It has been a few months since I last updated the blog.  My personal story still continues to take shape and when the Lord gives me permission I will be filling in the blanks of 2010.

For now I would like to share with you a letter that was received by Mike and Kim a few weeks ago.  We met the man writing this letter when we were cooking out one Sunday afternoon in August.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Dear Pastor Mike, and Sister Kim, and family,

Hello, to all of you. I pray that when this letter reaches your hands, yourselves blessed in the Lord. I pray you all find yourselves in good health and abundantly prosperous. As for me, I am doing fine, thanks to our heavenly Father up above. I am doing really well, Mike and Kim. I can see life through clear eyes for a change and that is something I haven’t been able to do for a long time (THANK YOU JESUS!).

It was really great to receive your letter. I got the letter you sent to the Beeville address on Monday. It was awesome to hear from you guys. I think you for the encouraging scriptures also. Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorite scriptures. It’s really good to know that even thought I have wasted so many years of my life, even taking in to consideration all the mistakes I have made, God still has plans for my life, and that is really amazing! You know, being out there on the streets, addicted and strung out, coming out of prison, not just once, but twice, you start to lose hope; you start to give up on yourself! And that’s what I did for a long time. Now God has restored my hope, He has broadened my horizons and I thank Him so much for that!

Mike, can you actually believe I am going to a Bible college over in Robstown on Tuesday and Thursday Nights! We take two vans over there, one for the men and one for the women. I take a class in Bible theology and I take a class on the Gospels. I am taking a course now on the book of Genesis. As a matter of fact, I have a test in that class tonight- LOL. So pray for me, please. The next time I write you I will let you know how I did, okay! I take a few other courses, too, but I just started, so I don’t know what they are exactly! Oh, I am taking a Spanish class, also, so I can mister and witness in Spanish! Which is good, cuz I know Spanish already. LOL. That way when I get sent out to the streets to witness and testify, I can speak to the Spanish speaking people also! I really have a strong desire to be used by God, Mike and Kim. I feel like I owe Him so much. HE SAVED ME. He picked me up off the streets of Corpus Christi and put me on a new path (THANK- YOU- JESUS) and I never want to go bck to my old way of life. I want to take His message of hope to the lost.

Thank you for all the prayers, Mike and Kim. Thank you for caring when no one else did. Thank you both from the bottom of my heart. You are both a blessing I will never forget. I pray for all of you everyday. Please continue praying for my daughters Ashley (10 yrs) and Vanessa (8 yrs). I sent them each a letter last week, so hopefully I will hear from them this week sometime. Please keep this in prayer, OK? I really miss them.

Hey, it’s Wednesday, September 22 , now and I have a praise report. Are you ready for this? Yesterday afternoon, about 6:00 pm, we had just finished prayer time and we were just going to start praise and worship. Well this home director was on the cell phone and he came up to me and gave me the phone and told me it was my daughters and they wanted to talk to me. Praise God! So I got to talk to them for about 15 minutes. It was so awesome to talk to my babies. My oldest daughter, Ashley, she’s in volleyball, and my youngest daughter, Vanessa, she’s a cheerleader. Theya re doing really good, so I am so thankful to God for what he is doing in their lives (THANK YOU JESUS) Thank you both for all your prayers and support. Will write again soon and I will send some pictures, ok.

Write back soon!!!

With lots of love,

Johnny

PS. I took my first test in Bible college last night- will tell you my grade as soon as I get it.

Ezekiel 36: 26 “A new heart also I will give you and a new spirit will I put within you…” Thank you Jesus.