“I had just shot up in a downtown alley. This overwhelming presence came to me and said run. I ran around the corner right onto Leon Avenue. And that’s when my heart stopped…
When Aaron started to experiment with drugs, he had no idea how destructive the path he was on would become. “I was living on the streets and my life revolved around doing mass amounts of drugs,” says Aaron.
Aaron’s parents wanted desperately to help their son. When they heard about Kelowna’s Gospel Mission, they loaded Aaron into the car, made the two-and-a-half-hour drive from Grand Forks to Kelowna, and dropped him off at the shelter. At this point, all they could do was pray for his recovery and wellbeing.
While staying in the shelter, Aaron quickly discovered that everyone at Kelowna’s Gospel Mission was genuinely rooting for him. He was assigned a Case Worker who helped him get into a local recovery program called Freedom’s Door. After 30 days in recovery, his mind and body felt stronger than they had been in years.
But before long, the pressure of drug activity around him was too much, and Aaron relapsed—only this time, it nearly ended in death.
“I had just shot up in a downtown alley. This overwhelming presence came to me and said run. I ran around the corner right onto Leon Avenue. And that’s when my heart stopped,” says Aaron. “If I hadn’t run, I would’ve been alone in an alley and I would be dead. I believe that was God’s hand at work.”
This encounter woke Aaron up in a way he had never experienced before. “I realized either I’m going to my death, or I have to choose life,” says Aaron. “I chose to live.”
“The staff at Kelowna’s Gospel Mission became so dear to my heart. They encouraged me to grow and helped mold me into the person I am today,” says Aaron. “If it wasn’t for God I would not be alive right now.”
Not only did Aaron make a full recovery from his addiction, but he completely transformed his life.
Today, Aaron works hard to give back to the community and help others. He has a job working at Freedom’s Door helping others through their recovery.
“When I meet someone who has hit their rock bottom, I always say ‘Have faith in yourself and God, and you can do it.’ If I can do it, anybody can.”