NOAH’S STORY

Noah’s life was in shambles. He was homeless. He was addicted to heroine. Noah lost his kids, repeating cycles of his own birth mother. After time in prison, Noah came to Victory Mission. He was convinced he had settled into his identity. Noah shared, “I didn’t feel like change was possible for me.” His intent was to stay at Victory long enough to get the physical things he needed—food, a place to sleep, his birth certificate and other documents. Then he’d get a job and a little bit of money and take off. He assumed he’d return to addiction and be in and out of prison for the rest of his life.

Before, Noah’s work life wasn’t something he was excited about at all. He had a history of working within the fast food industry. He would would show up to work under the influence on a regular basis. Naturally, his addiction made it difficult to maintain work. Noah expressed that he lacked direction. He didn’t know where to focus his attention outside of his addiction.

When Noah entered into Victory Mission’s workforce development program, he still didn’t know where he should invest his energy. He felt uncomfortable considering his options for a career path because he didn’t feel like he was capable of anything.

Noah began a Coffee Apprenticeship, unsure of where it would lead. Noah discovered talents that he’d never recognized in himself before—an attention to detail, communication skills, the ability to process orders, adapt to challenges in the workplace, and lead others. He quickly realized that in whatever he did, he’d be able to use his story to help others. He wanted his experiences to translate to a purpose and felt drawn to ministry.

The Coffee Apprenticeship was a stepping stone for Noah. He was eventually offered a position at Victory Mission as a Chaplain Apprentice. He began taking classes to obtain a district license with the Church of the Nazarene. Noah now leads Recovery Ministry at The Well Church in Springfield, MO as a full-time Outreach Minister. Noah is thriving in his new job. He uses his story to pour into other people, and has the confidence to lead others who are facing challenges similar to his own.