Welding a Sculpture and Finding Hope

When Laszlo Szalay hit a low point in his life, God helped him find healing through an art ministry led by Resonate Global Mission missionary Pamela Alderman.

Szalay served for 18 years as a United States Marine before returning home to Michigan. His tours took him to several countries, where he experienced combat. After finishing his service with the Marines and the United States Intelligence Community, he became a teacher of industrial technology and mechanical engineering to high school and college students. He also struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as many veterans do. His sleep was often restless with nightmares. Loud noises and crowds could easily trigger him.

Then Szalay was in a serious motorcycle accident in 2012. The accident left him with a leg amputation and a traumatic brain injury—all in addition to his PTSD. He was devastated.

While recovering in the hospital, Szalay started to participate in art therapy. He not only enjoyed creating art, he said, but he found that it helped him to rein in his spiraling thoughts. With the help of a retired service dog, Emperor, Szalay was also able to manage his PTSD.

When he heard about Alderman’s Art for Honor, a project for veterans to create and show their art in a citywide art competition, Szalay decided to give it a try.

Alderman is an artist and a Resonate missionary who started Healing in Arts, a ministry that helps people find healing and community through art.

“I create interactive art experiences to build caring, hope, and connections,” said Alderman. “Part of finding hope, of course, is in Christ—but we also need each other. We need community so that we don’t isolate and sort of spiral downward.”

Alderman noted that not everyone is comfortable stepping foot in a church building, so these art projects give her an opportunity to help people experience the hope of the gospel through art and relationships. 

When Alderman met Szalay, she got to know him a little and listened to his story. His family had worked in welding, and he had a degree in mechanical engineering, so she suggested he try a welding project.

The idea of welding intimidated Szalay at first. Despite his family’s background and his new interest in art, he had never created a sculpture before. And although he struggled with the project and wanted to give up many times, with encouragement from Alderman, he persevered. As weeks passed, Szalay’s sculpture started to take form—four paws, a tail, two ears.

As Alderman worked with Szalay on his project, the two got to know each other a little better. Alderman and her team of volunteers regularly started to reach out to Szalay not only to check in on his project and help guide him but also to inquire about his physical, emotional, and mental health—and to pray for him.

When the project was complete, Szalay had created a dynamic metal sculpture of his service dog, Emperor.

He also had hope again. Focusing on art gave him a break from some of his spiraling, anxious thoughts. It also gave him a renewed sense of purpose and direction in life. Since completing his sculpture of Emperor, Szalay went on to found the Emperor’s Pride Project, which raises funds to assist veterans with maintenance expenses for their service dogs.

After creating his sculpture, Szalay confided in Alderman, saying, “You helped save my life.”