I met Mark on adopt a block at the beginning of this school year. I walked up to a trailer blasting classic rock and knocked on the door. I was met with some profanity and a grungy looking man named Mark. He asked what i wanted and I froze and said I was from Westside and was here to spend time with him. He sensed "Christian" on me and started going off. He told me off for about half an hour, and Jesus blessed me with patience to listen. In the midst of it all he mentioned that he didn't know how to read. After his rant and him saying he never wanted me to come back. I told him I was going to and asked him if I could teach him how to read. He was taken back and his guarding composer changed immediately when met with Love. He said ya as long as I did not mention religion ever. I agreed.
I came every other weekend and hardly ever got to reading I listened to his life problems, helped build a shed, and just talked. I was also there to sing happy birthday to him on his 50. The entire time the Holy Spirit telling me to shut up and just Love. He started to mention something different about me and how I wasn't there for just my 5 minutes of fame and was "doing good".
After a few months he sat me down and told me he needed some hope because he was looking at his next door neighbors kid and was worried about the world she was entering and asked where i was going to me the next day (Sunday). I told him and drew him a map and sure enough he came and brought the neighbor and kid. After that our talks changed and i got to slowly start to speak truth after my obedience of shutting up. I received a call a couple weeks after that at about 9 at night and it was Mark at home fresh out of jail 2 days after Christmas. I got to his house and found out he had a warrant and was arrested. He was broken, fresh off a buzz of drinking and desperate. I got to talk and minister a little. He kept coming to Church he accepted Jesus. It wasn't enough though he still felt attached to his old life and asked about being baptized. I told him about it and what it meant and sure enough he got baptized (in his tie die cause he wanted to wash all that away).
He is smiling!! He has hope and i look forward more and more to see Jesus work on him. He asked recently if I remembered how he asked me to not talk about church and laughed about how things had changed. He used to greet me and send me off with a "pound" of the fists and now it is religiously a hug.And it was truly all Jesus because I didn't say anything Jesus did. I just tried my best to be there and love. He's got a lot to work through but he's willing and the best part is, is so is Jesus.