The Mission – March 2016

James

There’s nothing worse than the feeling you’re dying. I’ve felt that way many times in my life — sometimes it triggered anxiety attacks so bad I could barely function. And that’s a terrible experience for someone who loved life as much as I did.

At least, I thought I loved life. Looking back now, I realize I was never really alive.

When I first tried crystal meth in 1975, I knew it was the only drug for me. For the rest of my life, no matter how good or bad my life was going, my one companion through it all was meth.

For 15 years, I managed pretty well for a meth addict. I had a good-paying job in the trucking industry, a three-bedroom condo in Huntington Beach, and a girlfriend who loved me. But when I lost my job because of my addiction, I lost everything else, too.

It wasn’t long before I was sleeping on the streets of Anaheim, recycling cans, and diving in dumpsters. Anything to get more meth. I did work from time to time. But I also crossed a lot of moral lines and did some things I’m really ashamed of.

Thanks to meth, I missed out on so much, like family birthdays, camping trips, or a family of my own. I just did not know how to do life without meth. Sometimes I stayed with friends. Other times, with my sister or nieces. But when my drug use got too much for them, I was out again. I thought I loved life — but I hated the way I was living.

In June 2014, however, God led me to Union Rescue Mission. I guess you could say when
I came here I was a walking dead man. But I knew from the start that everything would change. Over the next several months, thanks to my chaplain and the other guys in the program with me, I slowly realized I still had value and life was still possible.

But it was Jesus Christ who made the real difference. He died so I could live. And on that first Easter, when He walked out of the tomb, He carried me with Him. When I got that, I could give up all my guilt and shame. I could forgive myself. And 2 Corinthians 5:17 became real: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

When I came to Union Rescue Mission, I was dead. But today I am truly alive. And I love
that feeling.


 

Celebrating the Easter Promise of New Life at Union Rescue

IMG_4505 cmyk crGood Friday Easter Egg Hunt and Personalized Easter Egg Baskets
On the Friday before Easter — what we call “Good Friday” — children experiencing homelessness at Union Rescue Mission and Hope Gardens Family Center receive handcrafted, personalized Easter egg baskets filled with toys and candy, and participate
in a special Easter egg hunt.

IMG_5152_CMYKSaturday Easter Outreach
The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, Union Rescue Mission holds a special outreach event for the Skid Row community.
Guests are treated to live musical performances, free medical checkups, foot washings, and the chance to obtain items of their choice, including clothing, shoes, snacks, hygiene items, and Bibles.

AFriedman_PhotosGood Friday Evening Service in the Main Chapel 
On the evening of Good Friday, all Union Rescue Mission guests are invited to a special chapel service to commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.

 

SunriseService cmyk crSunrise Easter Service (nondenominational)
Early in the morning on Easter Sunday, nearly 150 guests will gather on the rooftop of Union Rescue Mission to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ — the reason we do what we do.


GOING STRONG FOR 125 YEARS BECAUSE OF YOU: Story of a convert from 1941

Chapel Service, Main St. Mission

“I lived all my life without God,” said Earl*, a guest at Union Rescue Mission in 1941. “I suffered all the tortures of the addicted and damned. What was I to do?”

He turned to Union Rescue Mission for help. One Sunday night, he listened to the president of Union Rescue Mission, R. Gordon Boyd, preach a sermon on John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Through the rest of the evening, Earl went over the message again and again: Jesus Christ died on the cross and atoned for the sins of the world. He was resurrected three days later and lives today. So by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus, Earl could be saved.
Could it be true? Earl wrestled with the thought as he lay in bed that night. At last, in despair he cried out, “God, have mercy on me and forgive my sins!”

At that moment, Earl received the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. “God granted His mercy to me,” Earl recalled later, with tears running down his cheeks, “and He completely transformed my life.”

He eventually ended up working as an executive at one of the largest hotels on the Pacific Coast.
*Not his real name.


Notes from Andy – Our Easter Mission

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17)

If there’s a single verse that describes the miracle of James and the new life he’s living, it’s this one. For almost 40 years, he was lost in a living death of meth addiction, a lifelong blur of pain, misery, and fear of death. But today he is a brand-new man,
drug free, restored to his family, and full of life. The old is gone; his new life has begun.

That’s the kind of miracle I see every day here at Union Rescue Mission. It’s the kind of miracle that keeps me going, and it’s why I race to work every day. It’s the kind of story that reminds me to never give up on anyone, because God never gives up on any of us. All things are possible through Jesus Christ! That’s what we believe at Union Rescue Mission, and I know it’s what you believe, because your financial support proves it.

I know it can get pretty discouraging sometimes. Walk a few feet outside our doors, and you’ll see thousands of devastated people, slowly suffering and dying on these sidewalks. It’s easy to look at that man or woman and think there’s no hope. But it’s not true!

Just walk a few feet inside our building, and you’ll see a whole different story. Through your faithful financial support and prayers, through our chaplains, therapists, caseworkers, and volunteers, working together, we change lives. But even more important, we create the space for God to transform lives. And isn’t that what Easter — the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ — is all about?

