Parting is such sweet sorrow

I said a sad good-bye to Larry and Pat Martin today. Larry has been with the Mission nearly since his it's founding in 1999. He phoned wanting to get involved, and was quickly set up to began leading our Overcomers weekly support group.

As a recovered addict himself, he was such a great asset for our men. He then moved to a new position of leading our weekly life and social skills class, focusing on relapse management. When he took early retirement, he began giving even more of his time by sponsoring several men on the LifeChange Program.

Larry was a fixture around here, and blessed many of us with his wit and dry sense of humour, his honesty and openness, and his eagerness to serve Christ at "the Rescue Mission." We hugged, both of us in tears, (mostly him as I have to be tough, of course!) as he pulled out towards his new home. I know there will be a new ministry in Alberta that will appreciate him as much as we have!