About 11 years ago, Chad found himself in a hard place, but he found help and work at the Arlington Life Shelter and Mission Arlington^®.  He says he felt love during that time, but God had other plans, and Chad ended up leaving for several years. He had some more growing and changing to do.

While he was away, he completed nursing school and got married. “It never left. Tillie, Bob and Mission Arlington^® never left the back of my mind. I knew something had happened here. I’m pretty sure this is where I found the meaning of Christ and love, definitely love.” Although he had not visited Mission Arlington^® in many years, he found himself often telling his new wife the ways he had seen God working here. The seeds of love were planted and God was slowly bringing them to the surface. This went on until Chad bumped into Bob Burgin one night picking up chicken nuggets at Wendy’s.

They talked and, even more, Chad could not get the idea of returning to Mission Arlington^® out of his head. It took 2 more years, but he did finally visit with Tillie again.  Everything fell back into place at the right time. Now he’s working part-time at the Mission Arlington^® Medical Clinic and is the full-time youth minister at Parkview Church. He talks about it like it’s the life he’s always wanted.

He says, “When you see Mission Arlington^®, you see God. The love that’s expressed, the forgiveness, the grace, the dedication that everyone here shows. I realized that I didn’t have to be everything I thought I had to be. I didn’t have to be the best at this, this fake life, being someone I’m not. I really found myself in ‘not,” – in giving everything up and letting God have control.”

At the clinic, Chad says, apart from the medicine, he enjoys teaching the nursing students about relating to patients and sharing Christ with everyone who comes in. Opportunities abound.

At Parkview, God has grown the youth group from 3 very faithful students to more than 30, many who have no church background at all. They meet up on Saturdays to beautify the church grounds and volunteer at Mission Arlington^®. Chad is teaching them the value of hard work and planting more seeds in kids who need it. It’s exciting to think about what God has in store for this next chapter of Chad’s life. He says, “God has had this purpose for for me. It was amazing to see it come to fruition.”