Transformative Graduation Ceremony Celebrates Recovery at the Wyoming Rescue Mission

This morning over 30 men and women celebrated their recovery journey during a graduation ceremony at the Wyoming Rescue Mission in Casper.

The year-long Discipleship Recovery Program involves three phases that teaches Bible-based classes on recovery, servanthood, and vocational training to transform their lives. Some moved up from the first phase while others graduated the program and will start their new lives with hope.

Friends and loved ones were in attendance also. There were tears of joy, laughter, and words of encouragement.

Zachary Vreeman was the special guest speaker. He is a Casper College professor, the chair for the CC Music, Theatre and Dance program, as well as a pastor Grace Reformed Church.

Pastor Vreeman told a story about going into an ear, nose, and throat specialist when he saw the word "inspiration" next to a pair of lungs. In medical terms, inspiration means to inhale something life giving -- oxygen -- into the body. A perfect metaphor for obtaining "a greater life."

There was acoustic music and singing and prayer.

One of the first graduates who will now be entering Phase II of the program talked about first arriving to the Mission. After many overdoses, he ended up in a psych ward in Pittsburgh.

"Long story short, I went from psych ward to the M-ward" he smiled. He recently went home and saw his friends and family and was glad they were able to see a change in him.

Many of these graduates are now part of the Street Outreach program to talk to Casper's homeless population. They say they can relate to being at rock bottom and want to offer support where they can and show that recovery is possible.

Below are pictures from the graduation ceremony.