“God pulls you up, no matter how many chances you need,” says Garlund.

Garlund knows this firsthand. He’s been on the receiving end of such endless grace for years, beginning in his late 20s when friends introduced him to crack cocaine. The drug took over his life quickly — and to the point that nothing else seemed to matter.

“It got so bad that I was working just to supply my habit,” Garlund says. “I was lying, stealing and being deceitful. Eventually, I lost jobs, relationships and family. I was all alone.”

Homeless, Garlund was overcome by shame, guilt and hopelessness. Time and again he tried to stop using, but the pull was too strong. “I thought I could do it on my own, that I didn’t need God,” he says. “But nothing I tried worked.”

Under pressure from his family, Garlund came to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, but his heart wasn’t in it. He completed our recovery program and stayed clean for nearly 10 years, but he was “just going through the motions.” Eventually, old habits resurfaced. He stopped attending church, withdrew from friends and family, and returned to his old neighborhood — and to his addiction.

“I was still functional and was working,” Garlund says. “I even got married to an amazing woman who loves the Lord. But I ended up depleting our finances and losing trust with my wife.”

That’s when Garlund returned to MRM — this time because he really wanted to be here, to make a sincere and lasting change in his life. Ready and willing to do the hard work, he spent the next year persevering through our comprehensive New Journey program, putting his past behind him and developing a genuine relationship with God.

Garlund recently graduated from New Journey and was hired on as part of our security team, where he’ll benefit from daily accountability. He’s excited to be reunited with his wife and strengthening his relationships through Christ. And he’s deeply grateful for friends like you who helped give him a second chance.

“Life is good now,” Garlund says. “I’ve seen God do so much. Trusting God and being honest with Him, I know that He is going to carry me through.”