Description
Wynn Thompson, a happy, outgoing six-year-old, has his life shattered by four teenage boys when they lure him into a cellar and take turns raping him. Confused and frightened, Wynn stuffs the pain deep within and tells no one. His pain and confusion intensify when he is molested by a woman who claims to be his mother’s friend. Filled with shame and guilt, his thoughts are consumed with sex. At twelve, he is seduced by a man in a public restroom, and he becomes obsessed with same-sex attraction.
Once the stalked, Wynn becomes the stalker and spends years looking for fulfillment in sex, drugs, alcohol, and a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. His life spirals into addiction, landing him in jail and on a path to certain death — until he finds a way out!
Prodigal: A Journey to Freedom from Abuse and Addiction tells the amazing story of a modern-day prodigal son. Read how God uses moments from Wynn’s life to lead him to freedom in Christ and a ministry helping others overcome the same temptations that once enslaved him.
ENDORSEMENTS
“What a story — a real page-turner! In it, Wynn Thompson reveals a most amazing journey from childhood sexual abuse to drug addiction, jail, a brush with fame as a singer, and his inevitable plunge into intractable sexual addiction and homosexual behavior. The bonus — an appendix on the causes and path to freedom from homosexual confusion—is icing on the cake. I highly recommend this moving journal of a broken and then redeemed life.”
— Dr. David Kyle Foster, MDiv, DMin; author; executive director of Mastering Life Ministries; producer and director of award-winning Pure Passion TV program
“If you only read one book about how same-sex attraction develops in the life of a child and how God can transform the broken, this is your book!”
— Carol L. Wagstaff Groen, MA; executive director Living Stones Ministries; author of Reclaim, Restore, and Rebuild: Hope for Families Impacted by Sexual Brokenness
“As I was reading my way through Wynn’s story, I was struck by the honesty and the candid insights he shares along the way. It is powerful when you look back and can see what you missed on the journey but also how God was working. Wynn’s is a story of redemption that has you asking how you come back from that level of brokenness. As you read layer by layer, you see how God restores a life. Wynn’s story is a reminder of how we are deceived by our circumstances, and yet God can shine a light in the darkest of places. This story is one I would highly recommend for all to embrace and learn from. Wynn has woven in the wisdom that comes from a journey with God, and I believe churches everywhere can benefit from this kind of resource. I also believe this story of hope and insight will help those who are facing and have faced similar heartache. My friendship with Wynn and our partnership with his ministry has allowed me to see his integrity, vulnerability, and wisdom firsthand. As he takes you through his journey, you get to experience the highs and lows that he has experienced. This book is a must-read as I know it is going to help those who read it. Thank you, Jesus, for working so powerfully in Wynn’s life.”
— Rev. Chris Swart, senior pastor of Life Church Somerset West, Western Cape, South Africa
“Some special people possess the courage to change their lifestyles and become a blessing to many. Wynn is one of these giants. He was always straightforward and sincere but never pushy about sharing his story. Gradually, it came to light. It was as a video producer that Wynn showed me his talent and creative flair. Behind this was a man who had journeyed through suffering, doubts, and rejection. Faith in Christ had restored the unmendable. He has always been a person of warmth and generosity. This willingness to help others who had been in similar situations to his own has grown into a significant and powerful work. Wynn has courageously taken his convictions forward and made full use of his hard-learned wisdom. He takes risks, tries new ideas, and keeps being creative. All of this is backed up with a strong faith that allows him to be close to where people are, walking with them their sinuous path. Whether our background is similar to his or not, we all have something to learn from him.”
— Paul Marsh, president of Jeunesse en Mission Suisse Romande; international executive vice president of Marriage Week International; chair of the Family Couple and Singles network, European Evangelical Alliance
“From the minute I started reading Wynn Cameron Thompson’s memoir of his journey to freedom, I was captivated and many times moved to tears. Never before has the very fabric of our society been under such attack and at such risk. With teenage suicides and anxiety levels soaring, his story and testimony are such an important beacon of hope and restoration in a landscape of growing abuse, brokenness, and identity confusion. The transformative power of his redemptive narrative unfolds, and he shares with such honesty, vulnerability, and courage. So many liberating truths have been captured in this story. His testimony will bring many onto their own journey to finding freedom and having their wholeness restored.”
— Gavin Wiseman, development manager, South Africa
“Prodigal is a book of hope! As the reader engages, it quickly opens the heart to deeper understanding, compassion, and empathy for others. Not only is this book for those who have experienced shame coming from deep wounds and brokenness caused by abuse from trusted others, or for those who have made wrong choices and decisions from youthful lusts and ignorance, but it is also for the deeply religious Pharisee in all of us. Wynn’s honesty, transparency, and vulnerability expose the reader’s pride and barriers that truly prevent a follower of Christ from loving others as Jesus commands His followers to do. I have been privileged to know and work alongside Wynn for the past fourteen years and can truly say Wynn loves others with the love of Christ that he has been shown. His example has transformed my life and given me a greater revelation of the Father’s love for me.”
— Brett Martin, Campus Missionary, Chi Alpha affiliate, Restoring Wholeness staff and board member
“In his book, Prodigal: A Journey to Freedom from Abuse and Addiction, Wynn Thompson presents us with a raw, tough to chew at times, story that doesn’t always go down easy. You may be left to digest and process it for a while, but the spiritual value of Wynn’s story makes reading it 100 percent worthwhile. Jesus and the healing and restoration He offers to all is evident throughout Prodigal. And if ingesting such a raw story brings greater value than a boiled-down and doctored-up story, then sign me up. The spiritual value gained from reading this book will leave you with no regrets.”
— Kai Eilert, Lead Pastor of Central City Assembly, Tucson, Arizona
