Healing the whole person
At the age of 11, Carl started using drugs and alcohol to cope with severe childhood abuse and trauma. Later, his drug use escalated when he got a job with a travelling carnival based out of Winnipeg. Working nearly 20 hours a day, getting 3 hours of sleep a night, Carl relied on drugs just to stay awake for his shifts. “After a few years on the job”, he shares, “the hours were getting to me so I increased the drug use, snorting more coke, smoking more crack – all day, every day. It was a blur for 5 years. I lost control of everything.”
In 2000, a friend asked Carl to help him move from Winnipeg to Vancouver. While the trip was meant to be only a week long, Carl was struck by the beauty of the coast and decided to stay. After a few days living out of hotels in the Downtown Eastside, Carl was also struck by the harsh violence present on the streets of Vancouver. He and his friend scouted out places for free meals in the neighborhood and quickly decided that Union Gospel Mission had the best food.
Drawn back repeatedly for the great meals, Carl was also touched by the ever-present love and attention from Outreach Workers. “They shook my hand, asked my name, and asked how I was doing. They had genuine concern and they cared about me. That’s why I kept coming here.”
"God gives us grace, mercy and love and he wants us to give it to everybody else."
Photo: Carl
Over time Carl developed a trusting relationship with UGM’s staff and
volunteers. Feeling uplifted and inspired within this supportive
community, Carl decided to join UGM’s Alcohol & Drug Recovery
Program. While working through the program, Carl experienced a major
transformation in his perspective. He realized that, while his life had
been filled with darkness and strife, he had a very special gift to
share: The gift of encouragement. “The more sober I became and the more
clear headed I was thinking, I noticed that if you’re happy and you’re
positive, you encourage people, it spreads it around and everybody gets
it. I also noticed that ever since I’ve come back to God, the more I
give away the more He gives me.”
Today, Carl is nearly 2 years clean and sober and is employed at UGM in shipping & receiving. Carl reflects on his transformation, “For me, it all started with a meal and, thanks to the support of donors, my life today is positive and upbeat.”
Carl is a real blessing to those he meets and it is truly evident that he is committed to following God’s lead, serving however he can. And Carl wanted to pass on this inspiring message to readers, donors, and to everybody else...
“The Bible teaches us to give back, to love your brothers and sisters, and that’s what we’re supposed to do. We have to take care of one another. That is what God wants for us.”
