LifeChange graduates
On Saturday, January 28, Union Gospel Mission gathered to honor four graduates of the LifeChange addiction recovery community. Our graduates, Chance, Linda, Kim and Leah (pictured) spent four years learning not only to overcome their addictions, but also to transform their lives and heal from past hurts. All of the graduates endured trauma from past abuse, bouts of homelessness, and self-destructive addiction. Each graduate worked very hard at their recovery and discovering the new person they could become.
At the graduation celebration it was evident that not only the graduates had experienced healing, but their families had as well. The parents of the graduates had restored relationships with their adult children. Leah’s children, ranging in age from mid-20s to age 12, sat at the table with Leah, proud of their mother’s accomplishment. Linda’s adult daughter traveled across the country to attend Linda’s graduation.
It was truly a heartwarming evening to see how far these graduates had come!
Heartfelt congratulations to you all. If anyone ever thinks what you have committed to (and completed) is easy – they know ‘nothing’. You have changed your lives, committed them to the Father, put your faith and trust in someone beyond your own comprehension. And, you did it…faithfully, with trust and support that I have never seen anywhere before or until ‘Union Gospel Mission’. God Bless you all as you begin your new lives, free from addiction, free from fear, and blessed with support from all those who know and always will love you and support you now and forever…always. You did it! You changed your lives, and it was soooo worth it! God’s Blessings to you today, always and forever!!!! My dearest sweet son (Michael Wilson) was so blessed to be given the opportunity to be a part of your wonderful program. I honestly feared that I would have been attending his burial now rather than extending congratulations to the other strong,outstanding people he has been so fortunate to share his last few months with. Congratulations Graduates (once again, you ‘need to be so proud of yourselves’), thank you, from the deepest, bottom of my entire heart – for being there to support my son and help him see clearly that he will soon attend his own ‘graduation’ from the addiction, pain, destruction and turmoil that would have remained his future without your organziation and it’s wonderful staff and residents’ support.
I can’t say enough….God Bless You All – Each and Every Day.