Warren Huber
Age: 24

Warren is a self-described introvert who spends most of his time on the computer and reading.  He enjoys science fiction and fantasy books, and describes himself as a typical “Trekkie.” He comes from a churchgoing family, but in his teenage years experimented with various religions such as Buddhism, Wicca and Druidism.  Warren is an active member of the church and hopes to one day become an Episcopal priest.

His interest in God stems from his passion for physics.  Warren says that understanding how the earth works scientifically helps him to better understand its creator.  Until recently, he was pursuing a physics degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts but financial problems forced him to drop out.  Now working to make ends meet, Warren hopes to soon get back on track to pursue his dreams of finishing his physics degree and going on to postgraduate theology studies.

Tom Kramer
Age: 46

Tom describes himself as a 46-year-old in the body of a 62-year-old with the emotional age of a 7-year-old.  Raised Catholic, he attended a Jesuit high school and college, but abandoned his connection to God years ago.  Once a successful comedy writer in Hollywood, Tom lost everything to alcohol and drugs, his addictions eventually rendering him homeless.  Three years ago, Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step program helped him to get clean, but he has struggled with its requirement of giving oneself over to a higher power.

Since his recent marriage, his life is stabilizing. Now he says he sees how faith makes other people happy, and wants to continue the spiritual search he started inside the monastery to find out whether re-establishing a connection with God can bring him more happiness, too.

William Morales
Age: 35

In the late 1980s, Will was a gang member in Boston who was convicted for trafficking cocaine.  While serving six years in prison, his younger brother joined his gang, and after opening fire on police, was shot and killed.  Gradually, Will realized the role he had played in his brother’s downfall. He became a practicing Catholic, bent on redeeming himself.

Through the guidance of prayer, Will put his gang experience to positive work, and he made it his mission as a program leader at the YMCA to steer kids in his community away from his old life.  Yet his dedication to his job—where he worked 90-95 hours a week-- left little time for his family.  Since leaving the Monastery, he has changed jobs and decided to devote more time to his new family.  He now runs a different youth outreach program, where he says he’s able to spend both more time with the kids he’s helping, and more time with his own kids.  It was his time in the Monastery, Will says, that helped him find a better balance between being a leader in his community and a leader for his family.

Alex Nicoll
Age: 23

Alex is a former Marine, feted as a war hero in his California hometown. He cheerfully describes his stint in Iraq, where he spent most of his time on the front lines, as “the Super Bowl, every day.”  Alex lost a leg in his final skirmish — an injury that could have easily proved fatal.  Now back home living with his parents, he’s looking for some direction for the rest of his life.

Raised in a secular home where it was common to poke fun at religion, Alex says he had no faith of any kind while in Iraq. But curiosity about faith led Alex into the monastery.  He wanted to find out whether the monks could convince him that there’s a God. If they could convince him, he said, they can convince anyone.

Jonathan Willoughby
Age: 30

Jon Willoughby doesn't miss a beat. With a biting comment for every occasion, Jon is as cynical as they come.  He doesn't trust kind people because he thinks they are not genuine.  He'd like to believe people are good but says you eventually wind up disappointed by their greed or mean spirit.  When Jon was a teenager, a close friend shot himself over a girl.  Jon says this experience was the foundation for his inability to really commit to a relationship -- or to trust people.

Relationships are about the only risk he’s not willing to take.  He's gone to fight fires in Iraq and currently works as a paramedic and firefighter for Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, NM. For fun, he goes skydiving.  Jon is hoping the time he spent at the monastery will help him break away from his negative view of the world and think about his attitude to life, but he knows it’s going to continue to be a struggle.

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