If you could see me now!

If you could see Jeff now, his outside appearance hasn't changed much since he first came to Hope Ministries' Bethel Mission just over a year ago. But often the greatest changes are those we can't see—the transformation of attitude, heart, and soul inspired by a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Today, on the inside, Jeff is a brand new creation—thanks to friends who support this ministry and those we serve with your compassion, gifts and prayers.

Jeff is a diabetic who abused alcohol. He believes if he hadn't come to Hope Ministries when he did, the combination of the two would have killed him. "There were times when I couldn't stand up or walk or anything because my legs were too rubbery," he recalls. Just a couple of drinks would affect him that way because of his disease. Aggravating his diabetes with alcohol also made it nearly impossible for Jeff to function on the job. So he describes his past 10 years of employment as "off and on" or "temporary."

Jeff never had a relationship with God. But at age 51, when he suffered a series of diabetic comas, he became curious. "The first time I went into a coma, the doctor told my parents the only way I'd leave the hospital was to go to a nursing home or a funeral home," Jeff explains. But just four days after coming out of the coma, he left the hospital on his own. Then, he survived three more comas along with several pancreatic attacks.

"That's when I started thinking there's something I'm meant to be doing. Someone's keeping me around for a reason." Jeff turned to Hope Ministries to find out what and why.

As part of the STAR program at our Door of Faith recovery center, Jeff receives counseling and participates in life-skills, personal healthcare, anger management and relapse prevention training. He's given onsite work responsibilities assisting with maintenance, laundry and food service. And through Bible studies, personal prayer and classes like "Experiencing God" and "Fundamentals of Faith," Jeff is building the spiritual foundation he needs to reconcile with God, his loved ones . . . and himself.

Jeff feels the Christian focus of our continuum of care curriculum makes it more successful than other recovery programs he's been in, too, because after completing those he would continue to drink. "I don't think that's going to be a problem now," he says. "I see things from a different view instead of taking them for granted. I appreciate them more than I used to."

Every year, hundreds of people like Jeff find their way to Hope Ministries. They're facing a variety of obstacles to stable and self-sufficient lives, caused by substance abuse or a history of poor decisions and unfortunate circumstances that spiraled out of control.

The support of so many donors allows us to help them leave painful and unproductive pasts behind and, as described in 2 Corinthians 5:17, become new creations in Christ.

Jeff is living proof of this miracle. Today he continues his quest to discover God's purpose for his life.

"After putting it off for 34 years, I got my GED," he shares, proudly. "And (the staff) is encouraging me to take some college classes." Jeff plans to do that after he finishes the practical and spiritual courses in our recovery program. He continues going to church on a regular basis. And he takes every opportunity to share the consequences of his past mistakes with others. "I tell 'em not to do what I did . . . it was really stupid."

And one more thing, Jeff tells us that he is a new man physically, as well! He's stronger now and has learned how to control his diabetes with insulin, and he's committed to staying healthy so he'll be ready to accomplish whatever God has in store!