Thank God SHE Fought

By Jamie Warner –
Meet Mighty Oaks Warrior Programs Leader in Training Kevin Buchholz
 
“Without her fighting for me, I’m not sure where I would be today.”  Kevin Buchholz
Kevin Buchholz, a Canadian Police Officer and First Responder, attended Mighty Oaks’ Legacy Program in June of 2016. Since then, he has been working through our Leadership Training Program with the goal of one day being a Team Leader. While at a recent Legacy Program, I asked why he wanted to complete the Leader Training and serve as a Team Leader. Kevin was quick to answer.
“My life was a disaster, and I was destroying everyone around me, the ones who love me most.” Like so many of the men and women who attend our Legacy Programs, Kevin was bitter, angry, and out of control. Feeling like he could no longer deal with it all, he began to self-medicate with alcohol in an attempt to numb the pain that was tormenting him.
Years of serving as a Law Enforcement Officer: responding to vehicle collisions, hostile threats, and dangerous situations was taking a toll. “I started to isolate even more and push people further away. I had constant flashbacks, all day and night. I felt like I couldn’t go out anymore because all I could think about were dead bodies and looking for weapons and other threats. When I did go out in public, I would become angry and need to drink to escape the stress and pain. Nothing I did would help anymore.”
Ultimately, on one particular night of heavy drinking, Kevin decided his family would be better-off without him, and he left. “I just couldn’t handle the pain anymore.” He was convinced he was alone in his battle. His decision shocked those that knew him, because as he puts it, “I was a master of displaying a false mask so people would not know what was going on.” He justified this decision with the idea that a real man wouldn’t put his loved ones through this.
I was curious how he ended up at SkyRose Ranch in California for the Legacy Program since he lives in Canada. Not surprisingly, it’s a story only God can write. Here’s how Kevin explained it to me.
“Chad Robichaux’s I Am Second video randomly came across my Facebook feed, then I forgot about it. There was no reason I should have seen it, no one I know ‘Liked’ the page or anything close to it. God made that happen. Our marriage was over, but my wife was still fighting for me even though I had given up on myself. I actually thought she was the worst person in the world and was my enemy, but she was actually fighting for me. She said she would get me into [the Program] if I was willing to go. God started to soften my heart, and we began talking again, and I agreed to come to MOWP.
“Without her fighting for me, I’m not sure where I would be today.
“I was not living like a real man or a leader in my own home. That was one of the important lessons I learned at Legacy. As it turns out, I didn’t really know what a real man even was. But through the instruction, I learned what it means to be a man. A real man. The man I was created to be. I also learned how to identify the enemy I was battling. I was given tools to help plan my attacks against these enemies and how to battle victoriously.”
After some healing, apologies, asking for forgiveness, and reconciliation, one of those decisions was to return to the Program and begin the Leadership Training.
“I want to give back, just like the other Mighty Oaks leaders have and continue to do. I want to be a part of a ministry and be able to watch people being transformed. It is very rewarding to see burdens being lifted off people through their time here. Being used by God to do His work is an amazing opportunity.”
Kevin attributes aligning his life with Christ and living the way he was created to live as the reasons for his transformation. He has been reconciled to his family and continues to fight for the best things in life with new found hope and joy.