Parent Testimonials
"We were at our wits end with our son, and he was heading down a path that would have been very destructive for him and any one around him. Needless to say, he was not very pleasant to be around. He had his own agenda in life, and it wasn’t to follow rules or respect those in authority over him. Ty was also not saved - although he would at times profess it (usually when he got caught at something) - but we knew he wasn’t. A friend of ours let us know about VAFB, and soon the process began to send our son to a place we really knew nothing about. We were in constant prayer and contact with Mark [Massey] and knew that that was where Ty needed to be. Oh, it was hard - very hard - to send him away from home. But we knew that it was what the Lord wanted for him. I used to tell him it was easier to send him to a place where we could come and get him anytime if we chose to versus him being in jail or worse yet DEAD!! Because that’s how destructive his life was becoming.
"We praise God for VAFB. What a blessing the staff was. There was a change in Ty his year there. God worked in all our lives and as a family we also changed. Ty was saved on the mission trip to Mexico that summer with VAFB. When he returned home he was baptized in his home church. He graduated from his Christian high school and went on to attend one semester at Cedarville University in Ohio. He now attends William Patterson University in New Jersey and has just been accepted into their honors program for Psychology. He would like to go into counseling families! Praise God! He has recently become engaged and plans to wed after college. His fiancée is a great girl from a wonderful Christian home. Ty and Katie attend church regularly and also are in a college and career group that meets once a week.
"Ty has many times thanked us for sending him to VAFB, for he also admits to where his life was headed. He has apologized to us for what he put us through as a family. He talks very fondly of his time there and at times would like to go and visit. We are so very thankful and grateful for an awesome and loving God. The things we as parents learned have been helpful to many we have come in contact with that struggle with some of the same issues we did. We are careful not to take any of the glory from God in these times for it was only by his grace and mercy that we now have a changed family. Praise God! and God Bless you our family at VAFB!"
–Rick and Alma-
"We praise God for VAFB. What a blessing the staff was. There was a change in Ty his year there. God worked in all our lives and as a family we also changed. Ty was saved on the mission trip to Mexico that summer with VAFB. When he returned home he was baptized in his home church. He graduated from his Christian high school and went on to attend one semester at Cedarville University in Ohio. He now attends William Patterson University in New Jersey and has just been accepted into their honors program for Psychology. He would like to go into counseling families! Praise God! He has recently become engaged and plans to wed after college. His fiancée is a great girl from a wonderful Christian home. Ty and Katie attend church regularly and also are in a college and career group that meets once a week.
"Ty has many times thanked us for sending him to VAFB, for he also admits to where his life was headed. He has apologized to us for what he put us through as a family. He talks very fondly of his time there and at times would like to go and visit. We are so very thankful and grateful for an awesome and loving God. The things we as parents learned have been helpful to many we have come in contact with that struggle with some of the same issues we did. We are careful not to take any of the glory from God in these times for it was only by his grace and mercy that we now have a changed family. Praise God! and God Bless you our family at VAFB!"
–Rick and Alma-
"Joey is graduating from Minnesota State University Mankato on Dec. 11th. He has a Construction Management Major and a Business Minor. I think the time spent at Victory had a lot to do with his desire to build things. He often reflects on Victory with lots of gratitude. Joey and his wife, Shannon, have a 4 month old son and a three year old daughter. They are both active in their church in Mankato. Shannon sings and they both serve in the nursery.
"Thank you for all you have done for our family, we have been blessed."
–Sher-
"Thank you for all you have done for our family, we have been blessed."
–Sher-
Student Testimonials
"Upon arrival at Victory certain things in my life began to change. I was saved the first week I was there, and from there I began to grow and learn in my spiritual life. I had grown up in a Christian home, but I never had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the course of the next two years, I learned so many things at Victory Academy. I learned the value of hard work and discipline. Being the son of a single mother, I was never on a set schedule at home. Coming to the school I had to learn to wake up at a set time – do homework at a set time – Arggh! All these things were very hard for my mom to reinforce at home without a father figure around.
"I also learned the value of a godly man at Victory. I was able to see how a godly man acts and treats his wife and family. I saw how he would take time each day in prayer and Bible study, love his family, love and spend his life and time committed to us, and would be a hard worker all day. This had a direct impact in my life. After graduating Victory Academy I learned the value of hard work and discipline in my own life. I tried to mimic as best as I could the godly role models I had at Victory Academy. A daily relationship with Jesus Christ also became part of my life. Now I make it my goal to love my wife and three children. I also spend time working as the youth director of my church showing teenagers the value of a godly man and family in my life, and helping them grow spiritually.
"So, as I reflect and thank God for all the He has done in my life, I can’t help but thank Him for guiding me to Victory and using the Academy as a tool to make me the man that I am today."
-Aaron (Former Student, now a Victory Academy Board Member)-
"I also learned the value of a godly man at Victory. I was able to see how a godly man acts and treats his wife and family. I saw how he would take time each day in prayer and Bible study, love his family, love and spend his life and time committed to us, and would be a hard worker all day. This had a direct impact in my life. After graduating Victory Academy I learned the value of hard work and discipline in my own life. I tried to mimic as best as I could the godly role models I had at Victory Academy. A daily relationship with Jesus Christ also became part of my life. Now I make it my goal to love my wife and three children. I also spend time working as the youth director of my church showing teenagers the value of a godly man and family in my life, and helping them grow spiritually.
"So, as I reflect and thank God for all the He has done in my life, I can’t help but thank Him for guiding me to Victory and using the Academy as a tool to make me the man that I am today."
-Aaron (Former Student, now a Victory Academy Board Member)-
"I learned so many lessons while I was at Victory Academy. I took every one of those lessons back home with me. If it wasn’t for Victory I wouldn’t have assurance of my salvation. I want to thank you, Victory for turning my life in the direction that God wants me to go. I also want to thank Pastor Mark for really teaching me how to place values on the different parts of my life and how to take responsibility, not just look at it as "I have to do this or I will get in trouble" but that I need to do it with a good attitude and to bring honor and glory to God. Thanks again, Victory!"
-Luke-
-Luke-
"My name is Joel. I went to Victory at about the age of 13 or 14. Before I went to VAFB, I was a rebellious teen and I didn’t care if I lived to be twenty-one - in fact, I expected not to. I was involved with street gangs, using drugs, and skipping school. I was headed for two places: prison and hell. I’ll be honest, when I arrived at Victory I hated it, but soon the Spirit worked on me through Mark [Massey] and his staff at VAFB. I learned that I can get good grades, and that I don’t need drugs or gang friends to really live. I learned that God loves me and that he is always with me. I learned to be a leader. I learned respect for myself and others. I learned skills to occupy my time so I didn’t think about drugs and alcohol. I never thought in a million years that a boys home in the middle of nowhere could impact my life so much. Even though there are times that I have forgotten, God is still working in and through me and I can’t wait to see what he will have me doing in the future."
–Joel-
–Joel-