Jo-sef – “Truth and Love” and “IST^4″

Jo-sef, could choose to continue his life entrenched in drugs, alcohol and partying, or he could choose to break free. He grew up in Waterbury, Connecticut, and was just five years old when his parents divorced. With each new step-dad came a new wave of abuse, punishment and pain. He endured everything from being locked in a basement to being burned with fire. By the time Madigan was 16 years old, he fled from his home with a single bag of clothes. Homeless, he moved from house to house as various friends offered to host him, and lived a life that was far from stable.

At 19, Madigan heard about Hope City, a Christian organization located in Marion, Indiana, that provides housing for at-risk young adults and aids in getting them back on their feet. Through Madigan’s new relationship with Christ, he began to see his life change before his eyes. He broke free from his addiction to drugs, alcohol and sex, and he began to see a fresh vision for his life. “No one showed me who God was [when I was younger],” said Jo-sef. “I was limited to secular music and what the world was saying about love and sex, and I never had a voice. I feel like I can be that voice for people who are in that same place I was in.”