Originally from Saigon, Dean remembers growing up hungry everyday. During the end of the Vietnam War, his mom put Dean on the last helicopter leaving Saigon, which brought him to Hawaii.

In Hawaii he served as a plaster man for 23 years. Towards the end of his time in Hawaii he was making nearly $500 per day, most of which was spent on drugs and alcohol. Dean recalls, “I found myself in a lot of trouble in a short time…. I was tired of the person I was.” One day Dean decided to leave the island and move to the states. He hitchhiked from San Francisco to Seattle.

He remembers being down on the waterfront, underdressed since he had just left Hawaii. On his laptop, he Googled “Homeless Shelters.” Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission provided him meals and a place to rest. He pictured himself staying for just 6 months, but early on he started the Mission’s recovery program and started seeing positive changes.

Dean was enrolled in enrolled in the Mission’s Recovery Program. Through counseling, bible teaching, and education, he started feeling the freedom through Christ who has died for our sins. Dean reveals, “I see myself as a man of confidence in Christ… I can lend a hand to someone and help them out… let them know that they are not alone.”

Dean has been sober since January 2015. He is a graduate of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission year-long recovery program and manages food services operation at the Mission.

Listen to this incredible interview with Steve & Dean and hear this incredible story.