There You Are, God
When Luis, age 39, was born, his father was celebrating two years of his own recovery. Growing up during his father’s sobriety story made him never want to go near drugs. “I started drinking because I wanted to be a man,” recalls Luis. “I drank so much, by the time I was 16 I couldn’t stay awake, and that is when my cousin gave me my first bit of cocaine. I woke up!”
“I came to Helping Up Mission (HUM) in the throes of a 20-year addiction to alcohol and cocaine. I could not stop. I prayed, Please God, I don’t want to do this anymore, why can’t I stop?” His life had spiraled out of control. “I lost my house, my license, my car, my wife and my beautiful daughter to addiction.”
“The first time I walked into HUM, there was a broken-down building across the street. My plan was to make it through the 45-day blackout period of limited communication and a no-leave policy, get some drugs, climb the fence of the building next door, use, and then sneak back into the building. But something changed—I started seeing God.”
During HUM’s 140th celebration, Luis stepped on the former site of that broken-down building to sing with the HUM choir. “Sitting in the park on that beautiful day made me realize that God has a better plan for me.”
Part of that plan is being an active member of HUM’s mobile street outreach team that goes out in Baltimore City to provide hope to men and women suffering from addiction, poverty and homelessness. “Even though my father was sober when I was born, he passed away during my active addiction. Today, every day that I go on outreach, I am praying that I will bring somebody back to HUM. You can be an instrument for God, showing them how through this program He saves lives. So, every day, I get the chance to save a life. These interactions also give me a chance to talk to my dad in heaven. The spirit of my father joins me on this journey, and I know he is proud.”
“I love this place! This program saved my life. I want to continue to grow toward God in my new goal of life-long sobriety, and I am thankful for all the donors that make that possible.” Grateful for his second chance, Luis is dedicated to building a life of sobriety, giving back to his community and honoring the legacy of his father’s recovery.
