Before coming to the Mission, Ira was heading full speed down the road of self-destruction.  His addiction to drugs left him with no job, no home, and a trail of broken relationships.
Ira thanks God for using the Mission to help him change course.  Today, Ira is drug free, and his family tells him that he’s a different man – they see a huge change in his life.  He used to be abrasive and high-strung; now he’s calm, caring and relational.  His children used to keep their distance; now they call him regularly.
Ira is no longer unemployed, but rather serves as the Mission’s full time truck driver!  Since graduating from the Mission and moving into his own place, Ira continues to serve on staff, modeling for residents of the New Life Program what it looks like to change direction by God’s grace and power.
Your support makes this kind of change possible for men like Ira every day.  Thank you!

In Ira’s own words:

When I entered the New Life Job Readiness Program at the Whosoever Gospel Mission, my level of certainty was minimal at best.  I would only commit to coming in and completing the first fourteen days of the program.

Fortunately for me, Jesus Christ had a different plan and something started happening.  Decision making time had come and there were only two choices: either continue on a path of sin and destruction, or ask Jesus Christ into my life.  My decision was and is to kneel before God and pray for guidance and the courage to stand up and work toward becoming the man, father, son and brother that God would have me to be.

Through God’s grace and mercy, the Mission and everyone on staff have assisted me with different aspects of my life.  Most importantly, they encouraged me to build a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I am blessed in ways that have no explanation apart from God’s grace and mercy.  One blessing is this – I have become a member of the Whosoever Gospel Mission staff.

Also, I’m currently enrolled at night in All State Career School to obtain a Class A commercial driver’s license. Working hard during the day and taking classes at night in the Mission’s New Life Program taught me that this is possible – I could do it.  Gradually things are getting better.  I now trust that all things are possible through Christ my Lord and Savior, and I accept that I’m a work in progress.

In Christ we stand,
Ira Dean