“The Mission gave me a place to trust God.” André – like a lot of teenagers – began using drugs early in life. As an adult, however, his destructive habits landed him in prison. When he was released, he experienced a season of sobriety. But when his marriage fell apart, so did André. “I felt depressed, abandoned, and alone,” he says. He turned to what was familiar to deal with the pain, but the drugs [...]

“I’ve been running for way too long.” Markita grew up in a Christian home; her mother was a minister. But after being sexually assaulted in high school, she lost sight of God – and suppressed her feelings of anguish and shame. She moved on with her life, earning two college degrees and starting a family. But when her 14-year marriage began to crumble, the distress of her past came rushing back, and she turned to [...]

“God wants me to start over, and I’m willing.” Sarah started experimenting with drugs at age 19, because her peers exhibited a confidence she longed for. “I lost my self-esteem and was drawn to people who were using,” she says. Sadly, her misguided choices destroyed what she loved most and filled her heart with guilt and shame. She dropped out of college and began waitressing to support her addiction. Soon she met a man whose [...]

“I didn’t want nobody telling me nothing about God.” Angel blamed God for his little boy’s death. The baby was only 15 days old when he passed away, shattering Angel’s dream of raising a son. After that tragic loss, “I didn’t want nobody telling me nothing about God,” he says. Longing to leave his grief behind, he came to Bridgeport to build a new life. But his sorrow only followed. He began drinking to numb [...]