Union Rescue Mission is an Easter mission. Thank you for being our Easter partners!


Easter

People on Skid Row who are struggling with addictions and homelessness need hope that new life is possible for them. Thanks to Easter, when Jesus walked out of His tomb, you and I know that new life is more than just a hope.

When men, women, and children experiencing homelessness come to Union Rescue Mission, they receive the real, tangible help they need to rebuild their lives. That’s what your gifts really mean to hurting people at Union Rescue Mission — thank you!

Your gift will provide hot meals — and new life — this Easter!

It doesn’t cost much to help transform a life. And that’s what our Give Help Give Hope Easter Fund 2016 is all about. Your generous gift of $25, $35, or more today will help provide hurting men, women, and children with hot meals, safe shelter, long-term help — and hope for new life this Easter season.

So, please give the most generous gift you can today.

Thank you!


 

Your Easter Gift Resurrects Lives Like James’

This Easter season, your gift to Union Rescue Mission is truly a cost-effective way to transform a life like James’.
To compare, it costs . . .

$82.50 to house a person for one day in an area hotel.
$129.92 to incarcerate a person for one day in jail.
$600 for a person to spend one day in a private recovery program.

$81.07 

to support a person for one day in URM’s Life-Transformation Program.

Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast 2016

PRE- PRESS RELEASE – For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Kitty Davis-Walker
VP of Public Relations
(213) 673-4585 or (213) 507-5562
kwalker@urm.org 

Alexandra Monsibaez
PR Coordinator
(213)673-4882 or (213)200-1758
amonsibaez@urm.org

Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast February 13, 2016
Four decades, the citizens of Los Angeles have come together to pray for our community and her leaders.

LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA ( February 2016) On Saturday, February 13th at 8:00am Union Rescue Mission (URM) will facilitate the 43rd annual Los Angeles Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel located at 404 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles. Union Rescue Mission is once again honored to facilitate this wonderful event where the Los Angeles community and leaders gather for much needed prayer. The emergency crisis of homelessness, terrorist attacks, and El Nino only reminds us how vital this morning of meditation and prayer is not just for our city but for our nation. This year’s keynote speaker is the distinguished Presiding Bishop Charles E Blake of West Angeles Church of God In Christ. Guest speakers include, LA District Attorney Jackie Lacey, LA Chief of Police Charlie Beck, Entertainer Rosey Grier, URM CEO Andy Bales, and of course invited and held in his honor, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

About the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast: Since 1973, when Mayor Tom Bradley asked area pastors to meet with him in prayer for the city, civic and religious leaders have gathered annually to celebrate God’s blessing and seek His guidance and protection for our city and her leaders.

For more information about the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast visit www.lamayorsprayerbreakfast.com

The Mission – February 2016

Cover-FebWhen I came to Union Rescue Mission, I had one foot in the tomb. I hadn’t spent two days sober in more than 50 years. I’d lost everything — my family, home, career — and I was in deep debt. I once lived with a view of the ocean. Now my view was Skid Row.

Quite a fall for a man with a master’s degree from one Ivy League university and who once served as Dean of Men at another.

I started drinking when I was 15. I was already an alcoholic in college. I met my wife, Kim, in a New York bar. By the time we married, she quit drinking. I didn’t. For more than 20 years, she tried to get me to stop. She made my life miserable. Now I realize she was the one person who showed me what real love looks like.

As my drinking became unbearable, Kim kicked me out.

So I drank even more. To pay rent, I borrowed from my wife and my mother.

In August 2014, I got evicted from my apartment. That’s when Kim brought me to Union Rescue Mission. When I told her, “I’m not going in there!” she responded, “Then you can live under a bridge.” She saved my life that day.

I stayed. But that meant I had to face the lies I had built my life upon: I’m not an alcoholic; I can quit any time I want. Lie: I’m too smart for this; I have an Ivy League education!
Lie: I’m not as bad as all these other alcoholics and junkies. And the Lie of lies: God hates me for what I’ve done.

Slowly, I gave up every one of those lies but the last one — until my chaplain looked me in the eyes and asked, “Who told you God hated you?” My chaplain started going through scripture with me and enabled me to realize God didn’t hate me: He loved me unconditionally. Nothing could ever make Him stop loving me. When I understood that, I could finally face the incredible shame and guilt that kept me drinking for 50 years. And I left all that shame and guilt on the cross of Jesus Christ.

After Jesus died on that cross, He lay dead in a tomb. When I came to URM, I lay dead in that same tomb. But here’s the thing: Three days after they put Jesus in that tomb,
He walked out with a resurrected life. And when He walked out, He carried me with Him. Now I have a hope and a future. Hallelujah!


 

The Love That Saved Robert’s Life

P1000952_cmykSome people say that a successful marriage is just two people who refuse to give up on each other. Kimberly, Robert’s wife for more than 35 years, models that adage.

“Bob’s drinking was hard to deal with. I could have divorced him, but I didn’t want my son to go through that,” Kimberly says. “Besides, I care about Bob. I really care. He’s smart, he’s funny. And he has a good heart. So I had to find a way to help him and to make our marriage work.”

