Addictions and homelessness remain prevalent issues in Moose Jaw. Sometimes it takes the right person with firsthand knowledge on both sides of the issue to come up with a solution.
Gus Carrasco could be that person. He went from a life of drug addiction to this being his third consecutive year staying clean.
Carrasco found a support system he calls his pillars, and he found his calling – to pay it forward and help others find hope as he has. By providing a living example of what someone on the street can aspire to and mentoring those who are ready, Carrasco is starting a movement.
He calls his movement ‘Gus’s Street Gospel.’
Before moving to Moose Jaw, Carrasco started to experience lower back pain and involuntary shaking. In November 2020, with all the walk-in clinics in Saskatoon closed, he was admitted to the hospital.
“That was God’s intervention man, because I ended up in the hospital and I never left for three weeks. If I had gone to a walk-in clinic, they would have just given me something for the pain. I would have been gone,” Carrasco said.
Carrasco found himself in the cardiac unit and almost suffered a heart attack. The doctor’s prognosis on the following day gave him a fifty-fifty chance of survival. “That’s when I knew… that I was in trouble,” he said.
“All I said was, ‘God, this is not my time. Please don’t take me now.’”
Now in his 50s, Carrasco can’t work for more than a few consecutive hours due to cardiomyopathy, a heart condition resulting from his former crack cocaine use. His medication limits his options further.
Still, each morning he runs as far as he can to build the strength in his heart back. “…I made a commitment,” he said.
Carrasco said many on the streets are trapped and reinforced by a daily routine involving the same people, the same environment, and the same negative habits.
“Our goal is to get high, and just to be around the same people who are the same as us… and that’s why we are where we are. But how do we get out of that rut?”
“(The homeless) already think they’re losers, and society keeps pushing them down,” said Carrasco. “They say… you’re never going to make it. But somebody told me once, I believe in you, Gus. I remember crying…”
With a support system in place, Carrasco now has food to prepare meals and a van to deliver them. This created what Pastor Larry Gerow at the Victory Church described as a prosperity test, as Carrasco was under no obligation to continue helping others.
“The Bible says, ‘the tempter is going to try’,” said Carrasco. “The Scripture (also) says to take up the cross and deny yourself. That morning, I said, ‘what do I do?’”
He then walked to St. Aiden Anglican Church and found people waiting for their routine sandwiches. He can’t explain why, but he announced, “You can get your sandwiches from me this afternoon.”
“That’s when I said I need to do something with my life; I need to have a purpose and meaning. I knew I was on fire – I had to go out there and do something and be proactive.
“The Gospel is just good news. The good news is you don’t have to suffer unnecessarily,” said Carrasco. “We’re building a healthier, stronger community. We’re helping people get better, get stronger, and they become fruitful, useful.”
Carrasco speaks with anyone willing to listen. When he recognizes the readiness for serious change, he’ll say, “you’re coming with me, bro,” and takes that person under his mentorship.
“You go from being an outcast, to what it says in the Bible, ‘keep turning outcasts into evangelists’,” he said. “Once they start to see good, they want it. But put two toxic people together – where’s the hope there?”
“I see the potential in you,” he will say to people who likely haven’t heard the words before. “You get them to think. We’re so used to believing that we’re not good, so you don’t believe you’re good. What are you going to do? You’re going to be bad.”
His advice is to take up new habits: start exercising, seek education, or volunteer your time. “The best part… is how you start liking yourself and who you are,” he said. “Just pause, stand in front of the mirror, and look at yourself. Do you think you deserve that, or do you think you deserve better?”
“Hope is one thing you cannot afford to lose…,” he said. “I hope I can continue becoming a much better person.”
The best way to help Carrasco is by donating gas money so he can continue his work. His number is 306-370-0260 and his Facebook page is ‘Gus’s street gospel.’
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