Pete's Story

On a scale of 1 to 10, his pain was an agonizing 8.

A back injury at work kept him at home, with his left leg crippled. All he could do was stay home and drink. Alcohol numbed the pain.

But there was a cost. Pete became an alcoholic. Communication with his wife broke down and they divorced. His son was becoming addicted to opioids, and Pete realized he was setting a terrible example for his son by staying around the house, drinking all the time.

Something had to change. Pete started reading the Bible, the Gospel of Matthew in particular, and could clearly see Jesus wanted more from him than the half-hearted relationship he claimed to have.

So Pete took his first, bold step of faith and was baptized as a sign of commitment. Soon after, a doctor told Pete there was a good chance he could be cured of his back injury. A six-hour surgery to thread a nerve through his spine had remarkable results. A few hours after the surgery, Pete walked out of the hospital almost pain-free. For the first time in 10 years, his paralyzed left leg was functioning.

But he was still addicted to alcohol. He did research and realized recovery programs cost between $30,000 and $50,000. He didn't have money for that and his insurance wouldn't cover it.

Then he found Hope Gospel Mission. He read how men and women here are built up by trusting and obeying Christ. They are learning to live out their new Christian life as revealed in the Bible.

He felt the Holy Spirit leap inside him. This was the place he needed. He took another bold step of faith and came to Hope Gospel Mission. God was leading and he was following.

Sure enough, there was room for him. One month after arriving, Pete said, "I've never been happier." He works in the Mission's Hope Bargain Center. It is hard work for a person who has laid around drinking for so many years. But he loves it. At night he is tired in the best way. He loves the friendships with others here. They talk and share life.

Every night, Pete falls to his knees in prayers of thanksgiving to God for His wonderful blessings. God has him in a place he loves, Hope Gospel Mission, where he's learning about the God he loves with the people he loves.

He thanks God for the kindness of people like YOU who generously care for others here. And he is grateful for the warm conversations with his ex-wife and how God is answering his prayers for his son.

“God is Good - very good to those who call on him.”

Names and photos in stories may have been changed for privacy.