I did something a little wild recently. I paid a complete stranger a hundred dollars to sneak into a so-called rehabilitation center that feels more like a cult, just to deliver a message to my friend.

He’s thirty, and right now he’s stuck in this place called Adult and Teen Challenge. From what I understand, he was given two options by the court — go to prison or go to rehab. His dad, who’s deeply religious, decided the rehab was the “better” choice. Except this isn’t your regular rehab. It’s a mission-style religious facility that practically cuts people off from the outside world. My friend only gets one ten-minute phone call a week, and even that has to be with a blood relative. I’m not family, so that leaves me completely locked out. No visits, no letters, nothing. The program lasts at least a year, and I can’t even check in to see if he’s okay.

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So, I found someone on AirTasker and paid her to attend one of the facility’s open church nights. They hold it every first Wednesday of the month. The plan was for her to go in, blend with the crowd, find my friend, and FaceTime me so I could talk to him for even a few seconds. I just want him to know someone on the outside still cares, that he’s not forgotten in there.

And before anyone jumps in with assumptions — I’m in Australia. We don’t really deal with the kind of fentanyl epidemic that’s common in the U.S. Here, it’s mostly meth, especially in smaller or remote towns where people get trapped in cycles of addiction and isolation.

I don’t know if this plan will work, or if it’s even smart, but I couldn’t just sit here while my friend is locked away in a place that controls every moment of his life. I just need him to hear that someone still believes he deserves freedom, healing, and a real chance to recover.

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