When he was high on methamphetamine, Mike thought he was Superman. “I was unstoppable. Nobody could touch me.” But he eventually realized, “I was just a broken person.” Mike’s brokenness began at age 18 when his mother passed away. “My whole world collapsed,” he recalls. “That’s when I started plummeting into the downward spiral of […]
“Clingy,” insecure and desperate for acceptance as a teenager, Lesley found the confidence she craved in drugs and alcohol. But the highs didn’t last. “They gave me wings but took away my sky,” she says. During the next 14 years, Lesley says, “My best friend took me in, but I still wanted to do drugs […]
(From left to right: New Life Fellowship recovery graduate, Jennifer, poses with Simonka Place’s New Life Fellowship Program Manager Katrina Schissler during the New Life Fellowship graduation.) Last week I opened the Biblical Life Management class with a simple question. “What brought you to the Mission?” As each woman shared her story, it became clear that their […]
Angelina arrived at Simonka Place for Women and Children with “a lot of baggage” though she only had the clothes on her back. Abused as a child, Angelina went on to have five sons in a series of unsuccessful relationships. A warrant was issued for her arrest over a custody issue. For a time, Angelina […]
It took Eric 30 years to work his way up in the restaurant business…and just one unfortunate accident to end his cooking career and leave him homeless. “About three years ago I broke my ankle pretty badly. It took three surgeries and three months to put it back together,” Eric remembers. “I wasn’t able to […]
New Life Fellowship Program Manager Danial Ficek (right) pictured with past UGM client Deryk (left). ‘Clients like Deryk are the reason I keep going.’ -Danial These guys never had a chance. This thought kept cycling through my mind as I listened to stories of heartbreak and tragedy that brought each man through the doors of […]
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 Trying to get sober without Jesus is like trying to walk through a dark tunnel without a flashlight. You may be able to find your way around, but eventually you will continue to hit another dead-end. Likewise, […]
Our clients come weary. Our guests come hungry. Our neighbors come broken. Guest Services is the front line of the gospel when men enter into our building. We are more than a soup kitchen; we are safe place for our guests to rest and recover from the difficult circumstances and tragedies of life. As I […]
On a bus from New York to Salem, Michael Durrant had no idea that the very first building he laid eyes on would be the very place God would put him to work. Originally from the Virgin Islands, Michael grew up in Brooklyn, but decided to move to Oregon. He has been serving at UGM […]
“I feel like I’ve never succeeded at anything in my life.” Looking back, Deana saw a series of failures that began with her first drink as a teenager. She dropped out of high school. Her marriage ended and she lost custody of her children. She went to jail. And when she tried to deal with […]
