Kenny’s dad was an alcoholic. “There was a lot of physical abuse. There was sexual abuse. And there was mental and emotional abuse,” Kenny said. “I got made fun of in school because I’d wear hoodies to cover the bruises.”
When Kenny was 11 years old, his mother left his dad. But less than a year later, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and then lung cancer. “I was sitting with my mom in her hospital room when the doctor came in and told her she had about a month to live.”
“I started to believe there was no God. He took away the one thing that truly made me happy.”
Kenny lived with an aunt and uncle until age 17, when he was caught stealing and was placed in a detention center. From there, he lived with friends and relatives when not in foster care or the county jail.
The Mission is healing. It’s
filled with love.
And peace.
In April 2022, released from time in prison, Kenny sat at a light rail station in Minneapolis with nowhere to go. “I was confused. I was lost. I was empty inside. I felt worthless and disgusted with myself. But, I didn’t want to sleep on the street. I did an internet search and the Mission came up, so I came here.”
“When I walked through those doors, I didn’t know what to expect. I thought the food would be like prison food. My first meal was a meatball sub, and it was hot. That was very neat to see. And the people that serve you make you feel comfortable.”
“Within an hour of being here, I felt happy.”
That first night, Kenny attended chapel service, where he heard about the Discipleship Program. He enrolled in the program the next day and soon began reading the Bible and attending classes and church.
“God began to open doors I kept locked my entire life. I’m losing weight, I’m trusting people I normally would never trust, and I am trusting God.”
“For 20 years, I blamed myself for the things my father did to me. It took coming here to finally kneel down and ask God for forgiveness. I’ve learned how to forgive others, and I’ve learned to forgive myself.”
While Kenny plans to get more schooling, he isn’t rushing things. “The Mission is healing. It’s filled with love. And peace. I’m going to lay a foundation with all the tools God is giving me so that when I leave, I’m standing upright. I’m thankful to be here.”