April 2025 Newsletter

Luke’s story of restoration

After over a decade of drugs and alcoholism, Luke Maillet lived in a regular state of psychosis, hearing screams in his head daily. After coming to His Mansion, Luke testifies, “I gained His authority over them to tell them to never be present in my life.”

Born in Maine, Luke grew up in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, attending Christian school and church his whole life. “I always believed with my whole heart that He is the Creator of the universe and loves us dearly,” he says. Around eighteen he moved to North Carolina, attended public school and some college classes, and started “doing stuff that everybody found was fun.” By twenty-one he was trying every pill and drug he could find. “I knew I was doing wrong and I needed to help myself,” Luke says, “but it was a losing battle, of course, because I was still trying not to let go of the world because it was fun.”

By twenty-six he started using methamphetamine, which sent him through the darkest five years of his life. After multiple overdoses and incarcerations, God brought him to His Mansion in November 2023, shortly before he turned thirty-two.

By February, God brought enough peace to Luke’s mind that he was able to hear the buzzing of lights in the bathroom instead of screams. “I finally understood the peace that surpasses understanding,” Luke says. “And that’s one of those great things that I have carried with me since.”

As the presence of Christ brought peace, he began growing in authentic worship and honest conversation with God. Formerly an avid guitar player, Luke had lost all creativity every time he used drugs. After recommitting his life to Jesus, he began to enjoy His presence and practice constant conversation with Him. Playing and singing to his Creator became an important part of his life again. “I gained my worship back,” Luke remarks. “My conversation with God, being in His presence alone is just the greatest thing. My relationship with Him has blossomed.”

Life after His Mansion

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.” Psalm 23:1-2

After graduating in November 2024, Luke moved in with his parents in Maine, where he continues to pursue a relationship with Christ. Since then he has gotten his driver’s license, a car, and a job as a tire technician. He is also taking flight lessons. His faith is strengthened by being engaged in his local church and connected to the Body of Christ, where he actively serves on the worship team. “It’s been kind of a struggle to still want to go back to all that stupid stuff, and I have to fight myself off all the time,” Luke shares. “I’ve actually just started really understanding what taking your thoughts captive means.” Thirteen years of “mayhem” has left him plenty to continue working through. As he passes liquor at the grocery store, he calls on the Lord until the temptation passes.

Like Luke, anyone who completes the program will find that their faith and sobriety is tested regularly. The year-long program is challenging because change is hard. It is hard to dig into your heart and your past. It is hard to face life without the coping mechanisms you have come to depend on. It is hard to take responsibility on days you do not feel like it, and it is even hard to follow Jesus sometimes. Anyone who has been in the program will attest to these realities, but the real work starts when the program is over and you are no longer on The Hill.

Luke is finding success by applying the essential elements of the life he found at His Mansion to his current life in Maine: taking responsibility, working hard, and staying connected to other believers through being active in church.

Graduation day

On February 21st a graduation ceremony took place at His Mansion. The chapel was filled with community members, supporters, friends and graduates’ family members, all coming together to celebrate the restoring love of Jesus Christ in the lives of the five graduates.

Did you know?

• Work Groups that volunteer at His Mansion come from churches and colleges all over the country and beyond. This year groups are booked from California, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Nova Scotia.
• Over the course of a year in the Resident Recovery Program, a Resident will attend over 400 hours of classes, receive over 150 hours of individual and group counseling, and work about 1,300 hours on the campus and farm.
• His Mansion is located on over 300 acres of land. The property is made up of a campus, homes, a working farm and a lot of forest. Firewood is harvested for the winter heating season, the gardens give produce for the food services program, sap is collected for making maple syrup, and livestock graze in the pastures.

Prayer requests

• Grow room season has begun on The Hill. Trays are being seeded in hopes that the gardens will yield a harvest later this year.
• Like the grow room, seeds are being sown in the hearts of the Residents. Pray for the community to faithfully sow the seeds of the gospel and for the Lord to give the growth.
• Addiction and life-controlling issues impact not only the Residents but also their families and loved ones. Pray for the families and supporting casts of those in the program.
• Spring is arriving on The Hill. Praise God for the new growth and for seeing the community through another New England winter.