From the first meal to a new beginning

As she told her story of chasing “that living water,” Wendy recounted, “My stepfather became the fatherly figure that I had. He was an alcoholic. So, always with the fear of how he was going to be feeling each day. Kind of like walking on eggshells. When I needed the love, the love was given to the bottle.

I spent almost 10 years in the Army after high school. When I got out, I went to college. After that, I spent about seven years working for the Boy Scouts of America as an executive, serving Grays Harbor and Pacific counties. Later, through family connections, I went to work for a pest control company. After doing that, I didn’t really have to work.

Before Thomas came to the Lighthouse Mission, he nearly lost his life. After overdosing, he was found unresponsive in Puyallup and taken to the hospital in Auburn. Doctors discovered a severe staph infection in his spine. He spent two months in the hospital receiving IV treatment to fight the infection. It was a painful season, and when he was discharged, he came to Bellingham.

Torrance’s testimony starts in chaos, and homelessness, but leads to a life given to Christ. Here’s an intro to his story. Torrance sets the stage for his four-part journey from homelessness to hope.