Josh became a resident of our Men’s Shelter in May of this year, but he very nearly didn’t live long enough for that to happen. An unmarried man, he was living with his parents in their Indianapolis home. He began to feel he was a burden on his parents and decided to leave without telling anyone. But with no place to go and only the clothes on his back, Josh was living on the street.

One day Josh suffered a seizure. He managed to call 911 and was admitted to a hospital. When he came to, the medical staff told him he’d tried to commit suicide but Josh had no memory of attempting to take his own life. He was moved to a psychiatric ward, where upon his release a staff member recommended he come to our Men’s Shelter.

Men who reside at our shelter are given meaningful work to do each day. Some are sent to our Boys Home for short-term work assignments, such as groundskeeping and general maintenance. About three weeks after arriving at our inner-city Indy campus, Josh was placed on a one-day work detail at the Boys Home. He returned for a second day of work there and the director heard that Josh liked the rural setting. He asked Josh if he’d like to stay and, not being one who enjoys city life, Josh jumped at the opportunity.

“I like to fish, camp and all that stuff. It felt more real to me,” he said.

Josh loves the peaceful setting at the Boys Home. While there he’s also found peace with God. Before he came to Good News he had “never been to church or read a single verse in the Bible,” he said. One night after being counseled by a Boys Home staff member Josh accepted Christ as his Savior. Now, at age 50, he’s regularly in scripture and attending Faith Baptist Church in Cunot, where he was recently baptized.

Today, Josh is doing well in our program at the Boys Home where he does landscaping work. He also cooks for staff and our Academy students on Saturdays. Expressing gratitude for a second chance at life Josh said, “I’ve found peace within myself and I’m staying grounded. This place has really helped me.”

Recently, Josh reconnected with family, who hadn’t heard from him in six months.
Thanks to the grace of God, Josh is no longer homeless, friendless or searching for the meaning of life. He’s found all that, and more, because a loving God drew him, through homelessness, to Himself.