Overview

The Program

TEMPORARY PROGRAM

This program is for residents who want to stay for a few weeks or one to three months only. Residents are still required to participate in all the programs like everyone else. This program is for the individual that just needs a positive place to live for a short time until they can quickly get back on their feet. This could be a person who is transitioning between jobs or housing. This is not an overnight emergency shelter program. A resident who is in the “Temporary Program” does have the option to also stay longer by entering into the “Transformational Program” if they feel that they need to stay longer and benefit from the long term program.

TRANSFORMATIONAL PROGRAM

This is the program that most people who are staying at The Gospel TLC will be a part of. Residents will stay on average for 12-18 months or longer, depending on how long it takes them to reach their graduation goals. To truly benefit from this entire program you must be willing to commit to an average of 12-18 months or longer depending on how long it takes for you to achieve all your goals. That time will vary depending on the individual. This program isn’t so much time based, but goals based, but on average we are looking at 12-18 months. The four main goals that you will work on during this program will be:

Discipleship
Heart Transformation
Employment Skills
Life Skills

TRANSITIONAL PROGRAM

This program is only available to the graduates of the “Transformational Program.” This program is meant to be a transitional period for the graduates of the “Transformational Program” until they are fully able to move out completely on their own. During this time, residents will work with our “Transitions Counselor” to make sure that each resident has secured a place of employment and positive housing in the community that they will be returning back to. Because this is the last program in the Gospel TLC, every graduate of our program will get a donated vehicle (as available).

History of Gospel TLC

The Gospel TLC started as a vision that God gave to Yauo Yang. He was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and his family came to the United States as refugees in 1987, when he was seven years old. He grew up in Wausau, WI and attended school and church like children his age did. In 2000, he graduated from Wausau West High School and got married that summer to his wife, Mayla. They went to attend UW-Stevens Point that fall. One year later, the tragedies of 9/11 happened and Yauo felt moved to protect his country, even though he was not a US citizen. In 2002, he enlisted in the Army. He was deployed to Iraq from 2004-2005, where he had a life changing experience happen, when he lost a fellow comrade. Seeing death right in front of his eyes, he realized that he too had a great possibility of also dying in Iraq. Not wanting to die in war, he made a desperate deal with God by saying, “God, if you can get me out of Iraq alive, when I come back Wausau, I’ll do anything that you want me to.”

At the end of 2005, he came back to WI, having lost two comrades. In 2008, he graduated college and became an educator. His family started to grow after that and today they have six children. In 2015, he felt convicted that he was supposed to do something, but he hadn’t. That was when God reminded him of his promise 10 years earlier to do something for God, but he still had not done anything for Him.

Being convicted to do something, Yauo asked God in prayer what it was that He wanted for him to do. That was when God called Yauo to start up a church called, The Cross (multi-ethnic & non-denominational). Wanting to get more involved in the community as a pastor, Yauo started to go under the bridges, feed and pray for the homeless, visit homeless shelters and doing Bible studies at the Marathon County Jail. It was during his time at these places, that he felt his true calling to do ministry to the down and out in Wausau. Because of this, these were the people that started to come to his church. He did his best to get these people back on their feet and to know Jesus. Unfortunately, he soon came to the realization that these individuals that were going through difficulties would often relapse or be broken again. He wanted to truly transform these individuals’ lives for the better, but there were no resources available that could provide the Christ-centered, long-term, free, residential care that they needed. It was for this reason, that in 2018, Yauo gathered a dozen community members that also had a heart and passion to give people the true transformation that they needed to overcome their addictions and brokenness. Together, they started the ministry called, “The Gospel TLC” to transform the lives of the addicted and broken to find hope in their life through Jesus Christ.

Endorsements

Scott Parks, Marathon County Sheriff

"This program is for residents who want to stay for a few weeks or one to three months only. Residents are still required to participate in all the programs like everyone else. This program is for the individual that just needs a positive place to live for a short time until they can quickly get back on their feet. This could be a person who is transitioning between jobs or housing. This is not an overnight emergency shelter program. A resident who is in the “Temporary Program” does have the option to also stay longer by entering into the “Transformational Program” if they feel that they need to stay longer and benefit from the long term program."

Pat Snyder, State Representative

“I truly support and endorse the efforts of Pastor Yauo Yang and his board to create the Gospel TLC. Our area is in great need of an additional facility to help rehabilitate those individuals trapped in addiction. As a recovering alcoholic myself, I could not be successful without the support of my family and friends. The foundation of my recovery is turning to my higher power, God. The Gospel TLC will incorporate that spiritual journey into their recovery program which is so important to those who might not have the support of family and friends.”