After a life of strained relationships, legal trouble, and constant uncertainty, Harry was simply trying to find a place where life could slow down long enough for him to breathe and regroup.
When he came to Memphis Union Mission, his search for stability quickly became the start of a deeper transformation grounded in faith, accountability, and hope. He received more than a bed and a meal. He found structure, encouragement, and a renewed invitation to reach out to God.
“Here, I could talk to the pastors,” Harry shares. “That’s where I started walking with God again. For a long time, it was just me doing things my way. And my way didn’t work very well.”
Though Harry had some church exposure as a child, faith had not been part of his daily life for decades. That began to change as he entered the Iron-on-Iron program and committed to the routines of work, schedules, and daily devotion.
“It felt strange at first,” he admits. “But I remember being at my lowest and telling God, ‘I can’t do this on my own anymore. Take the wheel.’”
That surrender was an important beginning to Harry’s journey. While at Memphis Union Mission, Harry made the decision to give his life to Christ and was baptized.
“It was the start of a new era for me,” he says. “Now, when I walk out the door each day, I walk in faith. I want to do whatever God has for me that day.”
Today, Harry is focused on rebuilding his life in Memphis and reconnecting with family. He dreams of one day encouraging young people in detention centers and men in prisons to choose a different path before reaching the point he once did.
“This program works because God is in it,” Harry says. “It’s not quick or easy. It’s intense. But it teaches you how to live a different life.”
Harry knows the help he received is not possible without friends like you.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he shares. “Because of you, this place stays open and lives like mine are being changed.”
Harry holds tightly to Romans 10:9:
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
“It really is that simple,” he says. “You just have to believe.”
“This program works because God is in it. It’s not quick or easy. It’s intense. But it teaches you how to live a different life.”
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