Lonnie - April 2015

​Lonnie - former guest in bed #4

​It was only last February he was walking the highway toward Joplin, broke, homeless and struggling with a meth addiction. Those who sped by him might have wondered if anything good could come of his life. He wondered the same. Lonnie would admit the last 2 months at the mission have changed his life. Here are a few of his words:

“I believe God lead me here so that I might be able to learn better ways on how to live making healthier choices… Watered Gardens has helped me very much. I have a great daily routine. Regularly I get up and look forward to what the day has in store for me…. I have become aware of how awesome it is to be involved in the church. Here it’s really amazing how you can trust people you are around… it is reassuring to always be able to turn to someone who always is concerned and accepting, loving and more than I can convey.”

Lonnie is working every day saving his money toward an apartment. He came and asked some questions about his food stamp card. When he learned other working people paid for his food stamps and spend more than 2.5 million in our county every month on the SNAP program, he said, “Take it. I don’t want it anymore.” We nailed it up with the others on our “wall of heroes,” a collection of welfare cards turned in by those who have taken a step of faith toward self-reliance.