"There’s no way I can be out on the streets,” thought Tony Miller incredulously. “I wasn’t born this way.” Alone after his addiction brought his 25-year marriage to an end and caused the loss of his job at a local hospital, Tony concluded he needed to find Jesus. It was a decision that put him on the road to real success.

Tony came to Open Door Mission in 1998 and graduated from the recovery programs in April 2000. Months later, the Mission offered him the job of property manager and maintenance supervisor, a position he still holds today.

On Tony’s rounds one day he noticed a young woman named Sondra smoking in a non-smoking area. When he questioned her, she retorted, “Who do you think you are?” Patiently Tony directed her to another spot.

Sondra had recently joined Open Door Mission’s recovery programs . Each day she made her way through Bible studies, life-skills classes, counseling and work assignments, determined to give her two daughters a better life. She completed the programs in October 2001 and a year later moved her family into their own home while she pursued educational goals.

After their rocky introduction, Tony and Sondra gradually became friends, leaning on each other for spiritual advice, studying the Bible and praying together. At the same time, Tony longed for a Christian wife and family. “I felt I was ready to get married again, so I asked the Lord to send me a wife with a couple kids,” he chuckles.

Tony and Sondra married in May 2003 and though the couple admits to ups and downs, both agree the marriage has been a blessing. “The road is easier when you have a godly companion who has accepted Jesus as her personal Savior,” says Tony.

The Miller family is grateful to those who give to Open Door Mission because, as Sondra says, “Without their thoughtfulness and consideration, a lot of lost people wouldn’t have the opportunity to have goals or hopes for family.” Tony agrees, “I want to thank our donors for helping people like Sondra and me find the road back to God.”

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