Marcus’s Story
Marcus has managed much of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission for years, but his life wasn’t always stable.
“I used to work for Harley-Davidson,” Marcus says. “It was a really good job and I enjoyed it. But one day they had a big layoff, including me. Suddenly I was unable to pay our bills and things got a little hard. That’s when I started out selling drugs, and before long I started using them myself.”
“Being under the influence of drugs altered his personality,” says Linda, Marcus’ wife. “At one point, Marcus hit me and I called the police.”
“It was horrible,” Marcus recalls. “The police handcuffed me, and my wife put a restraining order on me. That’s when I realized I had to make a change. I asked the Lord to guide me in the right direction and He led me to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission to get the help I needed. They gave me a place to sleep, food to eat and counseling. And spiritually they gave me the Lord Jesus Christ. I was in the spiritual program for a year. That’s where I saw the great change in me.”
“It was wonderful, because he had a new focus, like a new beginning,” Linda says.
In addition to managing the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, Marcus also ministers to other guys in the program. When he first joined the staff and worked with hurting men, Marcus remembers when an angry young man, strung out on drugs, threatened him. Marcus firmly but gently led him out of the building, then he encouraged the young man to come back when he calmed down. The young man meekly complied. Marcus understands men like that, because he has been there. Countless men over the years credit Marcus for helping them straighten out their lives, turn to Jesus Christ, and to grow into men of God — just like him.
