Lighthouse Ministries Graduate

Jon Operhall came to Lighthouse not as a homeless man, but as someone who was “lost.” He had spent much of his life in Pennsylvania, reveling in excesses as he attempted a professional baseball career. He lost his chance at that dream when drugs and alcohol became more important than playing. His life as a cell phone tower technician was less than fulfilling, but he committed to getting sober, and remained that way for 13 years.

All of that changed in 2008 when his teenage daughter found him after years of no contact. He picked up his life and moved to Florida to reconnect with her. Despite his elation to have contact with her again, the stresses of some of the hardships that occurred in her life without him, mired by the tragic loss of several of his co-workers, pushed Jon back to his addictions.

At the beginning of 2009, he planned to run away from everything, back to Pennsylvania, but a chance encounter at the bus stop guided him to Lighthouse. He felt compelled to check out the campus, and he what he found here was peace.

Since coming to Lighthouse, Jon (who prefers to be called Opie) has found the Lord again, recommitting his life to the Lord’s pursuits. He has continued to reconnect with his daughter, mostly through phone and mail conversations, as she prepares for college. She has even been offered a scholarship for softball, following in the footsteps of her dad.

Jon was able to attend several missions trips to Puerto Rico (shown above) through his relationship with staff member, Steve Bellamy. He was blessed to share the gospel, help build homes for poor families, and expand his vision of the world.

Jon completed the Lighthouse Ministries One Stop Care for Men residential program in early 2010. He worked for several months in the Brandon Family Store, but he was recently accepted to the Victory Trade School in Springfield, Missouri. He now attends the school full-time as a culinary student, and he hopes to make his passion for the culinary arts into a career he can be proud of.