Just two years ago, Ryan was addicted to heroin. Dwight was sleeping on the streets, miserable. And Jeremy was sitting on the I-84 overpass, trying to build up the courage to jump after his meth addiction had torn all hope away. But instead of succumbing to drugs, suicide, and hopelessness, each man found his way to The Harbor, our men’s addiction recovery facility here at Portland Rescue Mission. Through our addiction recovery program – called New Life Ministry – the men have beaten their addictions and now have hope-filled lives.
This past weekend, all three men celebrated major milestones in their recovery.
Sunday afternoon was filled with laughs, smiles, hugs and tears as the men shared their transformative testimonies with the large crowd of family, friends, staff and volunteers that attended.
Ryan shares his testimony with friends and family.
“The Mission has been a place of great healing, a place where God is doing great work within people’s lives,” Dwight said. “I used to be suffering, but I’ve been healed. I’m now letting God be God of my life.”
Dwight receives his New Life Ministry graduation certificate.
Throughout their time with us at The Harbor, men gain valuable life experience – not just computer skills, a completed education (if necessary) and job interview practice – but also relational skills, in-depth knowledge of the Bible, and a deep understanding of why they turned to drugs in the first place.
“Coming here has changed my life,” Ryan said. “I’ve learned so much. About myself, other people, and the role God wants to take in my life. I’ve also gained IT (information technology) experience and am looking forward to leaving here and pursuing a career in IT. ”
Another huge asset of the program is that the men gain a network of solid friends who genuinely care about them. We stay in touch with graduates as they leave the program and offer any support we can. Last weekend’s graduation ceremony marked a big milestone for these guys, but each one knows that the journey doesn’t end here. This is a launch pad for the hope-filled life that each man has ahead of him.
SEE ALSO: Ryan talks on camera about how his life has been transformed here
Jeremy thanks everyone who has impacted his life here at the Mission.
“God is telling me that there is still a lot of hard work to do,” Jeremy said. “This is a milestone for me, but I still have work to do. I have a lot of plans, but I think the thing that God has been telling me lately is to stop asking Him to bless my plans and to get on board with what his plans are.”
Thank you for your generous support that transforms lives just like Ryan, Dwight, and Jeremy.
If you are interested in making a gift today to help more men and women conquer their homelessness and addiction, please visit www.PortlandRescueMission.org/Give. Thank you.