November 25, 2008

Dear Brian Welch,

My name is Gabe and I’m 17 years old. I live in Anchorage, Alaska and I’ve been living here for about seven years now. I wasn’t going to school for a while and then I got into a program and it’s helping me get high school credits. I will hopefully graduate this coming summer. I also play guitar and have been playing for about three years now. I’m working on getting a job here soon just so I can afford to live on my own. I can’t wait until I get a job.

I read your book, Save Me From Myself, and I just wanted to say thank you for writing it, because I was going through a hard time and I got hooked on methamphetamines. I was hearing a lot about your book during school so I thought to myself, why not pick up a copy? Between you and me it was the best thing that I’ve ever done. It inspired me to kick my bad habits and try to make something out of my life. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done but I didn’t want to continue down that path. As soon as I realized there’s more to life than drugs, alcohol, and sex, I had this deep feeling that if I quit while I’m ahead then everything can be different.

My life back then was getting so bad that on a regular basis the cops would show up. My mom would call them on me but then one day everything had become peaceful. That’s the only way I can explain it. I’ve been clean now for about a year and it’s been great. I’m not always trying to figure out how to get money for my habits. I actually have friends that want to hang out with me. Not because I have drugs, but because they actually care for me. I can actually stay in school and stick to my work. I’m looking for a job so I can buy stuff that I actually like.

It feels great to be off that stuff because I can get that same excitement out of being alive and having friends around. I just wanted to let you know that my life has improved so much. It went from sleeping in the gutter to having my own bed. I don’t know why I even started that stuff in the first place. Everything I do seems to come out right so if I just keep trying as hard as I have been then I know I’ll make it in life.

Thank you for reading my letter. I hope everything is going great and I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you once again for writing your book. It helped me, and who knows how many other people. You take care and keep your heart with God and keep praying. I know I will. I am looking forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Gabriel Kewan
11th Grade
AVAIL High School, Anchorage, Alaska
Teacher: Leslie Fleming