In the latest installment of “Everyone Has A Story” exclusively from 105.7 News, this will be about a woman’s addiction to drugs at a very early age, her strength to battle it and her mission now to help others overcome it.

Sarah Myers was born and raised in Crossville. She grew up in a dysfunctional family. By the time she was 11 years old, she had moved to 10 different locations and ended up living with her grandmother.

That is when things really started heading in a downward spiral.

“I started experimenting with drinking alcohol at the age of 10. It was alcohol my grandmother had in her home,” said Myers.

“I started hanging around the wrong crowd…kids like me. By the time I was 12 years old, I found myself in a meth lab and taking pills.”

Myers was sent to a several facilities by the time she was 15.

At that same age, she started using IV drugs and continues to do so for 10 years.

Things would only get worse for her.

Her mother, father, brother and first son all passed away by the time she reached the age of 23.

She would go on to have three children.

“I would stop using drugs when I was pregnant and start back on them once the baby was born,” said Myers.

Her parental rights were terminated in 2011 because of her addiction to drugs. The children at that time were ages 6 months, 3 and 4 years old. She would be separated from them for the next 7 years.

Myers had an extensive record with Cumberland County authorities and judges. She was arrested over 25 times on various charges. She was convicted of burglary in Cumberland County around 2014.

Little did Sarah know, her incredible journey for redemption was about to start.

During her jail stay, a ladies Christian group came and one spoke to Sarah. At the end of the conversation, Myers dedicated her life to Jesus and was saved.

“From that point on, I reflected on my life up to that point and I wanted to find peace and balance in my life,” said Myers.

She would later be released from jail and went to a program to help her called Alpha House in Anderson County. She graduated then slipped back into the addiction for a year.

“I was a “baby Christian” and did not know fully how to counter the temptations of the drugs.”

She was arrested again….and for the final time in March 2013.

Myers knew she had to put the addiction to rest for good,

“I reached out to God and completely surrendered my life to Him. I asked for God to help me in defeating the addiction that had took so much of my life away.”

Myers was looking at serving at least 5 years in prison.

But that is when this story turns in a good way.

A woman came to visit her in jail and turns out this was no ordinary female. It was the person who adopted her three children after the state took them away from Sarah.

“She told me she was there to offer me a message of hope and her prayers for me for guidance.”

Two weeks later, Myers was scheduled to appear in front of the regular judge in the county but because of a sudden illness, a sit in judge appeared. Instead of what appeared to be time she would serve incarcerated, Myers was offered to go to Teen Challenge in Louisiana for just over two years. She not only completed the program but went on to serve as a staff member and completed their leadership curriculum.

After finishing there, Myers said she had a calling to return to Cumberland County to help others with the same battle she faced.

“I was in a very well-known retail business in Crossville and saw several individuals I knew who were addicts. I left the store broken hearted and knew I had to help.

That is when “the mission” started.

Sarah would begin Invitation Ministries in December 2015.

“God helped me overcome drug addiction and the burdens of what resulted before, during and after it,” said Myers.

She opened a women’s program last year as part of the ministry and they had their first graduation ceremony March 28, 2021.

Sarah now owns her own home and has her credit restored.

The best part of the story was yet to happen.

Remember the woman who adopted her children and visited her in jail?

She recently returned them to her after seeing Myers was on the right path!

For the first two years of Invitation Ministries, she worked on a volunteer basis. It is ran strictly by donations.

Now, Sarah and others with the ministry have met with over 1,500 individuals and placed over 350 of them into various programs to help them overcome addictions.

“We have seen families restored and many incredible things happen,” said Myers.

“We have a court approved program in Cumberland County and it is attached to 11 other nearby counties. Our 12 month women’s program offers mentoring and transition after completion. We are looking at obtaining a permanent building for the women’s program in the future. We are also looking at establishing a men’s program in the near future.”

Invitation Ministries, a non-profit organization, has been recognized by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, Crossville Police Department and the judges of the general sessions and criminal courts. Their goal is to expand throughout the state developing a network of connections to be able to reach as many addicts as possible.

They continually have 25 to 50 people waiting for approval to go into a help program at all times. The faith based programs they refer all have a 87% success rate 5 to 7 years after completion and are court approved.

The vision of Sarah and Invitation Ministries is to reach the hopeless, lost and addicted by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. They seek to build relationships with those who are hopeless and bring them to Christ where they can be forgiven and set free. Their desire is to give them a foundation, encourage them to heal, teach them, empower them and launch them out into their calling in life.

Sarah’s message to everyone comes from Luke 5:31-32 – “He did not come for the healthy, but for the sick, offering them an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.”

They also offer “The Launch” support group which is held at Redemption Church off of North Main Street next to I-40 in Crossville. This is not limited to people with drug and alcohol addiction. For more information on meeting times, call (337) 551-2714.

For more information or to donate to this ministry, you can go to the following website and click on the give” tab:

www.Invitationministries.com

If you are in need of help in battling drug or alcohol addiction, you can email Invitation Ministries at:

[email protected]

or call (337) 551-2714.

For Sarah Myers, this was “the mission” in her life and continues daily to be one. This is the story of a courageous woman who overcame so much heartbreak and addiction in her life to be where she is today.

It’s truly an inspirational story for everyone.