From the Hallway to Hope: Robert’s Story of New Life at the Mission
By: Laura Smithwick
When Robert first walked through the doors of the Gospel Rescue Mission of Grants Pass in August, hope was hard to see. He didn’t come because he had a detailed plan or a clear vision for his future. He came because he saw the large cross at the top of the building—and in that moment, he felt the Lord directing him here.
Robert had been battling drug addiction for nearly 15 years. Fentanyl had taken a heavy toll on his body, mind, and spirit. The first time I saw him, he was sitting in the hallway outside the men’s coordinator’s office. He looked terrible, there’s no other way to say it. He was deep in fentanyl withdrawal, shaking and miserable, and he was also suffering from a severe mouth infection. Pain and exhaustion were written all over his face. He was at the end of himself.
That hallway moment is one I won’t forget, because it makes the contrast of who Robert is today all the more powerful. Just two weeks later—after two weeks of sobriety, care, structure, and support at the Mission—I saw Robert again. This time, it wasn’t in the hallway. It was at Booth Street Thrift Store.
I almost didn’t recognize him at first. The man who had once looked broken and defeated now had a huge grin stretched from ear to ear. He walked right up to me, asked for a hug, and said words that still echo in my heart: “The Mission saved my life.”
That transformation didn’t stop with a smile. While at the Mission, Robert celebrated his 42nd birthday—sober. As he shared this with us, he admitted something sobering: he couldn’t remember the last time he had actually remembered celebrating a birthday. Addiction had stolen years, moments, and milestones. But this time, he was present. Clear-minded. Free.
Robert will tell anyone who asks that this is the best program he has ever been in. He’s tried other programs before, but something here was different. He believes it’s because this program doesn’t just address behavior—it addresses the heart. In the midst of his addiction, even before he arrived, Robert recalls a moment when he felt the Lord speak clearly to him: “I can’t take it from you. You have to put it down.” In that moment, Robert understood something profound. God wasn’t abandoning him—He was inviting him to choose. Robert knew that if he made the decision to put his addiction down, God would meet him there and help him walk it out. That decision led him to the cross on our building, and ultimately, to newfound freedom!
Today, Robert is sober, hopeful, and looking ahead. He’s actively searching for a job and taking steps toward rebuilding his life. More importantly, he is grounded in his faith and deeply grateful—for the Mission, for the people who walk alongside him, and for the new life he is building.
Stories like Robert’s are a powerful reminder of why this Mission exists. We are blessed to witness lives transformed—not by human effort alone, but by the redeeming power of Jesus. Scripture tells us that Christ laid His life down so that we could have new life. Robert’s journey is living proof of that truth. The man who once sat broken in our hallway is now walking forward in freedom.
Thank you for partnering with us, praying with us, and supporting this work. Because of you, men like Robert don’t just find shelter—they find hope, healing, and new life in Christ.
