News // February 2025

“My name is Salatiel, and by the grace of God, I’ve been clean for over 11 months now—a milestone I never thought was possible, but here I am, filled with gratitude for the second chance I’ve been given.

“Like so many others, I was introduced to drugs by friends in school. What began innocently with a cigarette quickly escalated to marijuana, cocaine, and a descent into a life of crime. Before I knew it, the streets became my home. For 30 long years, addiction held me captive. It took everything—my health, my dignity, and most painfully, it stole my connection to my family.

“The greatest regret I carry with me is not being there for my daughters, and losing their trust in me. That pain still lingers, but I hold on to the hope, step by step, we can build a new relationship.

“I’ve been to other rehabilitation centers before. I’ve tried countless times to break free from the chains of addiction, but each time I failed. I’d stay for a few months, but it was always the same: I’d fall back into old habits. The reason? The programs focused exclusively on the spiritual side of recovery, which is vital, but they didn’t address the physical and mental damage drugs had done to me. I needed a holistic approach.”

“That’s where Novō changed everything for me. At Novō, I was able to work on my relationship with God and learn practical tools for lasting recovery. I learned how to protect myself from high-risk situations, how to build a support system that would hold me accountable, and how to reshape my thinking and behavior. For the first time, I felt like I had the tools I needed to stay clean long-term.

“Looking ahead, I have a clear vision for my future. I will continue the Novō programme, even when I’m back in the outside world. I will live a life of purpose, not just for myself, but for society, and for my family.

“I know that, with God’s help and the strength of Jesus Christ, I can stay on this new path I’m walking.”

In early December, I (Andy) traveled to Nigeria to spend time with Ejikeme Ohueji, whom I met at the ISAAC conference in Kuala Lumpur, and to explore the potential for a Novō community in Kaduna, which is located in the north of the country.

Here are some excerpts from the message I sent to the Novō WhatsApp prayer group at the end of the trip:

Greetings from Lagos Airport, where I’ve just watched Manchester United snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against City!

Thank you for your prayers this week! There have been numerous obstacles, and I’ve found Africa to be challenging, but it has been an incredibly worthwhile trip.

My visa came through just hours before I checked in for my flight from Denver to Lagos (without it, I wouldn’t have been able to fly!). My flight from Lagos to Kaduna was delayed by 24 hours and then eventually cancelled. I rebooked a flight to Abuja later that afternoon, but that too was delayed for five hours! I finally arrived in Abuja close to midnight, and we then drove for over three hours to Kaduna, arriving at my hotel at 3 a.m. – just six hours before our first training workshop was set to begin!

Despite the delay, which disrupted Ejikeme’s plans for us, the time spent in Kaduna went well. I had the opportunity to get to know Ejikeme, his family, and the chair of his trustees. I also conducted two days of training workshops for a core group of potential workers in the new Novō community. They were open and engaged, which was very encouraging.

We visited parts of the city with the most severe addiction issues. Perhaps the most impactful moment of the trip came during a visit to a market selling “Gruel”, an alcoholic porridge, where a group of men and women sat around drinking. As we talked with them, I noticed a mother feeding the Gruel to her son, who was just a year old.

A highlight of the trip was meeting the leaders of Narayi, a community of 150,000 people where the need for help is especially urgent. As we approached the community, Ejikeme explained that we would be entering a “palace”. Inside, there was a throne, and around 40 men sat on the floor, each a ruler over different sub-areas of the region. After some time, a man who was addressed as “Your Highness” arrived, sat on the throne, and presided over our meeting. Together, we discussed the possibility of creating a recovery community and gathered their input.

Overall, I was struck by the resilience and intelligence of the people, the extreme poverty—particularly in the north—and the deep faith and spiritual life among the Christians, despite (or perhaps because of) the ongoing threat from Muslim insurgents. 

Please pray with us as we process the visit, and wider opportunity, with the Novō trustees.

There is an immense need for a Novō community in Kaduna, and the human resources required to create something that could readily become a model for the region, but we will need to take a step of faith financially to see it happen. 

Please pray that God would lead us along His paths and provide all we need—people, finances, wisdom, resilience, and love—to fulfill His purposes!

In October, we were excited to welcome Mario Rincand from Campo Gonia, a recovery community in southern Nicaragua, for a 10-day training visit to Quinta Totaices. During his time with us, Mario fully immersed himself in the Novō approach, participating in staff meetings, therapeutic groups, workdays with residents, and spending one-on-one time with each team member. Mario also invested in getting to know each resident, encouraging them with his own journey out of addiction and stirring them to place their trust in Jesus!

Following Mario’s visit, we’ve been able to continue supporting the work in Nicaragua with a series of training sessions for the Campo Gonia team. They’re now in the process of integrating the Novō Beyond Addiction recovery manual into their programme.

Just before Christmas, the team at Centro Mahanaim in Nicaragua held their first graduation event (over the years, they’ve had many guys complete their programme, but have never celebrated in this way). This new initiative, inspired by Marvin Pao’s visit to Quinta earlier in the year, marked a special moment for the five graduates and their families – and gave a boost to the residents earlier in the programme!

Back in Bolivia, we saw 5 men graduate in October, and another 5 earlier this month, including Salatiel. Beyond the work at the Quinta, David Salazar has also been building stronger connections with leaders from other rehabilitation centers through the creation of the Santa Cruz Association of Therapeutic Communities. As a founding member, we’re excited to see how this new association can unite, empower, and advocate for those working in addiction recovery in Bolivia’s largest city.

Well, that’s it for this time! Thanks for taking the time to this update and for staying connected with Novō. We couldn’t do it without you!