"I now have confidence in myself and who God made me to be."

Jul 25, 2023

Hi, my name is Dave, and this is my story of the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. I didn’t have an easy childhood. I was violated as a child by people I knew and trusted. I was abused by many people who I thought were my friends. My home life was very disruptive and difficult. I remember hearing my mom and my grandparents fighting for custody of me back and forth in court. I ended up living with my grandparents and my father, however my stepmom really became the supporting figure in my life. She was there when I was sick; she was there when I cried. My dad and I had a very strained relationship. All my life I tried to please him but never could, he always said I was useless and a nobody.

 

It got to the point that I always believed that. I guess that is why I always gave up. I would start something but never finish it through. Deep down I guess I was hurting and ashamed of who I was. This created a deep wound that affected me for a large part of my adult life. In 1990 I got married to my first wife, and we had three children together. In 1994, we went our separate ways, and I sought God for the first time. I asked Jesus to come into my life at Faith Christian Center. A friend took me to church. It took a few visits to church, but I eventually went up and said the sinner’s prayer. I was now a Christian, but I still had a lot of unresolved issues in my life that needed to be dealt with.

 

In 2000, I got married to my second wife. In 2004 she asked for a divorce on my birthday. I did not know where to turn or who to call. Something was wrong. I just didn’t know what. For so long I blamed her, but I now see that I cheated on her not with another woman, but my addiction to pornography. What I thought was only harming me deeply affected all my most cherished relationships. It took me three times to come back to the Providence Rescue Mission to finally realize this and receive my freedom in Christ. It wasn’t until I truly opened my heart to God that he revealed to me a lot of the things I faced in my life were a result of my past and my beliefs about myself. Has it been an easy battle? No, it hasn’t. However, I am learning to let go of my past by God’s grace and mercy. In 2017, I rededicated myself to God. This time I did it from the heart, not only from my mouth. Because of the counseling, classes, and Biblical guidance given to me at the Mission, I started to see a genuine change in myself for the first time. God is truly restoring my life and everything in it! I am now a resident assistant at the Mission, and I have the privilege of leading Bible studies, teaching my own class, and pouring into the men currently in the New Life in Christ men's program.

 

The scripture that I stand on is: “Those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”-Isaiah 40:31. By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, I now have confidence, endurance, patience, and trust in myself and in who God made me to be. Jesus Christ not only saved me but gave me a better chance at life. I would not be here today without The Providence Rescue Mission, Gate Way Pentecostal Fellowship, and Sean Carew. I now know that if you dream big with God all things are possible, Amen!

"I could never have imagined the life that I am living now: 6 years free of addiction and full of hope!"

25 Jul, 2023
Hi, my name is Jennifer, and my story has been anything but what you would consider easy. Growing up, I faced every form of abuse you could possibly imagine. After a lifetime of being violated and hurt, I decided at the age of 17 that I wanted nothing to do with God at all because if He really loved me, He wouldn’t have put me through all that. I was so angry, and I felt like I could handle life better on my own. After getting married and giving birth to my daughter, I became addicted to the pain pills the doctor gave me while recovering from my c-section. This began many years of chaos and turmoil as my life fell into shambles. I completely lost my relationship with my daughter, McKenzie. All the while the unresolved trauma from my past fed my addiction and I felt like I just couldn’t stop. However, I now see that God saw me in my despair. After surviving human trafficking, overdose, and a lifestyle of destruction I found myself in prison. As soon as I was released, I completed another residential recovery program in Rhode Island. There I learned how much God loved me and for the first time found myself staying clean from harmful substances. However, the Lord was still not done working on me, and my journey was only beginning. Eighteen months into my recovery, I suffered a life-altering injury when I shattered my knee in four places. I was in and out of hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabs for months. I felt depression and darkness overcome me as I couldn’t figure out how I could possibly move on from this. It seemed as though God had abandoned me again. It wasn’t until one Sunday at church when someone gave me the name of Marbeth Carew, the Director of the Women’s Program at the Mission, and said they were hiring. The Lord showed me that he had an amazing purpose for me and opened all the doors for me to take on a position in ministry there. Since coming to the Mission in 2019, I have experienced so much growth in every aspect of my life. I have never felt like just another employee on a list. Sean and Marbeth have invested so much time and energy into my spiritual and emotional growth by encouraging me to seek Christian counseling, walking me through the Genesis Process, and pouring truth and wisdom into my life. They have been with me every step of the way, and I cannot even begin to describe how my relationship with my daughter McKenzie has transformed in the past four years. I was given the space and time to prioritize the restoration of our mother daughter relationship. The Mission has 100% made it possible for that to happen. We now see each other often, talk every single day, and the relationship that we have now feels as though we never lost those years due to my addiction. She now tells me that she looks up to me! Wow! I never thought I would hear her say that. I am so thankful to my leadership for giving me hard truths, lessons, and knowledge to navigate these new phases in my life. I have so much love for Sean, Marbeth, and the Mission. I truly believe that the Lord led me here in a time of deep darkness. I now work as the Development Coordinator at the Mission, overseeing fundraising and planning events. God has provided the means for me to have my own apartment and my own car, something that I never thought would be attainable for me. I could never have imagined this life that I am living now: six years free of addiction, full of hope, and having a true, genuine relationship with my daughter. I want to thank all of you who donate to the Mission to make stories like mine possible. I feel so grateful and blessed! Thank you!

"The Mission has been such a blessing to me and my family!"

10 Apr, 2023
My name is Kelsey, and I am so blessed to be able to share my story with you. I am a graduate of another recovery program in Rhode Island. When I graduated from that facility, I thought I had dealt with all my past issues and trauma. I soon realized that there was some more struggles I must work through. I became pregnant soon after leaving the program, and I didn’t know where to turn. I had spent a lifetime in dysfunctional and abusive relationships, it was all I knew. Thankfully, God gave me my now fiancé Darnell, who taught me what a healthy relationship can be. After I gave birth to my son, I lost my father in a tragic accident. I was deeply struggling with postpartum depression and didn’t know how to cope with the loss of my dad. While I stayed clean from my previous drugs of choice, I didn’t know how to go on with my life and turned to alcohol. When my children were removed from my care as a result of my drinking, I knew I had to get my life under control. I got sober and turned to my church for support. However, I still lacked the financial resources to fully provide for my children. I regained custody of my kids in December of 2022. I was so excited, but I didn’t have the means to provide Christmas for them. The Mission gave me everything I needed to give my family a great holiday. The best part for me was, that my kids didn’t know any of their gifts came from the Mission, they just knew that Santa came! The Mission has been such a blessing to me and my family. They have provided food and clothing during many times when it was simply hard to make ends meet. To have somewhere to turn when I was at a very low point in my life was honestly a gift from God. To everyone who donates to the Mission, I want to thank you for making a way to help people who are struggling. In a time when everyone is having to make tough financial choices, you are still choosing to help others and I am so grateful. Thank you!
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