CHRIST LIKE LOVE

This campaign involves myself, my family, and my community.

A little bit of a backstory so that this campaign has validity and credibility to those that come across this and those that read it have an understanding of the depth and importance that this campaign has.

My wife Stephanie was a skilled Mason in the local union and for many years she poured concrete for the Union. She undoubtedly worked like a man for many years. In 2018 she was diagnosed with cervical and uterine cancer and underwent a full hysterectomy. Against all odds she fought through cancer and beat it. She is 34 now but when she was 18 she was brutally raped and left for dead. At the time she was part of a Pentecostal worship and praise ministry team and was actually the leader. And was engaged to marry the pastor's son. After she was raped the pastor and his wife deemed my wife unpure and did not believe her story as to what had happened to her. She was stripped of her ministry and her soon-to-be husband turned his back on her. After that she backslid and was living a secular lifestyle she became an alcoholic she was a stripper and became addicted to drugs. She overcame addiction sometime before her and I met and I will get to that part of us meeting shortly.

I was just released from prison in 2019 after serving 16 years in prison for nonviolent and non-sexual charges. I am a retired high-ranking gang member that while in prison I encountered gang wars, race wars, and witnessed violent sexual assaults that others committed on other offenders. I have been stabbed and have had multiple attempts on my life while incarcerated in prison I also spent long periods of time in secure housing units better known as supermax facilities. Where I was lucky to have an hour out of my cell a day in a shower every 3 days everywhere that I was taking I was shackled from head to toe and had a dog leash attached to me. And I also had a very traumatic childhood and had abandonment issues. As a result I suffer from PTSD. I also battled addiction for 20 years of my life.

Shortly after being released from prison I met my wife Stephanie and it was truly love at first sight! It was a soulful connection hence the terminology soulmates. My wife would later on go on to say that when she met me the Lord spoke to her and told her that I would win many souls one day for the kingdom of God and that my testimony would hold tremendous power against the enemy.

7 days later we would get married! When we got married she was still battling alcoholism and I was a missed battling addiction to drugs I was still gang banging and selling drugs. Our marriage and relationship was very toxic during this time. She overcame alcoholism first. Then one day I broke down in tears to her about the torment that I was being subject to by spirits of addiction.

On a random Tuesday morning we were on our way to one of my doctor's appointments when unexpectedly we ended up at a church that the pastor of the church was coincidentally her track coach when she was younger and she told me that on that day I would be delivered from addiction and a lustful spirit. We arrived at the church almost simultaneously as the pastor arrived to the church. There was only myself my wife the pastor and the man that cleans the church there that day. We went to the pastor's office and I begin to tell him everything about my life what I had gone through and been going through. That day the pastor through the authority invested in him by Jesus Christ cast multiple demons out of me and then after I was delivered and set free the first thing that I said was where is the water? The pastor said that the water was ice cold and not ready I did not care as I took my shirt and pants and socks and shoes off I ran and jumped into the ice cold water and the pastor baptized me by water in Jesus name. When I came out of the water I felt so cleansed and pure and it was so exhilarating that I told the pastor dunk me again. And then I was baptized the second time aggressively by the pastor. After being baptized while still soaking wet with no shirt on the pastor had the man that was cleaning the church record a testimony while my wife was in the background playing the keyboard. Keep in mind this was only about 9 months ago. The pastor posted this testimony video on the church's Facebook page and it went viral as of today my testimony video has 8.4 million views and growing! So my being delivered and saved brought my wife back to the Lord as well. I often say that my wife and I are the most passionate people that I know and have the biggest hearts.

I have always had a passion to work with the at-risk youth and to someday make a difference in my community and beyond. My wife has always had a very loving and caring spirit. Some time ago my wife and I began working with the at-risk youth in our community and any troubled children that crossed our path. On any given Sunday we take 10 to 15 children to church with us the last church service that we went to out of the 15 five of the children were baptized and I personally was given the privilege to baptize one of the boys myself. It's very sad to see how some of these children's lives are what their home lives are like and their struggles and trials as children. We dedicate so much of our time and money and resources to working with these at risk children that because of it we have spread ourselves financially very thin to the point that we are losing our home and luckily our church has lended us their Church band to use until things get better. And in Jesus name they are going to get back we claim and declare victory in Jesus name. I am making this campaign asking to raise the money for us to have the resources to continue to work with the at-risk youth in our community and to help us secure our home and to get a vehicle that we may be able to transport children back and forth to appointments Church School etc. Many nights we get phone calls from these children telling us that they are hungry and that they have no food in their home. No matter the time of night or day we drop what we are doing and we do things for these children that no one else will do for them. We sacrifice our own resources and go without to help these children and show them true Christ like love. This campaign is detrimental to our work with the at-risk youth into the security of our maintaining a home and getting transportation to continue doing these things. We pray from the bottom of our heart that you will read our story and it will touch you in such a passionate way that you will help us help the at-risk youth in and around our community.

Thank you and God bless

Justin and Stephanie Woodhouse