William grew up in Allentown with a loving family, who encouraged him when he decided to join the Army at just 18. While he was deployed in Vietnam, he prayed for safety. “I prayed day and night,” he says, “asking, ‘God, are you going to bring me home from this?’”
When William returned home after 14 months, he embraced his family and praised God for his protection.Throughout his adulthood, he worked hard to take care of his family. When his mother passed away, he was grief-stricken. “I was very close to my mom… her death tore me apart.” Sixty-five at the time, and living on social security, William couldn’t keep up with the payments on the home they shared,and it was foreclosed.
“I went to the Allentown Police Department and they checked me out and told me about the Mission.” “The Mission helps in a lot of ways,” William says. “You get a bed. You get clothing and meals. Where else could yougo and find that kind of help?”
The structure at the Mission reminds William of his time in the military. “They’re very thorough here in their rules and I like that. If you’re here to get help, they’ll give it to you.”
William not only received help, but also enjoyed building his relationship with God. Through our faith-based programs, he began to heal from his loss and trust God’s plan for his life.
“The programs have taught me to put my problems in God’s hands. He always comes through for me. He’ll give me the right direction.” One of the “directions” William is looking for is how to become more involved with the Mission, even after he finds his own place to live. “When somebody has helped you, you don’t just pick up and run,” he says.
Because of your generous support, men like William are facing their challenges and being transformed by God’s love here at the Mission. “I’m listening to God.
Sometimes God’s answers are obvious, but other times, He wants you to figure it out for yourself.”
