Joe is counting his blessings this fall.

“I’ve learned to be humble and teachable.”

Joe’s childhood was marked by poverty and instability. His parents worked long hours, so his sister ended up raising him and his siblings. When rent became unaffordable, Joe and his family moved into the housing projects where life took a dramatic turn. “I really didn’t want to move there. It just killed my whole world,” he says. 

Joe fell into the same lifestyle as those around him – ditching school, fighting, gambling and using substances. Tired of being bullied for wearing old clothes and wanting a way to afford nicer things, Joe turned to crime as his last resort.  

At 17, a pastor outside a liquor store stopped Joe and led him through a prayer of repentance. The following night, alone in his room, Joe heard God speak to him. “He said that you’regoing to be a good man. Obey your parents and get your life together,” Joe says.  

Despite that experience, Joe spent decades in a cycle of incarceration, homelessness and substance use. He faithfully read the Bible and tried rehab – desperate to change but unable to fully surrender. 

After Joe hit rock bottom, his brother – who had successfully completed the program – brought him to the Mission. “The love here is genuine. The people show sacrificial love,” Joe says. 

Though Joe found the support here beneficial to recovery, he continued to struggle with the pull of addiction until he fully committed himself to the program. Through daily prayer, Scripture and meditation, Joe began to truly change.  

“At the Mission, I’ve learned to be humble and teachable. I want people to see the work God is doing in my life and be drawn to Him.” 

Today, Joe has given everything to God. He hopes to one day establish a Mission of his own – for God and for the people who need it.  

Because of you, Joe is experiencing Thanksgiving in a whole new way this year… with a fresh perspective on life and a heart of gratitude. “If it weren’t for the Mission, I would probably be in my grave. Now I have joy and peace.”

To read the rest of this issue of Rescue Review, click here.