“Now I feel I have a purpose in life.”
Dalton was in his early 20s when his parents passed away. He’d been caring for them throughout a long illness, and when he lost them, he lost his home. He lost his sense of purpose too.
He moved in with a neighboring family who helped him find a job and begin to get back on his feet. But the arrangement deteriorated and he struck out on his own, staying with friends and picking up dangerous and self-destructive habits. Sadly, his lifestyle led to an arrest, and he was incarcerated.
When he was released, he knew he needed help to finally build a stable life. “I had to try something,” he says, and found his way to our door.
“Since coming to the Mission, I’ve experienced more joy in my life than I ever have in the past.”
In our Men’s Life Recovery Program, Dalton is attending Bible study, chapel services, and classes that focus on the principles of a faith-filled life. “They’re helping me build a close relationship with God, and that’s where it all begins,” Dalton says.
In the Mission kitchen, he’s also learning the life and workplace skills he needs to become the self-sufficient man God intended him to be. Just as important, Dalton says, he is growing from time spent in Christian fellowship, conversing with others and sharing encouragement and support. “I’m learning day to day to just enjoy God’s grace.”
And as he progresses to the last phase of our program, we’ll assist him in securing permanent housing and employment – he hopes to find a job working among people, where he can share his faith with others.
“I no longer feel that I’m unworthy. The Mission is guiding me down a more righteous pathway of living.”
