The men and women coming to Memphis Union Mission are often gifted with a new beginning. In Chris’s case, he was gifted twice.
The first time Chris graduated from the recovery program at the Memphis Union Mission was in 2017. He was sure he had put his addiction behind him. Even so, he patiently took his time, staying in our Wright Transitional House as a resident assistant before moving into a house with several other program graduates. But sadly, Chris relapsed and found himself in the same state he was before coming to the Mission: spiritually broken.
When he returned to the Mission in 2018, Chris realized exactly where he had gone wrong. “I hadn’t plugged into a church,” he admits. “That was a big problem. I fell away. I had no accountability or encouragement, no one spurring me on.”
Chris knew he had to get his priorities straight: faith first, then family and finances.
“This time around, it’s been amazing! I laid foundations in a church, meeting people and creating relationships. I worship the Lord every Sunday. I’m on the praise team and in a community group that meets every Thursday. I found the family and friendships I never really had.”
Since rooting himself in a church, Chris has seen the broken pieces of his life come together and mend. He now has a strong bond with his 11-year-old daughter, who lives with her grandparents in Florida. “I only see her a couple times a year, but we talk all the time. She has an interest in faith. We study the Bible together, and I put her in a Baptist Christian school. She’s doing awesome.”
Chris is again serving as a resident assistant, and also works full time at a local family-run carpet store, making custom rugs. He has taken care of his debts and is saving money, hoping to move closer to his daughter and his parents.
Confident and stable, Chris tells us he’s ready for whatever God has in store for him. “There’s only one rock, and that’s the foundation built on Jesus Christ,” he says. “He is the same yesterday, now and forever. I never had that before I came to the Mission.” Your investment paid off … the second time!
Grateful for your support, Chris tells you, “You’re investing in people. You can see the fruits of your donations in the faces of the men here. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.”