Jonathan’s Success Story

My name is Jonathan Miller and as a young teenager I fell in love with rodeo. As a youth my family and I met some cowboy friends who were into bull riding. One of them paid for my first ride. From that moment I was hooked. By the time I was 14 I was PRCA certified and I thought I was going to go pro. Bull riding was all I wanted to do.

At 19 my dream came crashing down. I was riding a bull when I got hung up. My body fell off the bull, but my hand was still tied in the rope and the bull kept bucking. I was dragged and slammed around until my shoulder was torn out of the socket. My tailbone and collar bone were also broken, and I was in terrible pain. Back then the opioid epidemic had not yet changed the way doctors prescribed pain medication. They put me on heavy opiates right away and I was hooked from the start.

At first the pills helped with the pain, but eventually even the strongest ones stopped working. When I ran out of my prescriptions, I got sick. No one warned me what withdrawal would feel like. A friend, seeing me in anguish, told me he could make me feel better. He gave me my first shot of heroin and instantly I felt relief. It was cheaper than prescriptions and it worked. That was the beginning of a long spiral. Eventually I started using fentanyl too. My addiction consumed me.

Drugs alienated me from my family. I committed crimes  to get money for more drugs and was sent to prison. I was released in 2023, but I struggled and became homeless. I bounced around, sometimes staying in wooded areas without shelter. I did not feel welcome at home and my parents were not on board with me coming back.

One turning point came when I sought help through a medical clinic at Ogden Regional Hospital. While there I met Rebeca, the wife of the pastor of the Ogden Rescue Mission. She told me about the Mission and introduced me to Greg, her husband. They encouraged me to go to the Mission when I was released from the medical facility. I wanted to get off the streets, so I listened.

When I arrived at the Ogden Rescue Mission I joined the New Life Program. For the first time I had seven months to focus on my life issues in a faith-based environment. I worked through the life education curriculum with the staff. I attended Bible studies, read God’s word, and prayed. I stopped leaning on my own understanding and asked God for help. That made all the difference.

The Genesis process at the Mission helped me reclaim my relationship with God. I made good friends and found a safe place to live. Having a bed, a shower, and meals gave me stability. I know that if I had been homeless, instead of having a safe and secure place to live, I would not have been able to find stability.

Now I have graduated to the employment phase of the New Life Program. I have a job as a dock helper, loading and unloading for the business where I work. While it is not my ultimate job, I am grateful to be employed and earning a living. Because of my past incarceration it has been hard to find work in the field I spent most of my life in, which is installing and placing low-voltage cable. I realize I may never be able to go back to that line of work and God has given me peace about that. I am moving forward with the work God has set before me. Recently, I became a certified forklift operator and am considering my commercial driver’s license through an occupational program.

One of the biggest changes in my life can be seen in my family relationships. God has helped me rebuild my connection with my parents. The disappointment they used to feel is gone. My youngest sister has two young boys, my nephews, and she told me she wants me to be part of their lives. That prospect has given me even more motivation.

I have never had the success I am experiencing now and hope to complete probation in a few months. By working I have money saved and I am looking for a place to live when I move out of the Mission in the next couple of months. I am cautious because I do not want to end up in a bad environment and move faster than God wants me to.

Looking back, I see how far I have come. From a young bull rider with dreams of going pro, to a man broken by addiction and homelessness, to someone who has found hope again. I look forward to continuing building a life off the streets.

I know I could not have done this on my own. It was only when I asked God for help that things began to change. The Ogden Rescue Mission gave me a place to heal, and God gave me the strength. Today I am grateful for every step forward. Thank you so much for your support. It has meant so much to me and my family.