Dustin

Trapped in violence, addiction, and hopelessness, Dustin had given up on his own life. But God wasn’t finished with his story. At his lowest point, in a jail cell, Dustin finally surrendered, and everything changed...

Dustin’s childhood was promising, with good grades, sports, and a loving family. But as he got older, he fell into a self-destructive lifestyle. “I found my identity and my worth at parties.”

He believed God had a purpose for his life, but he ran from it. “He was calling me, and I looked Him in the face and said, ‘No.’” That decision led him down a dark path.

He became increasingly enslaved to addiction and, tragically, walked away from his wife and son as a result.

“I lost all value for human life, mine or anyone else’s.”

For years, Dustin experienced homelessness, living on the streets. In this vulnerable state, he found himself in violent situations that even resulted in arrests. At one point, he was shot and beaten unconscious. He didn’t think he could make it much longer on the streets.

“I felt like I was dead,” he remembers. But later, as he sat in a jail cell, God met him with grace. Dustin felt the Lord calling him to a different path.

“I started crying, thanking God. For the first time, I was really free. I told Him, ‘I’m 100% Yours.’ And I meant it with my whole heart.”

God opened doors only He could open, and instead of prison, Dustin came to the New Life Recovery for men at The Harbor. “When I arrived, I was scared. But everyone welcomed me. I felt that love immediately.”

Through classes, mentoring, and serving others, Dustin’s heart has been transformed. “Everything I am now is the opposite of who I was. I’m patient, I’m humble, and I’m able to forgive others and myself.”

Now he’s growing in his faith, giving back, and preparing for a career helping others. “I want to work in ministry,” he says. “Whatever I do, I want to spread the gospel through my actions.”

Dustin’s life has been brought from darkness to light because of your prayers and support. “God didn’t just make my old life better, He gave me a completely new one.”

“Through Christ and the Mission, I’m a new creation.”

As we reflect on Cassie's story and achievements, we are reminded of the incredible community that supports and sustains the work we do. People like you!

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