A Testimony of God’s Goodness

Since the beginning of 2009 the Raven Ministry has been going to the Barbour Hotel every Wednesday. John is one of the residents that we have been able to see God do a great work in his life.

John comes from a dysfunctional family. Most of his brothers have been in and out of jail or are dead. He group in New York City and comes from a Puerto Rican family. He grew up around Santeria and also had somewhat of a Pentecostal background. He got mixed up with drugs as a younger man and has been in and out of jail for minor crimes. John has diabetes and is HIV positive, and is now in his forties. He and his wife, who is also sick, have three grown sons.

Since coming to the shelter we have seen God working in John’s life through prayer. John would faithfully meet with us every Wednesday to hear a message of hope and deliverance. Some nights he was broken, despondent and confused, but we would pray week after week and see his mind clear up. We also would see a hunger in John for more of God’s Word, so we decided to invite him to Times Square Church. Soon thereafter we began to pick him up at the Barbour Hotel and drive him to the Sunday service.

John has been responding to the good news and wants to live a better life and be a better example to his sons and wife. Since coming to Times Square Church, John has invited Christ into his heart to be his Lord and Savior. He has wept tears of Joy at the altar, in awe of the goodness of God. Now coming to services on his own, he brings others with him. He began taking new believer’s classes on Friday nights, and has been sharing the love of God with others in the shelter. As of December 2009 John has been consistently attending Sunday services, and is able to testify of the goodness of the Lord in his life. He recently moved out of the Barbour shelter into his new 1 bedroom apartment in Queens. Praise be to Jesus!