Some burdens are simply too heavy for one person to carry. The loss of a child. A broken family. The crushing weight of guilt and grief. For Kenneth, these burdens led him into years of despair, convinced he would never recover.

But because faithful friends like you make the work of Pacific Garden Mission possible, he found more than a place to heal. He found the mercy of God waiting for him when he needed it most. Every meal, every bed, every Bible study, and every conversation with a counselor becomes part of a story like Kenneth’s. Thank you for making stories of redemption like his possible through your faithful support.

Kenneth Lewis

Searching for Something More

“I grew up in Harvey, Illinois, and started drinking when I was about 12 years old. At first I just wanted to fit in with the other guys, but there were things going on at home that I didn’t know how to deal with. My parents eventually divorced, and even though they loved me and took us to church every Sunday, I felt neglected. I kept all those feelings bottled up inside because I didn’t know how to express them.

“As I got older, my drinking turned into smoking marijuana and eventually cocaine. I was looking for acceptance anywhere I could find it, trying to fill an emptiness inside me.

When My World Fell Apart

“When I was about 20 years old, I finally got serious about recovery. I stayed sober for more than two years. I went back to church, sang in the choir, got married, and started raising my family. Those were some of the happiest years of my life.

“Then my father passed away, and not long after that, my four-year-old son became sick with cancer. He was my namesake. He fought so hard. For a while he got better and came home, but then the cancer came back. When he died at just four years old, my whole world fell apart.

“I never blamed God, but I couldn’t understand why it had happened. I stopped going to church and withdrew from Him. When the trials came, I had nothing left to fight with. I started drinking again, and before long my marriage ended. Losing my son and my family sent me into a very dark place.

The Darkness That Followed

“For years I worked and drank, isolated myself from everyone. The scariest part wasn’t even the alcohol. The scariest part was that I couldn’t feel the presence of God anymore. That frightened me because I knew I needed Him.

“I started searching online for help. I wasn’t looking for another treatment center as much as I was looking to reconnect with Jesus. That’s when I found Pacific Garden Mission. I had never heard of it before, but I saw the cross with the words ‘Jesus Saves,’ and immediately my spirit said, ‘Go.’

A Different Kind of Recovery

“I came to Pacific Garden Mission and did detox. The first week was one of the hardest weeks of my life. The withdrawals were terrible. But I stayed. I prayed. I talked with the counselors. For the first time I became honest about my pain, my guilt, and the things I had been carrying for years.

“Other programs had helped me learn recovery tools, but here I found something I desperately needed. They taught me about Jesus. Every day I read my Bible. Every day I have fellowship with other believers. Every day I’m growing in my relationship with the Lord.

“I’ve learned something that changed my life. God never changed. I changed. He never left me. I left Him. I’m grateful that He gave me another opportunity, and I’m grateful that I listened.”

Kenneth’s story reminds us that the deepest wounds are often the ones no one else can see. Yet God’s mercy reaches even into those places.

Because of your faithful generosity, men and women carrying unbearable grief, addiction, and brokenness are finding healing through the love of Christ at Pacific Garden Mission. Thank you for giving them a place where they can encounter not only help for today, but lasting hope for eternity.