Jose enjoys giving haircuts at the Mission’s outreaches.

Before coming to the Mission, Jose recalls being “completely lost and broken,” he shared. “I was submerged with no hope, no vision. I was wandering around with no future. I was drowning in my own misery. It got really bad.”

Growing up, Jose felt alone. With parents who were always working, he often returned to an empty house. “I wanted to be loved by my parents. I wanted to be loved by anyone. When I smoked or drank, I didn’t care about those things. I felt accepted and part of the group.

“But when I think about it, we were just a bunch of broken kids that had no one to look after us, so we gravitated towards each other, to care for each other,” Jose said. “But it really caused us to go further and further into our self-destructive behavior, leading us to the worst moments of our lives, and we thought we were just having fun and partying.”

Addiction took hold at 14 years old and lasted over 20 years. “I crossed all the lines I promised myself I could never cross. I became a man I thought I would never become. I was eating out of trash cans,” he recalled.

Jose lived through overdoses, being shot and stabbed. He lost his family, his dignity, and his sense of self. “Knowing I was a disappointment to my family, to my kids, I felt so ashamed, I couldn’t even look at myself,” he said. “I lived that lifestyle. I have to acknowledge that I’m not free of sin ... but I’m taking accountability now.”

Then came a turning point. “I think God gave me the gift of desperation. I was so desperate for change, I was willing to try anything. My son found me in the streets one day, I was high, and I had an overwhelming feeling of shame.”

Jose came to the Mission. “This is a life-changing experience. It’s a life recovery program. It helps recover who you are, recover your identity, gives hope to the hopeless. It doesn’t only help the individual but creates healthy families and communities.”

Jose is the resident driver, house barber, and loves to participate in the Mission’s outreach events. “It’s been a blessing to help and serve others. I often felt unworthy of anything; I felt like I couldn’t even help myself. To realize I can help others opens up a whole new world. I feel like I can be used by God and contribute to his Kingdom. It’s a blessing to bless others.”

Jose has reconnected with his parents and now speaks with his kids daily. After graduation, he’s planning on going back to school but wants to continue to help others.

Whatever his future holds, Jose is keeping close to God. “My number one goal is to seek the will of God. I want to rely on Him and be His servant, His friend, and His son. God has no limits, and His love has no boundaries.