Finding Religion in Recovery

Tragedy came early and often for Bon Funkhouser who, today, at 19 says his relationship with Jesus Christ and a man named Brian Blevins are the reasons for his salvation and a life of recovery.

Life was never going to be easy for Bon, who grew up with few material belongings and maybe even less emotional support. At age 3, his father died in a car crash. Bon doesn’t know the details but says he remembers the feeling of loss. The family’s grieving left little time to pay attention to Bon.

“They didn’t deal with it at all,” Bon said. “They masked it.”

Bon says he spent the first several years of his childhood living with his grandparents.

He moved to Hartford City, Indiana, with his mother at age 7. Their apartment was in a shadier side of town, he said, and Bon felt judged by his peers: he responded by acting out in school.

By the end of second grade, Bon says he was suspended three times from Hartford City Southside Elementary School for stealing, being disruptive and bringing a lighter to school.

By age 12, Bon’s bad behavior escalated. Now, he was using drugs.