“I’m thankful the Mission understands what happens to people in life.”
Frank lost his father to cancer when he was very young and was raised by a gentle and loving mother. “She gave me everything I needed, and we had a wonderful relationship,” he recalls.
When she died of cancer too, Frank was devastated. But he had inherited her giving spirit and honored her memory by always caring for those around him.
He eventually married and devoted himself to being the best provider he could be. “For me, it was ‘til death do us part,” he says. So when his wife decided to go her own way after nearly 30 years, he felt broken and defeated. “I’d worked so hard, and I just couldn’t handle the fact that I’d failed,” he shares.
To fill the void in his life, Frank continued to reach out to others in need and promised to help an older neighbor who was also battling cancer. One night, as he walked to the friend’s house, he suffered a heart attack and stroke. He woke up in the hospital, and after a lengthy treatment, he had nowhere to go.
“I had heard about Faith Mission of Michiana, and I came here to create another path for my life,” he says.
Now in our care, and through the giving hearts of friends like you, Frank is healing physically and spiritually and has many opportunities to demonstrate his compassion for others. “I work in the kitchen and in the chapel,” he explains. “I appreciate the Mission giving me a chance to help out. It lessens the pain I’ve been through and allows me to give something back.”
Recently, other family members asked him to come live and help out on their farm. He is grateful that the care he received at the Mission has prepared him to accept this new opportunity.
Today, with a heart of Thanksgiving, he shares these words: “If you let the Mission work with you and help you feel better about life, it will allow you to move on with your journey.”