“Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.” ~John 13:34-35
Debbie was homeless, addicted to Meth, and hopeless. Now, she’s clean, saving money for a new apartment, and overflowing with hope. It’s all because she walked through the doors of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, a place where the words of the Bible are lived out daily.
Inside the Mission, Debbie learned she was loved. She met Jesus followers who demonstrated His unconditional love and treated her with dignity. Debbie began to blossom in the knowledge that she was made in the image of God and precious to Him. Now, she works behind the front desk, offering the hope she found to others who are embarking on their own journeys.
This is the story Debbie tells new guests who come to the Mission in an effort to start their lives over from scratch:
“I found Jesus. I am a child of God and He’s walking with me now,” Debbie said. “I can overcome anything with God who strengthens me. I’ve come so far.”
When Debbie arrived at the Mission on the heels of a 20 year battle with Meth, her urgent, physical needs were immediately addressed. Once those things were taken care of, the team began to help Debbie think through the root causes of her condition. Then, Debbie was equipped with a plan that took her from surviving to thriving.
United Gospel Mission strives to break the cycle of homelessness and build up the people God has given them to care for. This goal is accomplished by establishing relationships with their guests and through long-term recovery programs that foster stability and spiritual growth.
“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” ~ Mark 16:15
The Union Gospel Mission team is living out this verse every morning, afternoon, and evening right here in the Emerald City. Debbie walked into the Mission, as many people do. But so many others aren’t prepared to take that step, or they aren’t aware that help and hope are available for the asking. That’s why the Mission sends out vans filled with supplies to minister to our homeless neighbors in Seattle. Yes, people are behind the wheel of each vehicle, but it is the love of God that drives them to hand out blankets, food, water, and care to God’s children living freezing and frightened in tents and alleys all across our city. The blankets they receive warm their bodies. The love of Christ warms and thaws their hearts, frozen over by drug use, loneliness, and lack of love.
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” ~2Corinthians 5:17
Spring is upon us here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Knobby bulbs that were planted in the cold, hard ground last autumn will soon pop up as something new. Soon we will see brightly colored tulips, triumphant over winter’s hardships. This is a picture of the work of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission.
365 days a year, 24/7, the team at Union Gospel Mission is committed to planting the seeds of God’s unfailing love in the hearts of people hardened by the many cares of this life. There are so many “Debbies” ready to embrace the hope of a new life… to bloom in every season to come. Consider being part of this rewarding and transformative work. To learn more, volunteer, or donate, visit www.UGM.org today.
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