John’s Success Story

Editor’s Note: Five years ago, John Stauff first shared his life story in The Rescuer. This month, we provide an update on how God has continued to work in John’s life since his days of homelessness on the streets of Salt Lake City.

Today, I lead a crew helping to build tunnels beneath Las Vegas. These massive passageways, affectionately called the “Vegas Loop,” will take more than a decade to complete. Once finished, they will provide an alternative transportation system: an underground network of self-driving cars, like an upscale subway.

It’s fun but hard work. The best part is I’m sober, earning a good wage, living in a house of my own, and reconnecting with my children and grandchildren, who live within driving distance in northern Nevada. It’s a beautiful life and a stark contrast to where I was in 2018, at my most desperate moment.

Letting God change my life wasn’t easy. I endured the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic at the Mission, lived through the earthquake that damaged our building, and was temporarily relocated to an old recreation center. But despite those struggles, nothing compared to the hardships I had already lived through on the streets of Salt Lake.

I originally came to Utah to work for a solar installation company. I had always worked hard—but also partied hard, functioning as an alcohol and drug abuser. When federal funding for solar power dried up, the company shut down, leaving me jobless and without connections in Utah.

Although I could have returned to Nevada and asked my family for help, my pride wouldn’t let me return home with my tail between my legs. Instead, I started living out of my car while continuing to use drugs and alcohol. Soon, my car and my money were gone, and I ended up at the downtown public housing shelter, which was still open at the time.

At the shelter, I was robbed several times. Then, one day, I saw a familiar face on the street. It was a former coworker from the solar company. He told me about the Rescue Mission and encouraged me to seek help. I believe now that the coworker was sent by God.

I joined the Mission’s New Life Program, where I gained a refreshed knowledge of God and His Son, Jesus, through the Bible. I realized I had been trying to control my own life instead of surrendering to Him. When I asked God to take control, a weight lifted off my shoulders. I felt less pressure and worry, and my soul found freedom, knowing Jesus had forgiven me for my past addiction. For the first time, I trusted that God had the power to keep me clean and sober—because I knew I didn’t have the strength to do it myself.

After graduating from the New Life Program, I found a job and began paying rent at Freedom House, the Mission’s transitional housing unit. There, I gained more freedom while still having the accountability I needed.

When my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I moved to Nevada to be with him, spending two years caring for him. I was grateful to be sober and present during the time he needed me most.

After my father passed, God blessed me with my current job. The Vegas Loop will be an underground transportation system connecting the Las Vegas airport to the Convention Center with stops along the way—whenever individual casinos choose to sponsor a station.

Along with meaningful work, God continues to bless me with sobriety and a relationship with Him. I attend regular recovery meetings and a local church every week. I also volunteer at a homeless services center here in Vegas sharing how God lifted me from addiction and homelessness.

On my days off, I often make the drive to northern Nevada to see my four granddaughters (all girls), ages 3 to 11. It’s a joy to be a sober grandfather to them.

Thank you for supporting the Rescue Mission. Your generosity and God’s power have transformed my life—allowing me to support myself, be there for my father when he needed me, and to be there for my granddaughters today.