Barry Blancq & Henry Mahan
Henry Mahan successfully completed his recovery program and graduated from Hope Center Ministries treatment center in March of 2025. I had the privilege to counsel Henry for the last 6 months of his one year stay. Henry will tell you I and many others were a blessing to him but what Henry doesn’t realize is what a blessing he was to us. To describe what his transformation was like? Well I’ll let Henry tell it in his own words…
- Barry Blancq
I, Henry L. Mahan, am writing this letter to give thanks to the wonderful blessing I have received from the Lord through Living Hope Ministries. The life I had before the blessing was one without a smile. It was hard for me to be in pictures because of smiling without front teeth. Then one day at Hope Center Ministries I met someone who was in my life all along. Pulling at me I kneeled down at the hearth at the gathering room at Hope Center and gave my life over to the Lord. From that moment on life began to get brighter by reading the word of the good book, the Bible. Months went by as I “phased up” in the program and listened to Barry, Chester, Brad, and Tom who came to the center and spoke to me about my faith and a relationship with Jesus. They encouraged me so much that I decided to start reading my devotional out loud to others hoping to encourage those who struggled like I did. This gave me strength & courage to read out loud more and more. Many of the men in the room started raising their hands and asking questions. I realized that I was letting all of the negative go and replaced it with the knowledge and hope the Bible gave me. At our next church service two of the men kneeled at the hearth just as I did and gave their lives to Christ, our Savior. Once again I felt that pulling in my heart so much so that I ran over to them and prayed over them.
Not too long after that incident, me and some of the men attended a church service at Living Hope. Not knowing where to sit I chose to sit way down up front on the left. I sat there in awe of the beauty of the service and felt overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. The message and the music left me in tears. After it was over I turned to leave and find my brothers from the Hope Center and behold, sitting right behind me was Barry, my brother in Christ and his wife, Della, and her sister. Still feeling overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit I shook their hands and smiling, forgetting I didn’t have front teeth. Suddenly, I remembered and covered my mouth and left in embarrassment. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed. I made my way to the door not trying to smile. A few days later I was back at the Hope Center and Chester approached me and asked if I had talked to Barry. I told him no, that he was coming at 2 o’clock. Later when Barry came a question was asked. Barry said “ I’m glad you came to Living Hope, you were happy, I could tell. But then you covered your mouth and left in a hurry”. Then he asked the question, “Don’t be offended, but would you like to smile again?” Stunned, I said I haven’t smiled in 25 years, that’s why I don’t do pictures”. Then he told me the church has a program that might be able to help me with that. He was going to check and see. After that I was asked to talk to Mrs. Tee and tell her my story. She was very nice and seemed concerned. She said she would talk to decision makers at the church to see what could be done. A little while after that when I met with Barry he told me that the church had approved moving forward with getting teeth! Barry and I took months getting this blessing put together because they found other problems with my teeth.
But after about 6 months I finally had a smile thanks to the blessings Living Hope Ministries had given me! I look back now and know that God put me on that front row on the left where no one else was sitting. Amazing the blessings we receive when we answer His call! So if ever there is a calling He puts on your heart don’t hesitate to answer it. For you will smile when you receive the blessing He gives you!
With Love & Grace from my Savior, Amen.
Sincerely,
Henry L. Mahan