Meet Francisco.

I sat down and learned his story of how he came to Christ.

He’s a former gang member now serving as a children’s worker in a church.   He loves the Lord and wants these children to avoid the mistakes he made through his teen age years.

Growing up without his father, Francisco found his way into a neighborhood gang in his pre-teen years.  It didn’t take long before he was addicted to drugs, involved in theivery to support his habit, and generally being a menace in his community.

After assaulting his step-dad with a handgun, his mother kicked him out of the house, and he sought refuge with his gang.  But even they couldn’t provide a sleeping place for this kid.  He was homeless.

An uncle searched him out and began inviting Francisco to church.  But he didn’t want to go.  Church was full of wierd people.

But his uncle didn’t give up.  He kept inviting Francisco to church, but also started conversations with him about becoming a follower of Jesus.

As the circumstances brought Fransisco’s life crashing down around him, he finally started going to church.  After 2 more months of hearing the word of God preached and talking more with his uncle, he surrendered his life to the Lord.

In the intervening years, he’s left his gang, worked through his drug addictions, and is now serving as a security guard for the church and serving as an adult chaperone and mentor in the children’s ministry.  He wants to serve the Lord in mission to high risk youth, as he was once.

This man’s life has been redeemed.  It has not been an easy road to walk, but he’s growing in the Lord.