Dad's Last Wish - Denver Rescue Mission

This is the story of two men — a father and a son — who share more than just their name. Fifteen years apart, both found themselves in the Mission’s New Life Program, each finding the hope that saved their lives.

The Father’s Story

Charles’ journey began with abuse he endured as a child, leading him to use drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism for most of his life. His ex-wife also struggled with drug abuse, and the instability of their relationship led Charles to raise his son (also named Charles) mainly by himself.

Years later, both father and son were struggling with addiction and living amidst instability and broken relationships. When it became too much for Charles to keep living with his son, he went to Denver Rescue Mission.

“Ever since that first night I came to the Mission, things started going right for me,” Charles stated in the Mission’s January 2011 Changing Lives newsletter, where his story was featured.

The main thing to change in his life: Charles went from being an atheist to becoming a Christian. “Things I wasn’t too hot about, like going to Bible study and church, became things I enjoyed. I was surprised how much my thinking changed,” he said in 2011.

Charles graduated from the New Life Program in 2010, received a vehicle through the Mission’s vehicle donation program and moved into an apartment, where he remained for the following five years.

His son remembers that time, sharing, “My dad graduated from the program, and I was homeless in another state. He had stable housing and a job. So, I moved in with him, but made a bunch of mistakes, started going to jail and stuff. One day he was sick, and he had heart surgery. I didn’t keep up on the bills and when he came back out of the hospital, he found out he had cancer, and we lost the apartment. He was doing well, taking care of me, and I was getting worse and worse and worse.”

Charles ended up in hospice, and his son continued to see him regularly despite the instability of his own situation. Sadly, he passed away in 2018 with one final wish for his son:

“The one thing my dad told me to do before he died was to make sure I graduated this program.”

The Son’s Story

Growing up, Charles remembers wishing he was a Christian, wishing that he could believe in what the Bible says. Yet, he was raised by an atheist father and surrounded by the instability that comes with two parents who struggle with drug addiction. Eventually, his interest in faith disappeared completely.

After following a similar path as his dad— struggling with drug use and experiencing homelessness—Charles woke up one day in prison completely changed.

“I was woken up one day, and God told me that He took the evil spirit that was in me and said, ‘It’s done.’ From that moment on, I was a Christian. I had had a dream about my dad being in this program and made the decision before I went to court the next day to come to this program.

They dropped the charges. I was out within five days after being told I was going to be in prison for three years. They dropped me off at the Mission downtown and then was in this program within a week, by no doing of my own. Since then, I have not used, and I never will use again.”

From then on, Charles went from wishing he could believe in God to becoming a Christian, praying regularly and receiving as much spiritual education as possible, including going to school for apologetics and pastoral science.

His relationship with his chaplain, Jonnell Ashley, and the other chaplains and Bible study leaders at The Crossing have also been instrumental to his spiritual growth. Jonnell himself graduated from the New Life Program in 2005 and later became staff at the Mission.

“When Charles first entered the New Life Program, he shared with me that the only pursuit in life that mattered to him in the past was money,” said Jonnell. “As he has progressed through the program, he now believes a life of obedience to Christ is the only path that leads to success, wellness and peace.”
Jonnell

“Hopefully I’m going to follow in his footsteps,” said Charles. “I’d actually like to work at the Mission as a chaplain in the future.

Because of what I went through, my evangelism will be different, and God did that on purpose. By being on the streets and around gangs, drugs and violence, God is now using that to help me learn and to help other people.”

A child experiencing homelessness is 85% more likely to be an adult who will experience homelessness*

The transformation that has happened in Charles’ life has been more than spiritual. His work readiness at the Ministry Outreach Center has equipped him to work again full time. He transformed physically with dental work, gaining healthy weight, learning to walk again after injuries, and starting to run and box through the nonprofit Back on My Feet. He has maintained sobriety. He obtained a driver’s license, social security card and birth certificate.

“It’s an insane amount of stuff that has happened in six months,” he said.

But the thing he is most grateful for? “That the Holy Spirit decided to talk to me that day. It had nothing to do with me. I woke up a Christian, and the Holy Spirit has directed my every single step.”

When thinking about how his dad would feel seeing the transformation he has made, Charles said,

“He would be extremely happy. He would be like, ‘You finally got it.’ This program saved his life, and it saved mine too. It is a testament to God, for both of us.”

Charles had never had a copy of his dad’s newsletter story until now. In that story you will read that he used to go by the name Chad.

It was after his father passed away that he decided to go by his legal name, the same name as his dad, so he could continue hearing the name of the father who meant so much to him.

Read his father’s story HERE.