Now Charles is Smiling All the Time!
Charles Turner came to Augusta Rescue Mission in January 2012, homeless and feeling hopeless. After a bad accident, he’d started using drugs and alcohol, and they soon took over his life. Addiction cost him his family and his career as a truck driver. Guilty and alone, his depression was overwhelming.
Charles admits he struggled with pride—he wanted to make it all on his own. But with no other options, he turned to the Mission for a place to stay … and finally admitted he needed help.
“I didn’t know how broken I was,” Charles remembers. “When I met Chris (ARM’s executive director), I couldn’t stop crying. It felt like everything was over for me. Chris calmed me down and talked to me about hope. He assured me I was in the right place at the right time and that God could give me a fresh start.”
Charles was accepted into the Life Transformation program and soon everything began to change. He started reading the Bible every day and memorizing scripture, taking God’s promises to heart. He learned to accept conviction instead of condemnation. Worshipping Jesus became his priority.
Chris also embraced one-on-one conversations with staff and other men in the program. Talking about his past helped him see things he hadn’t been willing to face before. That accountability allowed him to evaluate areas where he was making progress, and others that still needed work.
After graduating from the program in 2014, the Mission helped Charles find a local driving job. Eventually, he went back to driving over the road and was able to save enough money to buy his own car and find housing. And, like icing on the cake, someone even paid to get his teeth fixed—now he smiles all the time!
Although his work takes him all over the country, Charles still comes by the Mission every month to check in and pray with the staff.
“I believe God led me to the Mission,” Charles states. “I was at rock bottom, but Jesus changed my life there. I used to wake up feeling condemned and hopeless. Now I wake up feeling the presence of God, and I am grateful He gave me a new life.”