Stories

Losing one's job can be devastating especially without a support system around you. That's what happened to Rick. He had a job in Dayton, Ohio which provided just enough income to pay his bills and buy food. Nothing extra. Without advance notice his company shut down and suddenly Rick had no money coming in. It wasn't long until he lost his apartment and had not money even for food. He walked the streets and learned from the other "street people" how to find food. He also learned how to find alcohol and soon found this to be his way of survival. It became his crutch and he leaned heavily upon it.

He kept thinking of a way out of this mess. Finally he called an old friend in Indiana and found out that this friend had married Rick's step-sister. She immediately drove to Dayton, found Rick and brought him to Muncie Mission.

Though he pursued the program he left before completion and in no time relapsed and started having severe health problems. He remembered a man that had been through the mission's program and was doing well. After calling this man, Rick waited for him to come and help him. But much to his dismay one of the mission's counselors pulled up in his car and invited him to get in. "He said he would take me home but he made several wrong turns and I told him he was going the wrong way. He just smiled and said he was taking me home to the Mission." It was home, a safe haven!

After two more years Rick has completed the program and is doing well. He committed his life to Christ, is involved in a local church and works with his sister cleaning an area church. Rick's goals are simple: he wants to continue his education and grow in his relationship with his Heavenly Father. He is so grateful to the Mission for giving him his life back.

Please meet Norm. He is a gentle soul who came to MMM from another facility that had no real program. He knew if he were to dig out of the pit he was in, he needed a lot of help.

Norm began drinking at a very early age. "I don't know why but I was always insecure. Never felt like I measured up. I was always intimidated by authority - my parents, school teachers, and even my friends." He describes the effect of alcohol: "it was the magic drug that made everything ok; made me feel ok."

Norm graduated from high school and spent four years at Indiana State studying criminal justice. "I have had so many chances to make good. My parents and all who knew me never gave up on me even though my drinking and life-style were so rotten and out of control."

When he decided to come to MMM, he came with great purpose to enter the program and couldn't wait to get started. Phase II of the mission's 12 Step Recovery Program was especially meaningful. Learning to trust God to lead him day by day was difficult at first but is becoming easier - "it's the trust issue, or should I say that old feeling of intimidation. But Jesus doesn't want to scare me, just love me and make me a better person."

Norm has a 10 year old daughter that he loves dearly and is re-building a relationship with. And he is working hard at creating more balance in his life. During his final stage of recovery at MMM Norm has acted as a liaison between the residents and professional staff. He would like to do an internship at Muncie Mission and feels God is calling him to help care for people in distress.

Udell came to Muncie Mission Ministries by referral from Anderson. A very quiet man, it was difficult for our counselors to get him to talk. But it wasn't long after his joining the Mission's program that Udell heard about God's love and design for his life. He prayed and asked Jesus to forgive his sin and come into his life. "I wanted to be a better person but nothing I ever did worked. But when Jesus changed me it was for good."

Udell admits he was able to find jobs but not always keep them and that is the reason for his homelessness. He lost his job and was in a bad relationship that also ended. He admits that he was an alcoholic and in need of help. That's what put him on the streets.

This very gentle man started drinking as a young teenager due to peer pressure. "Everybody I hung with drank - I did too and it was really easy to get it at home." But Udell questioned whether he was really an alcoholic because he could go for long periods of time without drinking. He recalls that once he went for 8 years but in August 2007 he relapsed and it was downhill from then on.

Udell worked the Mission's program for almost two years. He has grown in all ways. Showing great abilities and interest in food service, he has been working alongside MMM's Kitchen Supervisor, learning how to prepare and serve meals. This Supervisor says that Udell demonstrates leadership and organizational abilities and certainly has a future in the food-service line somewhere.

When asked what his goals are now that he has graduated from the Mission's program he says, "I want to be a man of God, humbled under God my Lord, and get to know Him better every day. Only He knows what tomorrow brings."

Steve came to Muncie Mission as an angry, rebellious man. He was released from jail and brought by the police as this was his only option. He remembers thinking as they drove up to the mission, "Oh no, this is not where I want to be and I will be out of here as soon as possible, if not before!" However, God had a different plan.

It didn't take Steve long to learn that he desperately needed what was going on at MMM. "I came as close to death as you can come and not die. And I came to the realization that I was not ready to die." He remembers waking up in a hospital bed as sick as he had ever been. He had been on alcohol binges many times, especially after the untimely death of his wife, but this time he had almost died from alcohol poisoning. And he would have died had it not been for a Deputy Sheriff who found him in the ditch along a dead end country road. That deputy should not have been on that road and had only traveled on it one other time. But he explained to Steve that "Someone upstairs is watching over you." He's not sure why he drove to the end that dark night but he did - and he found Steve.

That experience was a life-changer! It made Steve pursue sobriety and recovery at MMM and in that process found Jesus as his Savior. His anger is gone and he no longer feels that he must rebel against all authority. At one point in his life, Steve held a good job, made a great salary and had a lot of this world's possessions. However things are no longer important to him.

Steve's #1 goal is to rebuild a relationship with his adult daughter. That began during the recovery process and is continuing slowly but positively. Also Steve has many abilities that will serve him well as he seeks employment.