Ezekiel Walker

My name is Ezekiel Walker, and today I stand before you as living proof that God still performs miracles in the lives of broken people. My journey to this moment did not begin in a classroom or a stable home; it began in chaos, trauma, and survival. I grew up in places where love was absent and pain was normal. The foster care system, abuse, instability, and the streets shaped me long before I ever understood what a future could look like.

At thirteen years old, I was a kid searching for belonging, and I found it in a gang. That choice led me into a 24‑year addiction to methamphetamine: a drug that became my escape, my comfort, and eventually my prison. I spent over a year homeless in Oceanside, waking up on sidewalks, behind buildings, and in alleys, wondering if I would make it through another night. I lost people I loved, including my stepsister, to an overdose. I was wrongfully convicted and spent two years in prison for a crime I did not commit. By the time I was released, I was empty. I was tired. I was done.

I reached a point where I didn’t want to live anymore. I attempted to take my own life, believing the world would be better without me. But God said otherwise.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

My Turning Point

On March 28, 2025, I made the decision to change my life. At the peak of my drug use, I was experiencing a deep spiritual battle within myself, one that I could no longer ignore. That battle led me to Mission Behavioral Health, where I took the first real step toward surrendering my life and my will.

On April 4, 2025, I was brought to Turning Point Crisis House, where I stayed for two weeks. That time gave me space to stabilize, reflect, and begin hearing God’s voice again. Then on April 21, 2025, I moved into Convicted for Christ Sober Living. While there, I attended McAlister Comprehensive Substance Abuse Treatment and Mental Health Services.

But even while I was doing the right things on paper, I knew in my heart that I wasn’t fully committed yet. Something was missing. As I prayed about it, I felt God calling me toward a more structured environment; one that would challenge me, stretch me, and hold me accountable in ways I truly needed.

I went to my sober living house manager, Michael, and told him exactly that: I needed more structure, and I felt it was a calling. After multiple conversations and searching for the right placement, Michael told me he had found a place for me at the San Diego Rescue Mission.

We came to an agreement under one condition; one promise. If I started the program, I would finish it. I would graduate. We sealed that promise with a handshake.

On June 17, 2025, we said our farewells. I packed my bags into the van, and Michael drove me to North County Lighthouse, where I was transferred downtown to the San Diego Rescue Mission. That day marked the beginning of my one‑year journey—and the transformation of my life.

Transformation and Purpose

At the Mission, I was seen not as an addict, not as a criminal, not as a lost cause—but as a human being. They gave me a bed, a meal, and safety, but more importantly, they gave me dignity. They helped me confront the trauma I had buried for decades. They taught me structure, accountability, and faith. They helped me rebuild my spirit piece by piece.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

During my time there, I reached one full year of sobriety, something I once believed was impossible. I served in outreach, supported the sound and audiovisual team, completed over 160 internship hours, and became a coach for the Up and Running program. I discovered that the same streets that once held me captive were now the streets God was calling me to serve.

That calling led me to San Diego City College, where I pursued social work. Education became a symbol of redemption—proof that my past did not disqualify me from my future. Today, as I graduate, I stand not as the man I used to be, but as the man God is shaping me to become.

“For I know the plans I have for you… plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Living the Mission

My purpose now is simple: to go back into the darkness I came from and bring light to others. To reach the homeless, the addicted, the forgotten, the kids in foster care who feel invisible. To be the person I needed when I was young. To show them that lives change here so we can change lives out there.

I am sober.
I am restored.
I am redeemed.

I am grateful to God, to the San Diego Rescue Mission, to Michael, to my instructors, to my community, and to every person who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.

My name is Ezekiel Walker, and this is not the end of my story.
This is the beginning of my mission.