A couple of weeks ago I shared with you Wannida’s story, a mother who was trapped in a desperate situation… Wannida flashed back to her childhood, to what she knew was happening behind closed doors in her family. Just like her mom, she married a man who had begun to violently take his anger out […]
The Potential to Be Someone Great
Today, I have yet another story to share with you about an incredible young woman from our Laurel House program, Lorena, and the impact she is making on her community! Lorena’s Story At age 13, Lorena was kidnapped and raped. The trauma sent her into an unending struggle with alcohol, truancy, and rebellious friends. Depression […]
The Breaking Point; a Rescue Mission Story
I have always had a compassion for widows, the women unexpectedly facing a sometimes insurmountable loss. And yet, even more overwhelmed and broken are the women who choose to leave in order to save themselves and their children, because they are victims of domestic violence. These women, like Wannida, have become the faces […]
Facing Forward Means Leaving Failure Behind: Lacey’s Story
As a father to two girls, one who is still a teenager, the stories from Laurel House tug on my heart in a very personal way. It is heartbreaking to see young lives affected by such pain and turmoil, but it makes the joy of their restoration that much greater. The girls that come through […]
Gina’s Story: Finding Help and Hope Just in Time
I hear a lot of stories of the Rescue Mission providing help just in time. Many people come to us at their rock-bottom, when they have lost all hope and have nowhere else to turn. This was the case for Gina, who arrived just days before giving birth to her daughter. Gina struggled for so […]
Success God’s Way: Jorge’s Story
“As it turns out, God is confounding me by turning all my weaknesses into strengths after letting me turn my strengths into weaknesses.” This quote from Jorge O. Sanchez, our Winter Graduation valedictorian and one of our Tustin Veterans Outpost graduates, struck me as the perfect summary statement of the Christian life! In every Christian’s […]
Winter Graduation 2018: Stories of Hope
It is that joyful time again! That time after our Graduation celebration when I get to share with you the real stories of the formerly homeless people who have lived here at the Rescue Mission. It might be easy to write off the issue of “homelessness” as a nameless, faceless issue that merely requires funding […]
Kory & Alana’s Story:
Several years ago, Kory and Alana walked through our gates, along with their daughter, Kayden. Though they came from a place of such brokenness and pain, it brings me great joy to share their story with you now, in light of how their lives have drastically changed. Today, Kory and Alana are still great friends […]
Sarah’s Story: Freedom from Pain Through Jesus Christ
From a young age, Sarah was plagued by the pain and chaos that filled her life. She became a single mother, but still dealing with her past and unable to provide for her children while also fleeing a violent situation. Orange County Rescue Mission offers a place for single mothers like Sarah to heal from […]
A Voice to the Face: Lindsay Shares Her Story
You may remember Lindsay from another post I shared with you back in June. Recently, Lindsay bravely agreed to share her story with us in a beautiful video, which gives a voice to the words I shared with you earlier this year. I invite you to take a look at the video and hear Lindsay’s […]