Read our July 2010 newsletter.

Your gifts are transforming lives...
I wanted to change, but I knew I couldn’t do it by myself.”

Dan Ogle's young life has been defined by a series of wrong choices, but thankfully, his latest choice was the right one and one that will likely change the course of his life.

As a teenager, Dan made decisions to: use drugs, to hang out with the wrong crowd and to drop out of high school after his freshmen year.

To this day, I am struggling with that (the decision to drop out)," said Dan. "My mom told me I would regret it, and I said 'no I won't.' "

Dan proceeded to fulfill what he thought was the dream life - partying and not going to school. At some point, he advanced to more serious drugs, and with that came more serious consequences. By age 25, Dan was in trouble.

  Faced with a Class B felony conviction for drug use which carries a 20-year prison sentence, Dan was given a choice - enroll in Drug Court or accept a plea bargain. The latter option would change the offense to a Class D felony, which would significantly reduce the time he would have to serve in jail to just a few months. On the other hand, Drug Court is a 3-year obligation, and failure to comply with any part of the program would send him to jail for the 20-year sentence. But upon successfully completing the program, a person's record is wiped clean.

 "I prayed and prayed and prayed," said Dan. "I had about 5 minutes to decide. My lawyer advised me to take the plea bargain, but I knew once I got out of jail, I would go back to the drugs. I wanted to change and I knew I couldn't do it by myself."

 Dan thought of the dearest thing in his life, his five-year-old son, and chose Drug Court. "It was hard to plead guilty to a class B felony knowing I could have been charged with a D felony," said Dan. "But I was tired of the lifestyle I was leading. I have a 5-year-old son I adore. He's my life. He's one of the biggest reasons I wanted help so I can be a better role model for him."   

     As part of being involved in Drug Court, Dan has now spent the last 14 weeks at the Kokomo Rescue Mission. He came there straight from jail where he had spent 7 months.

I've been blessed," said Dan. "One month into jail, I turned my life over to the Lord. Being here has helped me seek Him and walk the path. I joined the New Life Program, and I am learning how to set goals and how to pursue them. It's also helped my relationship with my son.

"Drug Court is not an easy program," Dan said. "They keep a tight leash on us. We can't hae cell phones or money and we can't leave the property. At first, I wasn't allowed to see my family or my son. I report to the Judge every Wednesday." But Dan is thankful for the restrictions, although he is much happier now that he is permitted to visit with his son.

"I am thankful for Drug Court and the Mission," said Dan. "This is helping me get away from the lifestyle I wanted to get away from."  Meanwhile, Dan has gotten started on his GED. Further down the road, he hopes to become a Big Brother and help troubled teenagers.   "I would like to use my testimony to help young people."

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