In 2007, Chris was living in a homeless shelter in Charleston. During this time Chris didn’t know the Lord and was involved with heavy alcohol and drug use. He was arrested many times because of his behavior while drunk. Chris decided to go to rehab and was in Highland Hospital for 10 days. He was then sent to Park West in Huntington for 30 days. He then went to a fellowship home in Parkersburg for a 6 month stay. He was kicked out with a girl that was also staying there.

They went to live with her mother. They were sober for a month but then started drinking again and were thrown of out the house. Chris is originally from Clarksburg and decided he wanted to come back here. He called his uncle and asked him to bring them back. None of Chris’ family could take them in, so they came to the Mission.

His girlfriend got a job and Chris began volunteering at the Mission. He was later offered a job driving the truck. They were able to save enough money to move back out on their own. After a short time they relapsed and lost all they had. Chris stopped working because of this and they came back to live at the Mission.

As of May 10th, he has been clean and sober for 7 months and has been married for a year. He said things started falling into place once he gave everything over to God. Recently, Chris decided to write a letter to the Clarksburg Police Department apologizing for the way he acted when he was drinking. He hand delivered the letter to one of the Lieutenants and was surprised when the officer hugged him. He told Chris he would put the letter on the bulletin board for the rest of the officers to see. Chris says now when police officers see him they wave at him and ask him how he is doing.

Chris is currently working at the Mission driving the truck. He picks up donations and makes deliveries. Chris said that the people of the Mission have been very supportive of him and have helped him in many ways.

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Marla is a volunteer at the Clarksburg Mission. She came to the Mission about a year ago after her mother passed away. She started out volunteering 1 day a week and now volunteers 4 days a week. She spends much of her time in the office helping keeping things organized. She feels that organization is one of her gifts and she wants to use that gift to help others. In addition to the time she spends in the office, she helps in the store, helps serve meals, and in whatever other areas she is needed.

Marla serves because she wants people to know that she serves a God of grace and mercy. Through her time serving, she has learned how important it is to be an asset to others. She feels like she is able to contribute in some way. She also encourages others to volunteer and spend time getting to know the people that come to the Mission.

Marla says that the Mission has become a home away from home for her. She feels that the Mission is a family environment where people support each other.

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The purpose of this blog is to tell the story of the Clarksburg Mission. We want to tell the stories of change that has happened in the lives of people who have come to the Mission. This week's story is from Mark, an employee at the Mission.

Mark was born and raised in a good family in Pennsboro, WV.After graduating high school, Mark went to college on a golf scholarship. He attended for one year before moving to North Carolina. Mark says that his lifestyle began to change during this time. He began getting into drugs and alcohol. He moved back to WV looking for a fresh start. Mark got a job as a care salesman and was making a good living. During this time his habits went from being fun to becoming problems. He got more involved in drugs, alcohol, and gambling.

In February of 2008, Mark went to Teen Challenge for their 12 month program. During this time he gave his life back to God and began to seek His will. While at Teen Challenge, Mark met Mike Stewart who told him about the Clarksburg Mission. Mark was interested in helping out at the Mission and Chris Mullett offered Mark a job as recycling manager. Mark has had this job since March of 2009.

Mark says that he feels very supported by the Clarksburg Mission. The people have helped him in his personal life and helped him restore his family. Mark has the opportunity to lead a Bible study and minister to those who come to the Mission. Mark says that he has seen many lives changed during his time at the Clarksburg Mission.

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If you ask someone for directions, but lie about where you, the directions will do you no good. I've had this problem. I've wanted to get to a better place spiritually, but didn't want anyone to know where I was starting from. I've wanted to get to a better place in my relationships, but didn't want anyone to know how wounded I was relationally. I've wanted to be in a better place financially, but didn't want anyone to know just how bad things were with my finances.

I think a lot of people have this problem. It's hard to admit where we really are in life. And it's sad that so few of us have someone in our lives with whom we can be transparent; to whom we can confess who we really are. We have lots of excuses for not having that kind of person in our lives with whom we can share so openly. But the truth is that we really just don't want to come clean. We're embarrassed about some of the places we've been.

I get lied to all the time when people are telling me about their life. The people who are covering up the truth think they're protecting themselves. The truth is their keeping someone who cares from being able to give them good directions. If you ask someone to help you on your life journey, make sure you're honest about where you are.

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The Clarksburg Mission has many opportunities for you to get involved. This week, we wanted to highlight one of the Mission’s newest projects- the Mission’s new store.

On February 1st, Barbour County Thrift opened in Philippi. Danny Knight, who runs the store, said that since the store in Clarksburg was doing so well, the opportunity was there to try the same thing in another community. He says that the response from the community has been great. People have been very accepting and are coming in on a daily basis to donate and purchase items. The first month has been a profitable one and the needs of the community are being met.

Danny hopes the store will be a big help to the people of Philippi. All the money made at the store goes back into the Mission to fund its projects. He hopes the store will help the Mission be able to expand its work and meet needs in Barbour County like it has been doing in Harrison County.

The store is in need of donations such as clothing. The biggest need right now is big-ticket items such as furniture and appliances. Volunteers are welcome to come in and donate their time. The store is open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Beginning the 2nd Saturday in April, the store will also open on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. If you have any questions about the store or want to make a donation or volunteer, call the Mission at (304)622-2451.

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Welcome to the new Clarksburg Mission blog! Here you will find weekly thoughts from Chris and other staff members from the Mission. We will also be updating you on the Mission's ongoing projects, needs, and ways for you to get involved. You can also find links to our Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr pages. These are also great ways to see what the Mission is up to.

The blog is still under construction, so please excuse us if things are looking a little messy.

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