Mike and Scott – December 2016

Mike and Scott, Forge students and brothers

If the last time you were in our mission was a year ago you may have met Scott. He was struggling and chronically homeless for several years stemming back to the tragic death of his younger brother, a broken family and the loss of both parents. How did he summarize it? “A lot of neglect and death.” At the same time, Scott admits his poor decisions are what lead him further down the dark road of his own figurative blindness. But if you came back in today, you probably wouldn’t recognize him.

A few months ago, the lights came on. He was impacted by our team’s compassion and saw real opportunity in our Forge long term program. He applied, was accepted and enters phase II in a few weeks. What’s really cool is that his brother saw the change and wanted it, too. Mike recently entered the program following in his brother’s footsteps.

“I am trying to sow seeds that build a strong foundation in Christ, surrounding myself with positive and encouraging people instead of just passing time in non-productive ways. My plans for the future are to end the cycle of poverty that has become my life and to contribute back the generosity that God has shown me.” -Michael

“I’m learning that I can benefit my community through legal living. Most importantly, though, I am aware that every truly valuable thing is given to us by God. My goals are as simple as being out of debt and using my time wisely for God’s will. I’m sure that God’s plans are far greater than mine, and I very much hope for a fun and challenging path with Him.” – Scott