Marcus

With Housing and Faith in Place, Future is Bright for Marcus

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.  Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it.  And when he finds it, he joyfully put it on his shoulders and goes home.”  Jesus in Luke 15.

Followers of Jesus know all about “lost sheep” moments – or seasons – in life, right?!  In his pursuit of each of our hearts, we have all been the lost sheep at least once!  With spiritual eyes, we can see fellow brothers, sisters and even whole neighborhoods in the city as lost sheep, longing to be found and made whole again by the Father.

This is the type of restoration Building Hope in the City (BHITC) sees critical to Kingdom work in city neighborhoods where sub-standard housing, evictions, neglect, crime and hopelessness take root.  For these reasons, even the best-equipped churches and nonprofits never see outcomes that reflect their level of investment and relationships with its people.

BHITC seeks to change this, not for the whole city (at least not yet!), but for the people and communities of Clark-Fulton and Stockyards (CFSY) where God continues to open doors through the organization’s deep relationships and partnerships.

It’s for the story of God’s work in men like Marcus Stevenson that Good Neighbors & Co. (GN&Co.), BHITC’s community and housing renewal company, exists. Marcus exudes the power of persevering in the faith and seeing God’s blessings anywhere he can.  He is grateful, determined and growing spiritually, all while surrounded by the type of “family” of support provided through GN&Co. 

You may remember the story last spring about a local family who donated an entire house in this neighborhood to BHITC?!  Marcus is exactly the tenant God had in mind for that home!  Through some difficult circumstances and some choices, Marcus found himself at a place of deep personal loss, which also included his home.  His car and hotels became his home until he was reconnected with a friend he had known from church and BHITC several years prior.

“It has totally been a blessing to have a roof over my head that is safe and warm,” says Marcus.  Life did not immediately get easier for him when he moved into a GN&Co. property, but he explains how having a safe, stable, affordable home “allowed me the ability to focus on other stressful things going on in my life.  Even though I still had a lot to overcome, having a home where the rental cost was not enormous, truly helped me get back on my feet and focus on my next step,” says Marcus.  

Since moving into the GN&Co. property last August, Marcus found employment through a staffing agency, transitioned to full-time employment and was recently promoted within the same job, all in the last year.  

“The care and communication from the team at BHITC and GN&Co. has been more like a family.  I have a community of people looking out for me,” says Marcus, who is actively engaged in his local church again and learning all he can from God through these life experiences. 

“The biggest thing for me in this journey has been growing in my faith and growing in my forgiveness,” says Marcus. “Either I win or I learn, I cannot lose because God sees my full story to the end.  Today I focus on what am I supposed to learn to be better for tomorrow. There is still something God has me here to do for Him.”  

Don’t think restoration of a person, home or neighborhood is possible?  Just ask Marcus!