“I came through the program supported by PAATC donors and now I get to be here to help other people.”
Olalekan “Lekan” Elutilo was originally born in Nigeria but ended up on the streets of Chicago. Lekan grew up in a household where his mother and grandmother were prayer warriors. He managed to steer clear of drugs and alcohol for most of his youth.
Unfortunately, Lekan ended up having his first drink when a friend gave him a bottle of beer to celebrate his acceptance into college.
“During my time at college my drinking started getting worse and worse. I was struggling a lot in school and struggling in my relationships. I wasn’t dealing with the issues I had in the right way. I was using alcohol to deal with them.”
After graduating, Lekan went to Chicago to work and live with his uncle, but his problems and drinking continued to worsen. One evening in 2014, Lekan was drunk and walking home during a snowstorm when he was hit by a train. The impact knocked him into a nearby field where he was found with broken ribs, a fractured spine, a torn liver and kidney, broken scapula, and collapsed lungs. Lekan credits his physical recovery to his mother and grandmother’s prayers. But unfortunately, even the impact of a train wasn’t strong enough to keep Lekan from his bondage to alcohol.
“I was hospitalized and away for five months to find recovery, but I came home and went right back to drinking. I tried to stop and just couldn’t do it! It wasn’t until another several years later that I would end up going to Teen Challenge.”
Lekan was caught in a downward spiral. As time passed, both his problems and his addiction to alcohol increased. He couldn’t see a way out and often wondered why God had spared his life.
“I felt hopeless. Everybody gave up on me. People that I used to hang out with would see me on the streets of Chicago and wouldn’t even pull over to talk to me. They would call each other, saying that they saw me, and to them I was just someone to be mocked. Family members didn’t want to have anything to do with me except for my mom and grandmother who were praying for me.”
At Lekan’s lowest point, his mother’s prayers were answered when a friend reached out and took him to Teen Challenge. In a chapel service during his second week in the program Lekan gave his life to Christ. He went to Pennsylvania to complete the Long-Term Program at “God’s Mountain,” PAATC’s Rehrersburg, PA campus.
“Pennsylvania is where I grew spiritually. I was able to study and the chapel was open 24/7, which was a big breakthrough for me. It was there that I got a new set of family, friends, and people to hold me accountable. God definitely had a plan and put a very wonderful group of people around me.”
Today, as PAATC’s Director of Resident Life, Lekan brings hope to others by caring for those seeking freedom from addiction. Lekan has been free from alcohol for over 5 years. In December of 2020, he married the love of his life.
“You can never know just how huge of an impact that you’re making for someone like me! I came through the program supported by PAATC donors and now I get to be here to help other people. It’s like an investment. I would have died. Your gifts are saving lives and adding to God’s kingdom. Heaven is getting full because of you! People don’t just come here and give their lives to Christ. They also go back as a testimony and witness to other people.”
Know that your gift can make a revolutionary difference in the life of someone reaching out for help at this very moment. You will do more than equip them with the tools for sobriety, you will give them hope of a better future.
Your gift gives hope. Through it you invest in the lives Jesus is redeeming here every day. Thank you for making this possible.
