“I didn’t have my wedding ring when I came into the program and my wife has since expressed a desire to reconcile. The other day she put the wedding ring back on my finger. I wept. It means a lot to have someone else see how quickly I am developing here. She knows that the man she married is coming back,” states Dale.

“I came here to the mission because of my family. I’ve been separated from them for three years. I became an alcoholic and it just got worse and worse. I was a man of God for most of my life, but I started moving away from Him. At the rate I was going, if I continued I probably would be in prison right now. I was living on the streets for two weeks before I came to the mission; it was the lowest point of my life. I didn’t want a place with a jail mentality, but a place that had the Spirit of the Lord. I wanted to get closer to my God and the Christianity I had before.

“I’m excited. I’m happy. I want to get the meat of everything that I’ve been receiving here. I am getting to the heart of my addiction. God’s going to be my Father and get me through what caused my addiction. I’ve sought love in all the wrong places. I no longer have the desire to drink now. My Family sees changes in me that I don’t see and that is the prize when I finish the program. My family sees me and says, ‘There is something in your eyes Dale that we haven’t seen for a long time and you’re getting it back and keep working on it.’ My son also said to me, ‘Dad you are better than this. If you mess up again, I can’t be around you.’ I messed up again. I failed him. Since I’ve been in the program, he has come and visited me a couple times. My relationship with him is back and I’m going back to church. He knows how I am when I’m back in church.

Being in the mission has inspired me to get a cooking degree,” he continues. “I make food for the men here and that is how I show love. I’m happiest when I see their plates empty and no leftovers. I find joy in it and am seeking vocational training in that. With my background as a contractor, I do some of the maintenance around here too. When I get done with this, I’m going to bring it all to my pastor and let the church figure out how I can serve them the best. I want to serve wherever the need is; my hands will be open ready to meet needs.”

Dale concludes, “In the mission I see men changing; their way of transformation is beautiful; it is like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly and it’s a great blessing that works within us; we support each other and back each other up. True recovery has God at the center. It is a great investment in men’s lives and in families.”

Thank you for giving to the mission where dramatic change brings hope!