Nolan is an alcoholic who we sponsored to go to rehab. By the time we met him, he had been drinking for 30 years, having taken his first shot of alcohol when he was 8 years old.
Nolan is from Jinotega, a town that is 80 kilometers from Muy Muy. He had been planning to return there when he left rehab, but we recommended that he stay in Muy Muy. A church member offered him work and a place to stay on his farm, and Nolan accepted. About two months later, Nolan decided to return home.
I pleaded with him not to go. I felt like it was only a matter of time until he started drinking again if he returned to Jinotega. But he was determined. I gave him my phone number and told him to call me to let me know how he was. He never did. Two months later, he relapsed.
Two weeks ago, I asked a friend if she would go with me to Jinotega to visit Nolan. She agreed. The trip takes about 3.5 hours. Arelys and I met at 6:20 a.m. on Monday of last week to begin the trip.
When we arrived in Jinotega, we met with Nolan’s sister, Tania. She and her husband took us in their truck to search for Nolan. They drove us past his house and past the store where he buys liquor. We asked a group of alcoholics hanging out in front of an old house if they had seen him. They told us the direction he had gone, but we couldn’t find him. I messaged my family that we couldn’t find Nolan, and they started praying. A few minutes later, we found him.
“Hola Anita. How are you?” he said in English when he saw me. He was only a little drunk. We took him to his house and talked with him. I videocalled my parents and they talked with Nolan too. We encouraged him to try again and to find a church.
Nolan’s only living close relative is his sister. His parents died when he was a baby, his grandparents when he was young, and his brother a few years ago. He feels like his sister doesn’t treat him with the warmth he wants. Arelys counseled him to let go of his bitterness against Tania. Nolan thoughtfully replied, “Yes, when Jesus was on Earth, people mistreated Him and abused Him, and He took it all. He forgave everyone.” He looked down and shook his head with wonder, as if to say, “How could Jesus be so forgiving?”
Toward the end of the visit, Nolan told me that he still had the things I had given him. He went into his room and came back out with a bunch of papers. Sure enough, he still had the chapter I had printed from The Desire of Ages. I had given him a copy in English and in Spanish, because he understood some English and wanted to improve. He had kept it all this time – through rehab, when he lived in Muy Muy, when he moved to Jinotega, and even now after he had been drinking for months. He even showed me the little ripped piece of paper where I had written my phone number.
We left him at the gate of his front yard. He wanted to know when we would return. “Maybe when my parents come, we’ll all visit you,” I said. I look forward to seeing him again.
