Newsletter

Inese Johnson’s story begins across the world in Latvia. Her early childhood was marked by instability and hardship. “I was with my birth parents till about age 4 and a half,” she says. “Then I went into an orphanage. I was malnourished… it wasn’t a good environment.” 

Eventually, she was fostered until age 13, when she was adopted by a family in Georgia. Adjusting to a new country and language wasn’t easy. She was introduced to church, but she struggled to feel connected.  

“I believed in God… but I experienced a lot of judgment from people around me,” she says. “I didn’t think that was how Christians were supposed to act.” 

As a young adult, the sense of disconnection grew. She left home at 18 and began a cycle of instability. “I was consistently struggling financially,” she says. “I ended up living in my car… then in the woods.” 

When she entered a dangerous relationship marked by abuse, she was introduced to methamphetamine. “It wasn’t a lifestyle I wanted… but I was stuck.” 

She was living outdoors in winter, underweight, and in constant danger. Then, her life changed when her fiancé was arrested. Alone and with nowhere to go, she found the courage to call her parents. They connected her with the Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia. 

“I experienced God’s grace… and it was beautiful. You could feel Jesus here.” 

In our life-recovery program, Inese’s life was transformed – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She rededicated her life to Christ and was baptized again.  

“I’m not as angry… I don’t feel as ashamed of myself anymore,” she says. “I have joy in my heart – something no one can take away.” 

She also began restoring relationships with her family, and her parents came to visit regularly while she was in the program. “My family is proud of me.”  

Today, Inese has graduated from our life-recovery program and has a job she loves at our Barn Center thrift store! She is grateful for the structure, stability, and confidence the Rescue Mission has given her – tools she is taking with her as she trusts God for this next chapter of her life. 

Because of you, Inese is experiencing Thanksgiving in a whole new way this year… with a fresh perspective on life and a heart of gratitude. “The Rescue Mission helped me recover my life,” she says. “They showed me the love of God.” 

Click here to download the Fall 2026 issue of The Mission Bell.