Finding God Here
Zachariah grew up learning to survive on his own. As a child he was surrounded by instability, addiction, and loneliness. His parents split when he was just three, and the mother he longed for was often gone—caught in her own addiction and disappearing for days at a time. By thirteen, Zachariah had slipped into the same world he was watching at home. Drugs, dealing, rebellion, and eventually prison became the rhythm of his teenage years and most of his adulthood. “There was nothing good about my family,” he said quietly. “Nobody raised me. I was angry. Bitter. Just trying to survive.”
“It’s not my story—it's God’s glory. This is His story.”
From that moment on, God began working in his life, even as Zachariah stumbled through years of relapse, depression, and spiritual battle. He tried to get sober but kept falling back. He tried to find love again but kept losing himself. There were seasons of homelessness—living under bridges—and seasons of jail. And yet, through all of it, he could feel something pulling him forward, even when he didn’t understand it.
The day everything changed came after a two‑week drinking binge. Zachariah woke up outside, surrounded by empty bottles, his body exhausted and his spirit broken. As he sat by the water, he watched a family of ducks moving peacefully across the lake. In that quiet moment, he sensed a voice deep inside say, “It’s time. It’s time to get help.” He walked 15 miles to a Taco Bell, gathered what little strength he had left, and then made his way to Wheeler Mission in Indianapolis. “God told me to do this,” he said. “So I did.”
At Wheeler’s Camp Hunt, everything finally began to make sense. His mentor helped him see the truth about his past—not to shame him, but to free him. Zachariah saw clearly that he had spent years lying, manipulating, surviving, and sinning. He also saw, for the first time, that God loved him anyway. Through classes, mentorship, the Transformation Sheet, and a community that refused to give up on him, he began to change. “Without God, I am nothing,” he said. “I’ve tried everything else. This is where I finally found Jesus Christ.”
Today, Zachariah is in the Servant Leaderership Training program at Wheeler Mission, and his life looks nothing like it once did. He’s discovered new gifts he never knew he had—like teaching Scripture, talking openly with people, cooking, and sharing the gospel. His anger has been replaced with peace. His depression has lifted. And the addictions that ruled his life for more than 30 years no longer have a hold on him. When asked how he feels about himself now, he smiled: “Confident. Happy. Loved by God.”
As for his future, Zachariah isn’t worried. “If God wants me here to serve, then I’ll serve. It’s not about money. It’s about His plan for my life.” And he knows he wouldn’t be alive today without Wheeler Mission. “God redeemed this place for me to change my evil, wicked ways,” he said. “If it wasn’t for finding God here, I wouldn’t be here at all.”
He hopes the community will keep supporting Wheeler Mission—not for him, but for the people who will come after him.
