“I Knew the Mission Had Something Special for Me”
Robert had already hung the sheet in his prison cell, ready to wrap it around his neck and end it all. He was 18 years old.
He had survived a childhood of neglect and abuse and was in and out of juvenile detention as a teen. He was depressed and angry.
“I felt alone,” Robert says. “I was always crying. I didn’t want to live anymore.”
But before he went through with it, a fellow inmate gave him an evangelistic pamphlet, explaining how he could find new life with God by trusting in Jesus. Through the grace of God, the booklet literally saved Robert’s life.
Robert gave his life to Christ that day, but admits that he never really truly learned to walk the walk. Over the next 30 years, he traveled around, telling people about Jesus … while also making lots of poor choices.
Robert was previously at the City Rescue Mission in 2007, convinced that God brought him to our doors. He straightened up, but it was short-lived. Soon, Robert was back on the streets, getting into more trouble with the law, burning relationships, an aimless wanderer with a life in shambles.
But his short experience at the Mission had apparently left a good impression. Because 16 years later, in early 2023, Robert says God led him back to our place. And this time, it was for keeps.
“I knew the Mission had something special for me,” Robert, now 48, says today. “This place has the spirit of God in it. The people here, they go beyond in helping guests put their life back together.”
For Robert, that included finding work, buying a vehicle and getting a place of his own.
“The Mission is amazing,” he says. “It changes lives. Believe me, it makes miracles. Thank you for supporting this place!”
