Homeless to Wholeness

Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

Finding Hope and Healing Long before the pandemic, in the mid to late 2010s, there was a significant issue with the overprescription of painkillers by medical professionals. Nationwide, doctors were criminally charged for prescribing dangerous amounts of opioids like OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet, and Dilaudid. The actions of a few doctors had significant implications, contributing to the opioid crisis and impacting many lives in Tucson, Arizona, and beyond. And, for Kelsey, it destroyed her life. Kelsey is a Tucson native whose life took a dramatic turn due to her opioid addiction. Kelsey openly shares her struggles, from the traumatic experiences with her abusive father to her battle with drug dependency that started with prescribed painkillers. Her journey into addiction led her away from her family and into a life of isolation and legal troubles. But her story doesn't end there. In this Christmas episode, Kelsey talks about the peace and joy she found in her newfound faith in Christ and how Gospel Rescue Mission's approach to recovery helped her overcome her addictions. Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

This episode shares the story of Mary, a woman who struggled with addiction for over 40 years. Mary struggled to fit in. She turned to drugs at a young age to find acceptance and escape. High school was a blur of drugs, parties, and broken relationships. Mary's addiction persisted despite several attempts to get clean as an adult. After losing custody of her children and struggling with feelings of abandonment and despair, she spiraled further into addiction. Even witnessing the tragic murder of her fiancee wasn't enough to break her self-destruction cycle. Mary found herself homeless and seeking shelter in tunnels. Not living, but surviving. In 2019, Mary cried out to God for help. This plea marked a turning point in her life. Mary recounts her journey of finding help and support, starting with her arrest and subsequent stay in jail. It was there that she got baptized and experienced a profound transformation. Through her experiences, Mary shares the significance of finding a relationship with Jesus Christ and the transformative impact He had on her life. Join Mary as she reflects on her three years of sobriety and the hope and redemption she has found. This inspiring story showcases the resilience of the human spirit and the possibility of finding a way out of the darkest tunnels. Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

As a child, Phil was deprived of the stability every kid deserves; instead, he experienced neglect and physical and mental abuse. Adding to this instability was his family’s excessive use of alcohol. When he left home and started a family, his occasional drinking and marijuana use was recreational—that is, until his wife miscarried twins. The tragedy destroyed his life. And his marriage. Phil escaped into drugs—pot, cocaine, crack—he didn’t care, and his drug use continued for over 15 years. On that fate-filled day back in 2008, Gospel Rescue Mission was there to help Phil find a safe and supportive environment where he could overcome his addiction. He found genuine love and support from the other guests, staff, and volunteers and was given the tools and principles he needed to recover. Phil also reconnected with Jesus while at GRM and learned that God has a plan for his life. Phil’s life was so transformed that he dedicated the rest of his life to serving those struggling with hunger and hardship in Tucson. Phil’s story is one of hope and inspiration. GRM changed the trajectory of his life. Phil has now been sober for 13 years! Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

David had spent the last 15 years in addiction, slowly spiraling down to rock bottom. Alcoholism cost him everything—his home, his job, and relationship with his daughter. Last November, David’s brother drove him to Gospel Rescue Mission after being exited from yet another recovery program. He didn’t know it then, but he was heading to the 2021 Thanksgiving Blessings to Go event. “This place saved my life. They care about what happens to you—it’s not just a job for them. You won’t find a place like Gospel Rescue Mission, and that’s a fact! Where you can find a relationship with God, get yourself right, and have all the resources they have here.” Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

A rebel at heart, Briana battled depression as a teenager, and she ran away from home several times and then stayed at a teen mom group home but lost her spot while giving birth to her twins. Briana's spiritual mentor fostered her until she was eighteen. And, for a few years, Briana lived a good life. She got a job, a place, and a car; and raised her kids. Yet, something was still missing, and she sought to fill that void. Briana hung out with friends on weekends at first. The addictions slowly snuck up on her. Before she realized what was happening, she totaled her car, got fired, and her grandmother took custody of her kids. Then she got sick with a heart infection, and the doctors gave her little hope. But somehow, she pulled through. She got a second chance at life—yet that wasn't enough for her to get clean—she was too lost in her addiction. Before long, Briana started getting in trouble and found herself in jail; her probation officer recommended Gospel Rescue Mission when she was released. At first, she was just trying to get through her first thirty days, but then the Holy Spirit performed a work in her life. Listen to her story of transformation as she talks to us about her struggles in addiction and the new life she has found. Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

We all know someone who has been affected by addiction. And this National Recovery Month, we are speaking to a former board member to answer one of the most challenging questions we hear at Gospel Rescue Mission, "What can I do if someone I love is lost in their addiction?" Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

