KaRon Godbold, 53, pauses in his New Life program dormitory at the Lighthouse Mission Ministries in downtown Bellingham on Thursday, Nov. 17, reflecting on his past riddled with substance abuse and how far he has come since then. He said he is proud of the document on his nightstand called “The Resolution,” which outlines how he will stay clean through his relationship with Christianity. He said he believes people cannot do anything perfect, and that only God can. 
Godbold goes over his homework with New Life program Chaplain Aaron Speyer. Goldbold is set to graduate from the Christian discipleship program in February 2012, completing a full year of studies. “If you don’t have God in your life, it’s all for nothing,” he said. 
Godbold points to the chore list shared by the more than 15 men in the New Life program. The men switch off their chores weekly so as not to be stuck with one chore each week. They are expected to keep their areas very clean, and drug and alcohol free. 
The New Life program refrigerator combines cartoons and the comforts of pizza with quotes about addiction. All of the men in the program are recovering from some sort of addiction, be it a substance or something more like sex or anger. Godbold was addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol for many years and went through multiple rehabilitation programs before finding the Lighthouse Mission in Bellingham. He said he is predisposed to addiction. “When you’re raised by an alcoholic, you’re an alcoholic, you just haven’t drank yet,” he said.
Godbold waits in line to help hand out Thanksgiving meals to families with low-incomes on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at The Lighthouse Mission. They handed out about 500 bags with turkeys and all the trimmings. Godbold even had to learn how to ask how many children people had in multiple languages. But even with his help, Godbold gives credit not to himself, but to God. “I can’t do good — not me,” he said. “But the Holy Spirit working in me does good.”
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