The SOUND of HOPE
“I live my life in prayer, filled with hope.”
Dustyn grew up on a spacious farm with dogs, 60 horses and wide-open skies. “It was an awesome place to be a kid,” he recalls. His parents’ multiple divorces and marriages, however, deeply impacted him. “I remember promising myself I’d never put my own children through that. It was rough.”
A standout student and athlete, on the outside, Dustyn seemed destined for success. Sadly, no one knew he was suffering from depression and anxiety... made worse by the dysfunction at home.
He struggled to cope for years and eventually turned to substances to self-medicate. What followed were failed relationships, multiple overdoses and nearly a decade of relapse cycles – each one taking more of a toll than the last.
At his lowest point, Dustyn fell out of recovery while suffering a severe mental health crisis that landed him in the hospital. He even considered ending his own life. “I’d lost my marriage, lost jobs, lost my children… lost everything. I knew something had to change.”
Thankfully, a family member who worked as a social worker helped connect him with Bread of Life Mission. He arrived scared, humbled and desperate – but ready.
“The staff here saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself.”
Dustyn joined the Mission’s Life Path program, where a full daily schedule of Christ-centered classes, 12-step meetings and fitness gave him the structure he had always lacked.
Bible study became his favorite activity. He filled a notebook with scripture that continues to anchor him to this day. While in the program, he enjoyed giving back by serving as support for new guests and sharing his skills and talents in many ways.
These days, Dustyn is working as a full-time employee at Bread of Life Mission as he continues to rebuild his life and grow spiritually. “From now on, I want to be the best person I can be... for myself and for my children.”
Because of you, Dustyn is experiencing Thanksgiving in a whole new way this year... with a fresh perspective on life and heart of gratitude. “Bread of Life Mission invested in me, and now I’m hopeful about the future.”
To read the rest of this issue of The Sound of Hope Newsletter click here.