober homes in the area. I didn’t know anything about living in a halfway house or sober community, so Judge Singer explained to me that Fellowship RCO Recovery Residence is essentially  a group of 180 men getting clean and sober, and going to recovery meetings together. My response to her was, “Sounds like my kind of party, sign me up”. She laughed and released me the next day to Fellowship RCO Recovery Residence for a mandatory 30-day program.  I was dropped off the next morning with the clothes on my back and not even laces in my shoes. I was scared shitless not knowing what was going to happen next, but I know now God put me in the right place at the right time. I got to meet Jim Jeffers, who did my intake and right away understood where I was coming from and offered me a cigarette and took very good care of all my needs.  I found it to be truly a blessing. 

My 30-day court order to Fellowship RCO Recovery Residence turned into 2.5 years willingly, which gave me some of the best experiences of my life.  I made a lot of new friends for whom I consider family now. I (we) lost many friends along the way which inspired me to stay clean with the help of a great sponsor, (Jay P.) who to this day is a close friend and recently just moved in with me as my roommate.  Also, I  want to include Chad Smith, my house manager who unfortunately is no longer with us. I am so very grateful for the entire Fellowship management staff, who I consider close friends and family to this day.

7 months ago,  I was diagnosed with E-cell Lymphoma cancer, and as of today I am 100% cancer free, which was also one of the hardest things I had to go through. It was easier because of this program, the help of great friends and family, and their wrap around support and love. 

It is my hope that you can see that you will get everything you’re promised by sticking to your program, and you will receive many benefits when you learn how to love yourself and really gain an understanding of your true identity. My Program gave me many opportunities like my career, incredible relationships with my family.

Thank you for letting me share.
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