Justin and Chona Bessette

My wife and I have started in very different conditions but ended up in the same situation both of us overworked and in debt.

I was born and raised in Calgary finished college with a degree in computers just in time for the 9/11 attacks that flooded the job market with experienced people that were being sent back to Canada.

I had almost 50,000 in student loan debt that I had to pay back and no job to do it with.

I worked 2 jobs and 70+ hour weeks for years to pay it off all while supporting myself and helping to support my disabled mother and sister.

All I knew how to do was work and that’s all I continued to do but never seemed to get ahead no matter where I was.

Then I met the love of my life Chona a live-in Caregiver from the Philippines.

Chona was a hard working industrious woman that spent over 10 years taking care of other people’s children for more than 60 hours a week. She was never paid overtime was always charged food and rent had to work 7 days a week and holidays while only making minimum wage.

Our courtship was short because when you know you know and we were married within 9 months.

Chona wasn’t allowed to work for three years while her papers processed and we just kept getting further and further behind.

Within the first few months of our marriage Chona’s brother died in the Philippines and left 2 beautiful young girls without a father.

Our family called and asked if we could adopt the youngest Mariel, because we can’t have kids of our own we jumped at the opportunity.

Finally Chona’s papers came in and we started to catch up over the next 3 years.

In the Philippines Mariel was doing well then her mom brought her older sister Princess for a play date and then never returned, after a few weeks we knew she was not coming back and asked Princess if she would like to be adopted and come to Canada as well, with tears of joy she said yes.

Life picked up again and we were able to put a down payment on a small townhouse but after a year Chona got injured at work and was off work for almost 6 months with WCB cutting off benefits after 3 so here we were knocked down again living off the credit cards, unable to bring our children to the country and just making the mortgage payments.

At this time our friends came to us with an opportunity, a new way of life and we jumped.

We have only been at this less than a month but already have seen the major successes of the ones before us and even seen the system work and our load has lightened and we can see the horizon again.

Remember the only person that can truly change your life is yourself.