Spiritual Journeys

Russell's dad spent most of Russell's life in prison and when he did get out he spent most of his time involved in crime or physically abusing his family. Russell was raised by his alcoholic mother who later became an independent fundamentalist Baptist and by the men who were a part of his dad's gang. He naturally began working with his dad's friend by selling drugs and eventually got into street racing. Looking for a way out, he joined the Army, became a ranger, and served for 8 years. During his time in the reserves, an old friend showed up and began sharing with him about Jesus. That's when everything began to change. 

Josh was raised in a divorced agnostic household, but his father encountered God when he was 10. Nevertheless, he went down a path of drug addiction, drug dealing, popularity in the party scene, and multiple jail sentences that eventually landed him in a one year mandatory rehab. He stubbornly resisted God for most of the time in rehab, but after many months of being loved by people and God he surrendered his life to Jesus.

Even though Samuel experienced God as a child and was raised in a strong Baptist family, he developed same sex attraction and couldn't fit into his Christian culture. He loved God, but began having relationships with men as a teenager. This led him to move to NYC, become a gay stripper. After experiencing every pleasure he could conceive he found himself empty. He cried out to God and was encountered by God's joy.

John grew up with a secular Jewish father and new age mother. He never stepped foot into a church in his life except for weddings and funerals. He played college basketball in the USA and pro basketball for Hapoel Haifa in Israel and became an Israeli citizen. After returning to the USA, he reached a low point and overdosed on shrooms. He nearly died and experienced a glimpse of Hell, but Jesus saved him. He committed to a church during the pandemic, was discipled, and baptized in 2020.

Steve grew up in South Korea until age 9 and returned there again for high school. He was raised in a devout Buddhist family and was himself a sincerely devout Buddhist. After consuming a "death bowl" of drugs, he can't sleep for 10 days and begins losing his mind. On the tenth day, "Buddha" appears to him and tells him to sacrifice himself to him. He cuts himself open, dies, and ends up in Hell. His mom calls Christian friends to pray, the doctors are able to save his life, and Jesus saves him from Hell.

Joshua Carvalho was raised by godly parents who are missionaries from Brazil to the United States. His parents planted 8 churches in the USA and are incredible pastors, leaders, and evangelists. At 12 years of age, he had a radical conversion to Christ where he fully submitted his life to Christ by going on a 40 day fast. At 13, he had a six hour encounter with God that propelled him into a lifestyle of evangelism. At 19, he went on a six month faith journey across America. At 20, he founded a ministry.

James Abraham lived through WWII as a child, began attending church at 11 and never missed a Sunday for the rest of his life. He was a member of the Anglican, Baptist, and Catholic churches in England, Hong Kong, Jamaica, and the USA without ever encountering God or understanding the Gospel. On the 10th week of an evangelism training program he attended at his Catholic Church, he received the revelation of the Gospel and was born again. He then founded a global evangelism ministry that he leads until today.

Raised in a New Age family, Casey's had many spiritual experiences growing up. Her main was passion was saving the planet and she wanted to dedicate her life to environmental activism. After being critically injured at Burning Man, she heard the voice of God for the first time. This set off a series of events that brought her a point of complete surrender to God.

Born and raised in Ethiopia, Eden had it all. A loving family, a quality education, a successful career working for Coca-Cola in Africa, and all the pleasures of the world. Although he grew up in Ethiopian Orthodoxy, he became an intellectual atheist as a teenager. His sister came to Christ when he was 19 and she brought most of her family to Christ. Eden held out 7 more years, until his life was shaken, a prophet spoke over his life, he attended church, and finally surrendered his life to Jesus.

Jennifer grew up in a nominal Lutheran family in Michigan. She went to church and Christian private schools her entire life. After being sexually abused by a relative at 4, she became sexually active. After having her first child at 17, she became a stripper for 7 years. Throughout much of this time, she was attending church. She moved to Florida with the hopes of turning her life around to no avail. After a nervous breakdown, she had an encounter with the Holy Spirit that changed her forever.

Jeff grew up in a family of drug addicts. His mom gave him weed at age 5, he started taking LSD and cocaine at age 9, and became a drug addict and alcoholic at an early age. After meeting some strange people who actually cared about him and showed him the love of God he started attending a Christian meeting. After a year of going to the meetings as an atheist, he gave his life to Christ and experienced the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Allen grew up nominally Lutheran in the Midwest. Although he identified as Christian his entire life, he was addicted to porn, sex, and drinking. He tried multiple times to be set free from his sexual addictions by becoming more dedicated to religion, but religion never changed him. Allen married Jen, who was a stripper, and after Jen survived a traumatic experience she encountered the Holy Spirit. Through his wife's radical conversion, Allen's life and faith was challenged until he too had an encounter with the Holy Spirit and was forever changed. Allen and Jen are now full time missionaries with Pioneers and are planning to be missionaries to an unreached Muslim people group in Senegal.

Alex grew up in a non-religious home, lost his father as a teenager, and grew up with very little exposure of or desire for God. When one of his close friends was completely changed by Christ, he attended church with him out of respect for his friend. There he was encountered by God and forever changed.

Rodrigo grew up in a strong Christian home and attended dynamic Christian churches during his childhood. But after being a part of several churches who fell into scandal after scandal he decided that God was not real and Christianity was a total hoax. He hated Christianity and became a staunch atheist who was filled with rage and a love for violence. Nevertheless, God drew Rodrigo back to Himself and one day encountered him face-to-face. He would never be the same after that encounter and ever since has lived a life completely abandoned towards God.

Davon Johnson struggled to find his identity as he was raised by a single mother and was surrounded by Muslim, Christian, and Jehovah's Witness belief systems throughout his life. He was labeled gay at an early age and shares in detail his progression from being bi-curious to bisexual to gay. But everything changed when he encountered the Holy Spirit and discovered his new identity in Christ.

Joe Yanok shares how God awakened him out of nominal Christianity into a life fully surrendered to Him. He also shares about how his marriage was nearly destroyed until God took full control of their lives and their marriage.

Luca Grappoli was transgender for 30 years. She shares the details the abuse she experienced as a child, her desire to be a man, and how she became utterly convinced that she was a man and lived as a man for decades. Through a series of events God encountered her in powerful ways and completely transformed her life. Now Luca is a self-proclaimed woman who is no longer attracted to the same sex. This is her story.

Luca Grappoli was transgender and for 30 years. She shares the details the abuse she experienced as a child, her desire to be a man, and how she became utterly convinced that she was a man and lived as a man for decades. Through a series of events God encountered her in powerful ways and completely transformed her life. Now Luca is a self-proclaimed woman who is no longer attracted to the same sex. This is her story.

Fabian Ancinez went from being a hypocritical, church going Christian to a world changing Christian who God is using to save countless souls, heal the sick, and bring transformation to those around him. Fabian's story is a beautiful story of rediscovering Jesus for who He really is.

Eddie Santana was born into a family of Mexican gangsters in Los Angeles, but he barely knew his father because he was in prison for most of Eddie's childhood. At a young age he formed his own crew and joined a gang himself. Throughout his life he has several spiritual experiences that confirmed to him that God was real. After many twists and turns in his story he found himself talking to a street preacher and walking into a church service that changed the course of his life forever.