When Kimberly met Robert, she was a self-described alcoholic, too. After she started experiencing blackouts, however, she quit drinking and tried to get Robert to quit, as well. He refused.

The marriage was difficult from the beginning. Then, as Robert’s drinking worsened, Kimberly became a “born-again” Christian. She found solace in her new faith, but the marriage got worse. “We argued and kept falling further away from each other. Then, when we fell behind in paying our bills, I got more and more resentful. I finally had to get him out of the house for both our sakes. But I never stopped caring for him.”

Another Miracle on Skid Row

One day, she started listening to Rev. Andy Bales on URM’s Amazing Stories From Skid Row radio program, which features men and women at Union Rescue Mission who are overcoming addictions and homelessness. She knew what she had to do. In August 2014, she brought him to the Mission.

Her tough love paid off. “I see a miracle taking place in Bob,” she says. “He’s a changed man. He loves the Lord and every day he’s getting healthier. I’ve always known that he loved me and our son, but now I’m seeing it every day. There’s still a long way to go, but we’re gaining our trust in each other again, now that we have Jesus in our lives.  I truly believe that all things are possible when we reach out to our heavenly Father. Union Rescue Mission is an amazing place.”


 

History-Feb

For 18 years, I was rarely sober. In fact, there was a saying back in the town where I lived that if you wanted to do any business with me, you’d better get to me before 5 o’clock — because by 6 o’clock, I was too far gone.

I simply couldn’t stop drinking. I lost everything. My family wanted nothing to do with me. Even my own father denounced me.

I tried over and over to quit drinking. I couldn’t do it. But one day, I walked into Union Rescue Mission because I was curious. I listened to an old man talk about how he had spent 35 years drinking, and he was completely drunk the day he walked in here. But then he prayed to God and he had been sober for nine months.

That’s when I realized that I had tried everything to quit drinking except Jesus Christ. So I went up to the altar and cried out to Jesus Christ. He came into my life that night and I have been sober now for more than two years.

No more box cars, no more empty pockets. Today, I am a free man. I am a trusted employee in a large corporation. I share a Christian home with my beautiful wife and a fine baby boy. And now I can look the whole world in the face and praise God.


 

Join us for our annual Hearts for Hope Gala

On March 5, Union Rescue Mission and the Hearts for Hope Committee will host the seventh annual Hearts for Hope Evening of Entertainment Event at the beautiful
Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village to benefit Hope Gardens Family Center.
Hope Gardens Family Center is a transitional housing facility where women and children experiencing homelessness can find rest, regain hope, and get the chance to build
a better life. Today, Hope Gardens Family Center is a safe refuge for over 50 moms,
80 children, and 25 senior women.

This year’s event will include a shopping boutique, silent and live auction, raffles with great prizes, dinner, entertainment, and the presentation of our 2016 Heart for Service Awards.

Hearts for Hope Gala
“A Generation of Hope”

Date: March 5, 2016
Time: 5:30PM – 10:00PM
Location: Four Seasons Hotel – Westlake Village
Two Dole Drive
Westlake Village, CA 91362
Cost: $225

For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Karmen Herring at (213) 347-6311 or visit urm.org/Hearts2016


 

Remember Our Hope

This Lenten and Easter season, we invite you to join us for a few moments each day to reflect on our real hope for healing and new life. Receive Andy’s devotional emails by signing up at urm.org/Devotionals

“We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” — Romans 6:4


 

PleaseHelp-Feb

Union Rescue Mission helps transform the lives of men, women, and children — mind, body, and spirit — through a variety of programs with the compassion of Christ. After meeting their basic needs, URM offers more personalized and comprehensive solutions.
Your gift today of $15, $25, or more will not only provide meals and shelter, it will help hurting people develop a personal relationship with Jesus, rebuild family relationships, create financial stability, restore physical health, and much more.

So please do more than save a life today. Help change someone’s life. Don’t wait. Please send the most generous gift you can. Thank you!

To put your gift to work even faster, go to urm.org/NewLife


 

Notes from Andy
Your Life-Changing Work

It may never get made into a movie, but Robert and Kimberly’s tale in this issue of The Mission is a real love story. Robert, the brash, funny, smart, likeable, life-long alcoholic — the college sophomore who never grew up. And Kimberly, the beautiful, faithful, caring wife who refused to ever give up on Robert, despite his self-destructive addiction. Robert caused Kimberly a whole lot of heartache and trouble!

But when Robert hit his rock bottom, it was Kimberly who picked him up and brought him to Union Rescue Mission. Robert slowly came around, and his wit and outgoing charm emerged with him.

I cheered him on every step of the way. The love he experienced here at the Mission transformed him. But it was Kim’s love that saved him.

Yet there’s a deeper love here, too. Robert spent 50 years walking a long, dark journey of addiction. But that long, dark journey ended at the cross of Jesus. Thanks to God’s love, and Jesus’ death and resurrection, Robert is a completely new man. That’s the promise of Easter. And that promise of Easter is what Union Rescue Mission is all about. And it’s what YOU are all about. Your support means Easter miracles.

Blessings,
andysig