Thank you for giving Brandon a life-changing gift this Christmas!
“I felt the presence of God.”
Brandon’s childhood family dynamic was complicated. He has happy memories of school, church and homelife… yet he was also traumatized by a father who resorted to violence when he was drinking. “I confused my dad’s abusive behaviors with love,” he shares.
In high school, Brandon started dabbling in drugs and alcohol to mask the pain he felt. “I was meant to go to college, but I dropped out, and that’s when my addiction spiraled,” he says.
A few years later, Brandon was devastated by his mother’s death. He reconciled with his father… but then he passed away, too. That’s when Brandon gravitated to harder drugs. “I just wanted to wallow in my sorrows. I didn’t know how to ask for help.”
After losing his housing, Brandon lived in a tent. “I looked for Jesus… and now I understand He was right there the whole time,” he admits with a smile. That’s because he distinctly remembers the moment he felt the Lord leading him out of the darkness.
“I looked in the mirror and saw a ghost. So, I packed up and began detox.” After a healing stint at a recovery center, Brandon found the Rescue Mission.
“I gained a deep peace within myself.”
When he walked through our doors, Brandon was welcomed without judgment. The staff prayed over him, and his journey toward a new life began. “I felt the presence of God, like I was stepping on holy ground.”
Brandon completed our biblically-based Life Builders and Transformers programs. He bonded with new friends he now calls brothers. Serving on the Rescue Mission’s loading docks, he enjoys interacting with and inspiring others while working. “I’m clean, I’m safe and I’m in the presence of God,” he beams.
Brandon plans to go into the ministry, serving incarcerated people. “I want to touch lives by sharing how the Lord allowed me to heal from the inside out. If I can recover, anyone can.”
This Christmas, Brandon is experiencing all the joy this season has to offer – because YOU believed in the power of a fresh start and the promise of God’s unending love. “The Rescue Mission helped restore my life – my family, my friends and my faith. This is a wonderful, spirit-filled place!”
To read our current issue of Vision, click here.
