Stories that Inspire.
Victories to Celebrate.
Stay connected with all the good work the Mission is doing!
Nestor leaves drugs behind, looks forward to reuniting with his kids
Nestor was born in Mexico and moved to Carpinteria with his father when he was 17. His mother stayed behind. “The relationship between me and my father is not too good,” Nestor said. “I got a job and moved out.” Nestor went to work at McDonald’s, where he met a woman. They started dating, and…
After a stumble, Steve gets back on track at the mission
Steve grew up in Santa Barbara in a loving home with two parents and two younger siblings. His father, however, was an alcoholic. “A lot of family on my dad’s side has issues with alcohol,” Steve said. “A lot of them are either in recovery, in active addiction, or have died because of it. My…
After Jail And Hospitals, Anthony Finds Peace At The Mission
Anthony grew up with parents who were alcoholics and was not interested in following that path. “My mother was functional—she’d cook, clean, go to the gym, do laundry, and then drink. My father on the other hand, he works in the oil rigs, two weeks on, two weeks off. The two weeks off he would…
Brian Uses His Time In ‘Darkness’ To Relate To Those Who Need Help
When Brian was wrapping up high school at Righetti, he struggled in deciding his next step: film school or seminary? He had been inspired by his youth pastors growing up and wanted to serve, but he also had a passion for film. More than a decade later, Brian has dabbled in pastoring and video, and…
Saul Mends His Marriage, Restarts His Life Without Drugs
When Saul was 13, his family moved from Bakersfield to San Diego. “I had a rough life growing up,” Saul said. “My dad used to beat me up a lot. I got into the neighborhood and started making bad decisions.” Saul got into drugs, but after completing Teen Challenge, a recovery program for teenagers, he…
Tommy Battles Health Issues, Lifelong Drinking Problem
Tommy grew up on an Indian reservation in San Diego County, where he said many began drinking at a young age. “I started when I was 9,” he said. “By 11, I was going to the liquor store to get big bottles of hard liquor.” It didn’t help that Tommy didn’t have much family. “My…
David Urges Sinners To ‘Run Toward The Cross’
David, a college graduate, was married with two kids when the store he was managing—a Mervyn’s in the Central Valley—went bankrupt. “I had a lot of time on my hands suddenly,” he said. He and his wife were also having issues. “We separated and I started to have a taste of the single life again,”…
Daniel Plans To ‘Surrender’ Completely To God
Daniel’s father was in the Navy, and their family moved around often, spending time in San Diego, Seattle, and Iceland. He had two loving parents and an older brother and sister. “I had a great upbringing,” Daniel said. “I had the best mom ever. She never smoke, never drank, never did drugs, but she was…
Chris Overcomes Childhood Trauma, Gets His Life Back On Track
Chris had a rough childhood, and sees more clearly now how the trauma has affected the trajectory of his life. “I went through a lot,” he said. “I was molested as a kid and that caused me to act out. I resented every man who came into my life. I saw the bad in everything…
Andrew Nears 1-Year Anniversary Of Program Graduation
When we last spoke to Andrew in early 2018, he was new to the mission’s life recovery program and was working to let God lead him in his journey. “I have goals and dreams, but I have to put God in the middle of it,” he said. “It’s a spiritual issue. Can God fix me?…
Cecil Works Through Childhood Trauma, Starts New Life At The Mission
His parents’ contentious divorce—and the difficult aftermath—shaped much of Cecil’s life. He was young when they split, and he and his siblings were first placed with their mother. “That wasn’t a safe situation,” he said. “We struggled for food. We were living in rat- and cockroach-infested places, people were doing drugs. It was horrible.” Things…
Albert Gets Help, And Isn’t Looking Back
Albert grew up locally with two brothers, his mom, and his dad, the latter of whom was very strict. “My dad was always really tough, so even though I knew people using weed in seventh grade, I didn’t do it,” he said. “But by the time I was 16, I wasn’t doing too well in…
