Donald sat in the park in the darkness, cold and alone, devastated that his life had come to this, wondering if he should end it all. “I was living on the streets, battered and hopeless,” he says.

It seemed a lifetime ago that he’d had a family, a job and a home. But after 10 years of marriage, his wife took their three children and left. “She remarried and started belittling me to my kids,” he says. 

Donald was heartbroken and began numbing his pain with drugs. It was the beginning of a 17-year struggle with addiction that cost him jobs, alienated his children and left him homeless. “Finally, I got tired of living on the streets. I called the police and threatened to commit suicide and they brought me to the hospital,” he says.

It was there that he learned about the Mission and after he was discharged, he entered our New Beginnings Program, where Bible studies, classes, and chapel services led him to an encounter with the Lord. “I knew about God, but I didn’t know Him,” Donald says. “Now, I have a relationship with Him. I’ve learned to pray and wait and trust the Lord.”

His newfound faith, Christian counseling, and life-skills classes have helped Donald process his pain and develop healthy coping skills. “I had a lot of guilt for the hurt I’d caused others, but I’ve learned from my mistakes and I can move on,” he says. “Now, I don’t have to use drugs to cover my pain.”

Donald’s relationships with his children are being restored. God radically transformed Donald and now he is using his story as a testimony to help other men in need. “Now I have a purpose for my life. The Mission gave me the compassion, love, and tools to rebuild my life and start again. God has given me hope and a future.” This May, Donald will graduate our Ministry Intern Program and become a full-time staff member.