The Rhema Recovery Programme is a halfway house for recovering substance abusers. It is a six-month live-in programme.
After being at a rehab or imprisoned it is very difficult for anyone to face the hardships of the outside world. Our community offers spiritual and emotional discipleship. In working and learning a variety of life skills, our residents have time to prepare to be integrated into society and to be reconciled with their families. We keep contact once the resident leaves our programme.
This is a working programme where discipline, work ethics, and new ways of dealing with conflict are encouraged.
The following programmes are offered:
- Christian curriculum based on 12-steps
- Christian foundations
- Support groups
- Christian individual and group counselling
- Bible reading
- Bible study
- Mentorship course
- Biblical Gender Equality and GBV Workshops
We have a wide variety of sport and recreation facilities, such as a swimming pool, gym, running track, trampolines, outside chess, tennis court, snooker table, fuzzball tables, tuckshop, board games and libraries.
Our Recovery Programme is supported by Rhema Bible Church’s congregation members. There is no charge.
Please send this application form to recovery@hocsa.org
Stories from our people
Dear Pastor Alan and Pastor Xana, I would like to express my gratitude for all that you have been to me and the life skills you have taught me. Today I don’t have an excuse to say that I never had any help in this world, because of what the Lord has put in your hearts to express his love for all His children. I want to thank you for being His hands of compassion and now I’m looking forward to do the same in the near future. Funny to talk about a future! I never thought I had one! But now I’m going to make things right for my family and I’ll take an example from your family. Thank you for your patience, love and understanding. People say that you must be in control of your life but I realized that we are never in control, but God is. Kelwyn.
Kelwyn grew up on the streets of Johannesburg. As a child he was accepted at our shelter (Paradise for Street Children in 80 Albert Street) and then moved on to the Rhema Children’s Village. At 18 years old he returned to the streets, as his mom was not able to provide adequate accommodation. He moved into Hands of Compassion and served faithfully. He was able to secure a piece of ground in Orange Farm; HOC purchased building materials and erected a 2 roomed house with electricity; with our congregation’s donations in kind we furnished it.
Hi Pastor Xana, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you and Pastor Alan for helping me and many others on our journey to a better life because of the work you do at HOC. You have transformed so many lives, not just us recoveries, but also our families. Thanks to Hands of Compassion and everything I have learned in my 6 month there, today I am a better man. When I arrived at Hands of Compassion, I was broken and felt rather helpless. My plan was to stay and detox for 6 months, get cleaned up and go back to my old way of life but as I got deeper into my stay, I realized that there was a better way of life. Thanks to everyone at Hands of Compassion, today my life is far better than I expected and I still have a long way to go..
So once again, thank you so much and may you always continue the amazing work that you are doing to change lives for the better. God bless.
A poem from a resident at Hands of Compassion in his recovery to wholeness:
Having emotions that fade away
Moving to a distance far away
To reach a point of no resistance
That needs God’s assistance.
Where formality is a fantasy
Being filled with the insufflation from the Holy Spirit
Death has got to be easy, ‘cause life is hard
It leaves us physically and emotionally scared.
But when the intensity of God touches us
It will leave us with forever joy and healing
Bing filled with harmony for eternity
Every day I have learned to thank God for wisdom.
For I have learned the ways of love
I have learned to pray for love
I have learned to give those who betray me,
God’s love.
Because I have been searching for love in the wrong places
But not from God
Now I know that the love of God
Is the only love there is.[Matthew 26:47-50] Mawande N.
A letter written by a resident of Hands of Compassion to his Team Leader
Thank you Vincent and thank you to all at HOC for this chance at life again; really did not think I was going to make it out there; nowhere to go, nothing to eat, and really cold nights; like I said thank you for this chance to fix things, fix me, fix my life; it’s not going to be easy but I’m giving it my all; thank you; for once I feel at home safe! Give me lots of work to do and I’ll be happy. I’ll give you guys my best 100%. Thank you 4 everything!!! God bless. Ricardo
Other Registered Facilities:
- LRC (Life Recovery Centre) – Rehab and Halfway centre. (011) 693-3615/6 www.lifehealthcare.co.za
- Witpoort Care Centre – Rehab (011) 817-6901 www.lifehealthcare.co.za
- Houghton House Rehab (011) 787-9142 www.houghtonhouse.co.za
- Sanca Central Rand – Rehab (011) 836-2460 www.sancacentral.co.za
- Horizon Clinic – Rehab (011) 917-5015 www.horizonclinic.info
- Ithemba Clinic – Rehab (011) 956-2292 www.ithembaclinic.co.za