Paul’s Success Story

Reconnecting with Family and Leaving the Streets Behind

I was born in Ogden, Utah, and after all these years, I’ve found myself right back where I started—but not the same man I used to be. Life took me all over the place. I served in the Air Force, got reactivated after September 11, and spent time stateside and abroad. I’ve seen some hard things, things that stick with you. But no matter where I went—Los Angeles, Vegas, Texas—I kept seeing those old “Jesus Saves” signs in the rougher parts of town. They were like little reminders from the Lord, nudging me, saying, “I’m still here.”

About a year ago, I felt that nudge stronger than ever. I was 60 years old, and something in me said it was time to come home. My mother was getting older, and I knew I needed to be close. I was close to broke, so I packed up and bought a ticket back to Ogden, hoping to reconnect with family and maybe find a place to settle down. But when I got here, the homes I remembered were empty. My dad had passed, my sisters were married and moved on, and my older brother had started his own life. I felt like a stranger in my own hometown.

I didn’t have a place to stay, and I didn’t know where to turn. I was just as much on the streets as anyone else. In the past I had struggled with drinking too much, but I thought I was past all that. Still, alone and with nowhere to go I felt desperate and didn’t want to turn back to past dependencies. I was looking for something temporary, saw that familiar “Jesus Saves” sign and walked into the Ogden Rescue Mission. That decision changed everything.

I’d seen that “Jesus Saves” sign in so many cities before, but this time it hit different. It was like God was saying, “This is your stopover. This is where you start again.” I checked in and began the New Life Program, and from that moment on, it was one success point after another.

The Bible studies and Genesis Process classes helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect. I started discovering things about myself—character traits and patterns I thought were normal but may have been holding me back. One lesson hit me hard. I felt like it was written about someone I knew. It helped me understand a past relationship that had always been strained. That kind of insight was a blessing.

Work therapy was another turning point. I started serving food at night and washing dishes in the morning. It might not sound glamorous, but it gave me purpose. I was able to bless people with a hot meal and then clean up after the next day. It was fun, and it reminded me that even small acts of service matter. People still ask me when I’m going to get back up and share my testimony again in chapel. That means something to me.

Through the Mission, I became connected with a local church—more social, more family-oriented—and I started building real relationships again. I tracked down my mother, who’s now in her 90s and physically struggling. She’s been the guiding force in my life, and I thank the Lord that He allowed us to meet again. I found my siblings, met nieces and nephews I didn’t even know I had, and also learned that some of my closest relatives had passed on. That was hard, but it reminded me how precious time is.

I’ve seen a lot in my life—riots, war, loss—but I’ve also seen the hand of God move in powerful ways. There is a God. There is an afterlife. There is a purpose to life. And I know now that Jesus is faithful to complete what He starts. The Mission gave me a stable footing in my hometown, and Jesus gave me the strength to stand.

Now I’m in the employment phase of the program. I have a good job at a medical supply company and I’m saving up to move into my own apartment once I graduate. I’m just waiting on confirmation for the move-in fees, and then I’ll be set. I’ve got a base of support, a spiritual foundation, and a good relationship with the Lord.

Had the Mission not been there, I don’t know where I’d be. I might’ve gotten back on the train and headed somewhere else, just drifting again. But that “Jesus Saves” sign—it was a beacon of hope. It anchored me. And now I can help others who are wondering if they should stay in the program, wondering if it’s worth it. I tell them, “Stick it out. Any hesitancy is just a passing moment. You’ll overcome it.”

I thank God for the Ogden Rescue Mission. I thank God that He never gave up on me. And I thank God for you, the faithful supporters of the Ogden Rescue Mission. Without you I don’t know where I’d be.