Linda's Story

Most children get a cake on their first birthday. Linda got her first drink, courtesy of her grandfather.

She took to drinking in earnest at age 10, fueled by years of abuse from her mother. The abuse and the addiction continued throughout her adulthood and two failed marriages ... and ended on June 3, 2020.

That’s when Linda was taken to jail, where she stopped drinking and smoking, “cold turkey.” But her life would change in even more profound ways when she came to Hope Gospel Mission after serving her time.

Linda knew about Hope Gospel Mission from an elder of the church she attended. She had been staying with a family from the church when she gave her life totally to the Lord. “God told me to come to the Mission,” she says.

Here, Linda joined our recovery program and allowed Christ to change her life. “I can’t imagine my life without Him,” she tells us. “The transformation was amazing. I listen to His little nudges. I get up in the middle of the night for my quiet time with the Lord.”

Aside from her continued sobriety, the biggest change in Linda’s life is her relationship with the mother who had abused her as a child. “It was hard to forgive her,” she admits. “But I knew God would help me with that, and He is working through her too.” When Linda completes the program, she plans to care for her mother, who suffers from heart disease.

Linda's own health is good, even after a lifetime of drinking. She was diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C, which would have gone undiagnosed had she not come to the Mission. She is ready to go back to work... even in construction! "I'm God's vessel," she says. "He can put me anywhere He needs me."

Linda is grateful to everyone at Hope Gospel Mission - and to friends like you - who helped her get closer to the Lord. "Being at the mission gave me time to get my roots firmly planted in the ground, so I could grow in a happy, healthy, healing environment!"