Meet Justin

A tragic event Justin experienced as a teenager changed the trajectory of his life.

“It left me feeling lost, alone and with no boundaries,” he says, “as if I had no meaning or purpose.” He began searching for something to fill the void, and his journey led to addiction, destructive habits and broken relationships.

“I would take, steal, lie – anything to satisfy my needs. Eventually the people I would turn to stopped tolerating that behavior from me.”

Finally, with no one to help him, he found himself on the streets. “I was headed for a really bad place, far beyond homelessness.” But God had other plans: He rekindled the compassion in the hearts of Justin’s loved ones.

“They hadn’t completely abandoned me – they confronted me. My sister put me in her car and brought me to the Mission.”

“I realized I was here for a purpose; there’s a plan I have to work toward.”

Justin says his biggest challenge in life was facing a future he thought didn’t exist. But in our Christian Life Program, his eyes were opened as he grew in God’s Word. “The darkness in my heart was lifted and I began looking forward to tomorrow.”

Through his newfound faith, he’s also found the boundaries he was lacking. “There is an absolute objective authority over all of us, and that is Jesus Christ.”

Just as important in his daily walk, he now knows he’s not alone. “There’s a community here. I have support and I can support others as well. We’re all in this together.”

Looking ahead, Justin says, the Mission has put him in a position to be a productive part of society, gainfully employed and living independently.

Justin now has strength for a new beginning because of your compassion for him and others in need. Because you chose to share God’s love, he has a path forward in life. “I’ve found myself, I’ve found God and I’ve found a future.”

Click here to download the Summer 2024 issue of Light Newsletter