I was born in the city of Huntington Beach, on the dead end street of Amberleaf Circle. I was raised in a Christian home in a community of Catholics which I quickly became an outsider alongside my brother. Growing up struggling with being accepted by my peers, I started skipping school and left the faith to hang out with the wrong crowd. At the age of 14, I started smoking weed and drinking, where it lead to one night walking around the neighborhood under the influence, coming out joining the local gang. Now it was the time to prove myself & be accepted because everyone looks down at the good Christian boy. My first gang fight before I turned 15 was with an older head twice my age & size from the rival gang. After that night I gained respect from the gang & started rising up & was no longer known as an outsider but was proud to be accepted. After a couple years getting deeper involved in drugs & the gang life including: gang fights, retaliations, graffiti, vandalism, robbery, House parties, and kickbacks. One night, at the age of 17 while hanging out with friends, 2 members from a rival gang approached me with bandannas around their face & baseball caps. While everybody ran, I stood tall with my brother & before you know it, they took out a blade & stabbed me in the back. I was rushed to the hospital. Due to all the violence & trouble we’d get into, my family decided to move out. 2 months after that my best homeboy got shot & murdered by a rival gang. I fell into a deep depression for 2 1/2 years. I was getting high everyday to get rid of the pain & to fill an emptiness that grew in my heart. I didn’t care about life. I thought I’m either going to kill myself, someone’s going to kill me or I’m going to end up in prison for murder, I didn’t want to live this way. I was scared to die. After struggling with God for so many years I knew it was time to go back to him. With the support of my family through their prayers & bible studies, I fell on my knees & repented before God. I felt alive, a new me was born. I broke free from the chains of depression, drugs & neighborhood life. Today I am a new creation. December 17th 2010 I gave my life to the Lord. I’ve been serving God at Street Light Church since March 2012. And was ordained as an assistant pastor on June 7, 2015. I’ve gone back to my old neighborhood to give bible studies, I go to prison ministry, I oversee our church sober living home, Restoration House. I have a heart to serve God & help others catch this fire that I have from the Holy Spirit..I just want to serve God.
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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17