By Jimmy Cochran
Co-Editor 

  Tucked away off a rural road in Henry County is a place of quietness, a place of security, and a place of new beginnings. It is the home of Shining Light Ministries where many women have learned and continue to learn how to live a life free from the bondages of alcohol, drugs, and other addictions. Since 2007, this recovery center has worked closely with McDonough probation officers, Henry County Jail, and other agencies to continually assist women of Henry County who desperately need treatment.

The ladies of Shining Light Ministries. Pictured far left is Teresa Bestwick, Founder and Executive Director. At far right is Sandra Vaughn, Assistant to the Director and in the front row is Moses, the house pet who brings much comfort. Photo by Jimmy Cochran

  An old American Indian legend says that you cannot “truly know a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.” Founder and Executive Director of Shining Light, Teresa Bestwick, knows this statement to be true.

  “The reason I began this program and continue to help these women is that I’ve been where they have,” says Bestwick. “I know the life of the addict, the homeless, and the hopelessness they feel. Because of that I can help them find their lives and hope again, just as I did.” 

  From the time she was a small girl, Bestwick lived a live of abuse and neglect which eventually led her to addictions on heroin, crack cocaine, alcohol, and other substances. A number of failed relationships also were a part of her life. It was not until Bestwick hit the lowest point she could imagine, that she began to look up and find her way out.

  “I found out that God loved me, and He wanted me to love Him back,” Bestwick shared. “I got seriously involved with Alcoholics Anonymous, worked through the 12-steps, began to straighten out my wrecked life, and then realized that I could accept God’s love and immediately wanted to share it with other women.”

  Now clean for a number of years, Bestwick takes her message to the women of the Henry County Jail weekly and shares her story with them.

  “We laugh and cry together, and for those few minutes we have, they know that I care about them, but most importantly, that God cares about them,” Bestwick continued.

  The ministry was founded to bring women in for intensive treatment and adjustment so they could re-enter the world as strong, confident, and Godly women.

  Shining Light is not a summer camp or an easy life. The residents enter by referral and undergo an intensive battery of testing and evaluation by professional counselors before they are allowed to enter the program. Living in a home environment, there is no outside contact for the first thirty days, they must attend six AA meetings a week, perform daily chores, daily Bible studies, daily quiet time and journaling, attend a Wednesday night Bible Study and church on Sunday.

  “This is just the bare minimum of what is expected,” explains Bestwick. “I don’t give the girls any breaks and don’t accept excuses. I’m not afraid to get in their face because I know that’s what it takes to get through many times. However, despite it all, they know I love them. They know the battles I fought and continue to fight on their behalf. They know this is a safe place for them, if they abide by the rules.”

  Shining Light Ministries is the first zoned recovery center in the County. Bestwick gives the credit for this to God first, then to many community leaders who know her story and support her work.

  “I’m so grateful to so many people for helping me take care of these women. The Board of Commissioners have worked closely and positively on our behalf; local organizations and churches keep us supplied with donations and work around the property; there are healthcare professionals who help with medical and dental needs. This is   a blessed County with so many caring people and we know and feel that love each day.”

  What legacy does Bestwick want people to know about her? With a catch in her voice and tears in her eyes, she replies, “that I loved. That I simply loved these girls and want them to have the best life possible. Just that I love them.”

  One of the resident women, Virginia, quickly spoke up and said “my dream is to work with nursing homes and older people… plus, to come back here and help Teresa at Shining Light.”

  That’s the legacy of Teresa Bestwick. She totally loves, unconditionally, and has made a difference in the lives of so many women who now want to continue the work by her side.

  For more information about Teresa and the Shining Light Ministry, please visit www.ShiningLighthouse.org.