Michelle stared into her closet at Open Door Mission's Lydia House. Those are my clothes, she reminded herself. I need to pick something to wear. That's what people do each morning.

Enough clothing to wear . enough food to eat . people who hugged you and told you the truth. It took some getting used to .

Before coming to Open Door Mission, Michelle, and her husband, Scott, survived on Omaha's streets. "We slept on the cement until the police came by with a big horn and woke us up," Michelle explains.  "If money was good, the dope didn't run out.  When it rained or the money ran out, we'd think about getting something to eat or go to the library to wash up."

Thanksgiving Day 2004, Michelle and Scott came to Open Door Mission for dinner and shelter. "There was no room so Scott asked for blankets so we could sleep outside," Michelle recalls. "I ended up sleeping on the floor of the women's emergency dorm."

The couple joined ODM's New Life Recovery programs , January 4, determined to conquer their addictions and reach their goals. "We wanted to clean up and have a healthy marriage. We wanted to be a strong man and woman of God. We wanted to be strong leaders. We wanted to graduate from the programs ."

The first hurdle was simply learning their needs would be met. "When you come off drugs, you replace them with something else," Michelle explains. "You hoard stuff. When you eat the first time, you eat a whole bunch then get sick. You stick cupcakes in your pockets. The Mission's staff told us, 'There will be food today and tonight and tomorrow. You don't have to hide food.'"

Wearing pajamas at night, choosing a fresh outfit every morning, eating three meals a day - each choice was a step toward health.

Today Scott and Michelle are excited about their accomplishments. "Scott will walk out of here with his GED and he's developed leadership skills he didn't know he had," Michelle says proudly. Scott has watched his wife become a strong, confident woman of God. "And our work doesn't stop when we graduate," the couple insists, sharing plans to tell others on the streets about Christ.

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart," Scott says, quoting Psalms 73:26. Michelle adds, "God can change anyone whether society believes it or not." - Michelle & Scott

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