We strive for long-term success at PGM, and with your help, we continue to see sustained change and transformation in the lives of those who come to us for assistance. The Bible programs and other services we offer are meant to help people find lasting change by introducing them to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Biblical wisdom that can set their hearts and minds down the path to living wholesome, God-honoring lives.

In this month’s issue, we look at the story of someone who went through the Bible program at Pacific Garden Mission over ten years ago after battling depression and drug addiction. After trying many other avenues to help him overcome these strongholds, he was ultimately able to find freedom in Christ. Today, he continues to serve in the PGM ministry. His story is a good reminder that sustained life change is possible and that it is never too late to become a new creature in Christ.

Daniel Woolman

“I grew up in a middle-class family where money and the daily aspects of life were sufficiently provided for. It is hard to say what began my path of self-destruction. Was it my parent’s divorce as a child? Was it my inherent nature, prone to worry and often focusing on the negatives more often than the positives of life? Regardless of the source, the emptiness and despair I felt grew as I got older. When I found the numbness and escape in drugs during high school, it became a daily part of my life, and what began as a recreational choice soon became an addiction.

“At some point in my early teens, I also became convinced psychological medications were part of the answer for filling the emptiness and feelings of constant depression I felt, but those too left me as empty and numb as the other drugs did. From the ages of 15-30, I was prescribed countless different medications, trying to find that ‘right combination’ of chemicals trying to numb the pain.

“It was an unending chase for something I was unable to reach, and the more I tried and failed to fill the void within, the more hopeless I felt. It all eventually led to a life of chaos and darkness, including homelessness, dishonesty, depression, despair, and even attempts to take my own life. It came to a point where I had to choose between life and death. It was time to try something new, even it didn’t entirely make sense at the time.

“I had been introduced to God and Jesus by someone who would witness to me daily where I used to work, and even through the haze of my substance use at the time, they would share God’s Word with me. Something got through, and a seed was planted. On my last attempt of many to get sober, I went to an inpatient 30-day drug treatment program to help me get off of opiates, but as I grew close to completing it, I knew it wouldn’t be enough to keep me on the right track for long. That is when I decided to come to PGM for help and joined the then yearlong Bible program.

“At PGM, I found a sanctuary where I could focus exclusively on my spiritual growth and physical healing from all the years of abuse I had put my body and mind through. The Bible classes helped and I think the quiet time I had to pray, self-reflect, and learn the Word of God also greatly helped the change in my heart take root and allowed me the chance to start life anew. The extended timeframe of the Bible program provided my body, mind, and spirit the much-needed time to heal and find a healthy baseline again.

“I completed the Bible program and then began to work in the PGM TV ministry, where I have been able to record the stories of other people who went through struggles similar to mine. Ten years later, I am still editing the PGM TV program, writing the monthly newsletter, and creating social media content. Being able to take part in these things helps me daily by reminding me of where I came from and what God has done in my life.

“I had tried to change on my own, but it wasn’t until I completely surrendered everything to Jesus Christ that I was able to find freedom from the strongholds that held me captive in darkness for so long. Today, I have been clean for more than ten years. The mess I created in the past is still there, but the trust and relationships improve over time, and each day gets a bit easier. Faith is a powerful thing.

“If you find yourself struggling and haven’t been able to overcome your issues or emptiness yourself, I recommend giving God a chance. Most of what He has done for me is too difficult to accurately convey using words, but He has given me peace, contentment, freedom from addiction and depression, and, overall, has given me a new life in Christ. It may seem counterintuitive to say that by surrendering your life to God, you find true freedom, but it is real.”

What Daniel was unable to do on his own and through conventional medicine, he was able to do through God. He has become a productive member of society, free from the darkness that held him down for so long. A content life free of both illegal and legal drugs for over ten years, he serves as an excellent example of what a relationship with Jesus Christ can do. The Biblical foundations and new life habits he began to build at PGM gave him the time and resources necessary to succeed. His story reflects the life-changing power of Christ, and reminds others who may be struggling with similar problems that there is a way out of the darkness.

Thank you for helping Daniel, and for anything you can give to share the life-transforming power of the Gospel with people like him.