Were You the One Who . . .

". . . gave me something to drink"
Jeremy* came into our Bethel Mission facility thirsting for alcohol. Then he joined our Journey of Hope recovery program and stayed sober for several months before relapsing a week before graduation.

Today, Jeremy has returned to our program, and says, "Now I know it's all about Jesus, not what I can handle or do. It's not about will power, it's about God's power. It's God I am thirsty for now."


". . . gave me something to eat"
Kent* was exhausted and hungry after hitchhiking to Hope Ministries. “He was a big guy, but you could tell he was famished,” recalls Jeff Scott, the staff member who attended to him that night.

For the next few weeks, Kent ate his fill in our Hope Café, then at chapel one night, he accepted the Bread of Life, too! "He shined while he was here, helping everywhere he could," Jeff says. "He left with gratitude for the way he was fed spiritually and physically." Today, Kent lives in a veteran's home, but still calls each week to say hi.


". . . clothed me"
The homeless man from Sudan came through our doors with literally nothing but the clothing on his back. Though he was too frightened to ask for help, our staff outfitted him with everything he needed. Soon he joined Journey of Hope, our long-term recovery program.

"Today, if you see him, he is dressed very well!" enthuses a Hope Ministries staff member. "He is a big help here, and works almost every day to earn money. He goes to chapel and talks a lot with our case managers. The men have taken him under their wings, and he is very thankful."


". . . invited me in"
A church in Salisbury, Maryland, paid Greg Sawyer's way to Hope Ministries on Labor Day weekend. He'd tried several rehabs along the eastern seaboard, but none with a Christian emphasis, and he'd relapsed again and again.

"The staff here at Hope Ministries treated me like a person. They didn't look down on me, so I was able to open up. You can feel the love and trust when you first come in the door," Greg, pictured right, says.

Once depressed, sick and suicidal, Greg appreciates Hope Ministries and the donors who give so generously. "Words can't describe," he says. "I have peace in my life now, I'm accepting what I can't change and I have a better relationship with my family. I have a lot of love in my heart."


". . . looked after me"
"Please, I need help before something happens!" Robert Williams told the man at the desk at our Bethel Mission facility. After weeks of sobriety, Robert knew he was headed for a relapse.

"I was thirsty, sick and hungry. I’d hurt my family tremendously. Hope Ministries helped me and led me the right way,” Robert says. Currently in our Journey of Hope recovery program, Robert has reunited with his sister and had his first family Thanksgiving in years! "She says she sees a new Robert," he says gratefully.

"God saved me—freed me from drugs and alcohol. Here at Hope Ministries you get your life back and it's free, no charge! Now I tell people, if you ask God, He will forgive you."