Rock Bottom to Redemption

Addiction and Running from Pain

Jesse started drinking at 16 and it opened the door to addiction. Over time, alcohol wasn’t enough. After years of running from pain, broken trust, and authority, drugs became part of his story too. In 2007, Jesse came to Tucson and found his first treatment center ever. “I excelled in it,” he says. He graduated and stayed clean for four years, from May 8, 2007, until 2011. “That’s where I got my tools of recovery, basically.” But he sees now that something important was missing: “The one thing missing was Jesus in my life.

Hitting Bottom in Tucson

Eventually, Jesse ended up homeless in Tucson, living in the wash starting in April. He had a queen-size mattress, “one of the luxury mattresses,” an electric bike, and a few things that made life slightly bearable. Then the rain came three times and “washed it all away.” On that third time, standing in the water watching everything go, something in him finally broke. “In the water, I dropped to my knees and then prayed. I got a humble feeling.” He got on a bus, not even knowing exactly where to go. He got off and right there was Gospel Rescue Mission (GRM).  GRM let him in on Monday. He was the first in line.

Hopes for the Future

When Jesse finally walked through GRM’s doors, he wasn’t grateful or peaceful. “I was angry. Very angry. I didn’t want to be here.” But even in his anger, Jesse says, “Something just told me to go,” so he stayed. Then came a turning point on November 2, he was baptized. “My whole life changed after that,” he says. He still had “trial and errors,” but this time, recovery wasn’t just about willpower it was about Jesus. He explains the difference “I knew of the higher power Jesus, knew of Him, but now I truly know Him in my life. There’s a difference.” Now, more than ten months after entering GRM, Jesse has moved into the workforce program and applied for a security job here. He’s “excited for the job.” He wants to protect people and help them grow “I’m going to follow the truth this time, and stay with it. He’s learned he can’t do this on his own “If you think you can do this without Jesus Christ in your life, you’ll fail every time, he’s got your back, 100%.”