ROBERT, PART II of II In the Summer of 1988, Robert was released from county jail only to discover that he had just lost everything. His wife was missing, rumors were circulating of her murder, their kids were in DCS custody, and he was homeless. Robert dealt with the loss the only way he knew how, with methamphetamine. For decades, he was lost in his addiction. In 2018, Robert went into a 30-day rehab program to detox. Then he found a solid church and became friends with another person in that congregation, Rick Davis. For a time, Robert did well, growing in his relationship with a personal Lord and Savior, yet he still struggled with his addictions. Robert relapsed. Yet, God wasn't going to let Robert go. "It's divine providence," he explained, "God knows us. He knows how to capture our attention and speak to our hearts." One day, Robert walked to a convenience store and did a double take when he saw the strangest truck he had ever seen. "I told myself I've gonna see who's driving this thing because I want to ask him what this is." As it turned out, the driver was Rick Davis. They embraced like old friends. Rick looked at Robert, met his eyes, and said, "I'm at Gospel Rescue Mission, and I don't care what you have been up to, but you need to come and see me." Robert has been clean and sober for over six months; he is healing from his past traumas (including the trauma of losing his wife) and growing in faith daily. Listen to Robert's powerful story of redemption in this two-part episode. IRENE MELANIE MAY On May 23, 1995, Kerry Lyn Dalton was sentenced to life in prison for the murder and torture of 23-year-old Irene Melanie May. In the Summer of 1988, Irene was staying with Kerry before she went missing. And, for a long time, information was not forthcoming. As Robert had said, his's wife's case went cold. Yet, the people who came forward described the torture which Irene May endured before she was killed. She was tied to a chair, injected with syringes filled with battery acid, beaten with a cast iron frying pan until the handle broke, electrocuted, hit with a breaker bar, and repeatedly stabbed with a knife and screwdriver before she was killed. The evidence against Kerry Lyn Dalton for her involvement in the murder was circumstantial. However, it was very strong circumstantial evidence, enough to convince a jury. Many people believed that she was innocent. Yet, Robert has no doubts. Nor does his daughter. You can read Jillian's letter at https://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/dalton-kerry.htm Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

ROBERT, PART I of II In the Summer of 1988, Robert was released from county jail only to discover that he had just lost everything. His wife was missing, rumors were circulating of her murder, their kids were in DCS custody, and he was homeless. Robert dealt with the loss the only way he knew how, with methamphetamine. For decades, he was lost in his addiction. In 2018, Robert went into a 30-day rehab program to detox. Then he found a solid church and became friends with another person in that congregation, Rick Davis. For a time, Robert did well, growing in his relationship with a personal Lord and Savior, yet he still struggled with his addictions. Robert relapsed. Yet, God wasn't going to let Robert go. "It's divine providence," he explained, "God knows us. He knows how to capture our attention and speak to our hearts." One day, Robert walked to a convenience store and did a double take when he saw the strangest truck he had ever seen. "I told myself I've gonna see who's driving this thing because I want to ask him what this is." As it turned out, the driver was Rick Davis. They embraced like old friends. Rick looked at Robert, met his eyes, and said, "I'm at Gospel Rescue Mission, and I don't care what you have been up to, but you need to come and see me." Robert has been clean and sober for over six months; he is healing from his past traumas (including the trauma of losing his wife) and growing in faith daily. Listen to Robert's powerful story of redemption in this two-part episode. IRENE MELANIE MAY On May 23, 1995, Kerry Lyn Dalton was sentenced to life in prison for the murder and torture of 23-year-old Irene Melanie May. In the Summer of 1988, Irene was staying with Kerry before she went missing. And, for a long time, information was not forthcoming. As Robert had said, his's wife's case went cold. Yet, the people who came forward described the torture which Irene May endured before she was killed. She was tied to a chair, injected with syringes filled with battery acid, beaten with a cast iron frying pan until the handle broke, electrocuted, hit with a breaker bar, and repeatedly stabbed with a knife and screwdriver before she was killed. The evidence against Kerry Lyn Dalton for her involvement in the murder was circumstantial. However, it was very strong circumstantial evidence, enough to convince a jury. Many people believed that she was innocent. Yet, Robert has no doubts. Nor does his daughter. You can read Jillian's letter at https://murderpedia.org/female.D/d/dalton-kerry.htm Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

A graduate of Gospel Rescue Mission's Recovery Program, Ariah has been clean and sober for over four years! Hear her story of transformation as she has completely turned her life around after learning how to love and committing her life to Christ. Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

When she opened her eyes for the first time, the sun cast its rays through the crystals hanging in the windows, shattering the dawn's light into a spectrum of colors, filling the cabin of her parent's traveling band bus with countless rainbows. Rainbow Crystal Dawn has a compelling life story. One filled with redwood trees, tragedy, death, and drugs. Yet, God had a plan for her life. Listen in as Rainbow shares her incredible testimony and talks about how the Holy Spirit healed her brokenness, transformed her life, revealed His purpose, and filled her with His light. And love. Trigger warning: this episode discusses alcohol, drug addiction with marijuana, LSD, meth, and heroin, and an incident involving date rape. If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at www.GRMTucson.com. Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com

We have two exceptional guests in our second episode, Larry Munguia and Alyssa Giroux. Together, they tell the story of their passion for ending homelessness and sharing the love of Christ. Years ago, Larry had traded everything for a life of drugs—his wife, daughters, home, and health—yet that was not the end of his story. His life was utterly changed in one single moment. On May 2, 1997, Larry asked Jesus to come into his life and take over. By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was transformed, and all of his relationships were restored. Then he went back to school, became a pastor, and was given a heart for helping others find recovery. And today, his eldest daughter is following in his footsteps. Pastor Larry is the lead pastor of The SOBER Project and the voice of the Construction Zone radio program, heard each Saturday at 2 p.m. on KGMS radio. His daughter, Alyssa, is the Children Services Manager at Gospel Rescue Mission. Growing up, Alyssa had witnessed her father's transformation. She knows firsthand how the Holy Spirit can transform a family, which is why she is so passionate about helping children and their parents find healing and restoration at Gospel Rescue Mission. Trigger warning: this episode discusses drug addiction involving cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at www.GRMTucson.com Support the show If you would like to support our ministry or you know someone who needs help in the Tucson area, please visit us online at GRMTucson.com