Bounsa’s Story

I was born in Fresno, but Minnesota shaped me. My earliest memory is waking up after a night of my parents fighting—my mom and all my siblings were gone. We lost the house, and I lost the only safety I knew. My dad pulled me into the only world he understood: gangs, drugs, and violence. My uncles beat me badly, and at eight years old I made a promise to myself—no one would ever hurt me again. Anger became my armor, and gangs became my family.

Drugs, fights, weapons, jail—this became my life. At seventeen I met the mother of my kids, the first woman who ever told me she loved me. We got married young, and when my daughter was born, I held her and promised I’d protect her. But addiction doesn’t honor promises. When my marriage fell apart, it confirmed the lie I’d believed since childhood: I wasn’t worth loving. I spiraled harder.

After a friend was shot and killed, I got drunk, got high, and ended up in a high-speed chase that landed me in prison for 36 months. Sitting in a cell, I thought about that promise I made holding my daughter. I had failed her. Failed myself.

My lawyer asked if I’d consider treatment. I didn’t even know what treatment was. But someone yelled out, “Try Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge!” So I wrote it down. When the judge approved it, Teen Challenge came to pick me up. Walking through those doors felt like walking into freedom. For the first time, I prayed honestly—“God, if You’re real, show me.” And He did. Through worship, Bible study, and the love of the staff, I heard Him say, “This is how much I love you.”

Today, I work for Teen Challenge as the Client Care Manager for Hudson House. I get to watch men’s lives transform the way mine did. I’m a father, an uncle, a son, a leader in my church, and a mentor to men who feel as lost as I once did.

After wondering if I’d ever be a hero to my kids, I can finally say it—I am. We serve together, grow together, and live with hope.
I used to feel cold and heartless.

Now, I feel alive.