I was using needles alongside my dad and other family members, dropped out of highschool, and eventually, I turned to prostitution to support my drug use. For years, I was in and out of jail. By the time I was in my mid-twenties, I’d experienced multiple overdoses and even a suicide attempt. I tried going to treatment centers, but I didn’t get serious about getting sober until my sister’s son Odin was born. I couldn't stand being away from him and missing out on him growing up. I started to feel some sense of purpose again.

After four months of treatment, I moved to a sober living house. My mom, sister, and I were invited to attend a gathering at NorthEast of the Well. I met Jennifer Link there, and that was a turning point for me. Jennifer was so loving and kind, so I continued to attend gatherings. A year later, I was still struggling with suicidal thoughts. One night, the teaching pastor Marco was prompted by the Holy Spirit to ask if anyone was dealing with suicidal thoughts. I raised my hand and started crying, and everyone at the gathering lifted me up in prayer. In that moment, I was freed of that. The voices that were telling me to end my life left me. My sister and I were baptized together by our NorthEast family. They have forever touched my heart. Two weeks after my baptism, I encountered the Holy Spirit like never before. I thank the Lord for giving me new eyes to see and new ears to hear. I am truly alive in Him, my greatest treasure.

From the age of four, violence was the lens through which Woody saw life. He didn’t have a father figure, and he sought acceptance from his peers. “I was running around with the rich kids, smoking and drinking to be accepted,” said Woody. His attention shifted from sports to gangs. “I was a chameleon, always changing who I was in order to fit in.” Woody’s ability to fight earned him acceptance with gangs, but a series of armed robberies and possession charges landed him in prison with a sentence of 25 years to life. His charges were later reduced from life to nine years. In 2021, intoxicated and injured, he walked into a detox center at College Hospital in Costa Mesa. Looking back now, he knows the Lord was keeping him safe. Woody’s track led him to Grandpa’s House where he met NorthEast of the Well. Bobby, one of NorthEast’s Bible teachers with a similar story, has walked alongside him ever since. Woody faithfully attends one of NorthEast’s weekly large group gatherings. “When I walk through the doors of NorthEast, I experience love and acceptance, it’s real. God sent a ladder down to pull me out and said, ‘Son, you can do it.’” Woody credits his mom and grandmother for being his backbone through it all. He stands on Psalm 23.

Chelsea was trafficked for over 11 years and experienced every type of pimp, from those who used false romance for control to those who used power to abuse. All the promises of belonging and a life on top of the world were nothing but lies. She lost custody of her baby and, out of desperation, Chelsea started using drugs. When she found herself pregnant again, she knew she had to take ownership of her life.

A prenatal nurse referred Chelsea to Casa Teresa, a safe house for pregnant women. As soon as she settled into her room, she was told there was a Bible study. That is where she met NorthEast of the Well. Gail was the first person Chelsea saw, and she hugged her without any hesitation. At that moment, Chelsea felt safe and her healing with God truly began. After 10 months of Bible studies with NorthEast, she decided to get baptized. Coming out of the water, she felt an overwhelming joy well up inside of her, stronger than any other emotion she had ever experienced. All she could do was say, “Hallelujah!”

From a young age, Lorena’s life revolved around sex and drugs. A victim of human trafficking at the hands of her own parents, she was filled with bitterness and envy. Lorena turned to witchcraft, fornication, and addictions to distract herself. “I used drugs as much as possible and avoided reality.” Lorena was moving down a path of self-destruction, fueled by hatred for herself, God, and the world. Lorena was at a doctor’s appointment when everything changed. She heard her unborn daughter’s heartbeat, then noticed her own heart beating. Suddenly, she “felt God blow air” and was able to “inhale and feel alive for the first time.” After that, Lorena began to follow Jesus. He “healed [her] heart from bitterness and rage” and released her from her addictions. Through Christ, her life had purpose. Lorena’s faith eventually led her to attend an anti-human trafficking meeting where she met Laura and Shaneen from NorthEast of the Well. “I saw their heart for God's ministry through their smiles,” Lorena says of the NorthEast team. “I knew they were the real deal– there was a glow that only came from Jesus.” Today, Lorena works as an Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator for NorthEast of the Well. “I now get to serve in a ministry I'm passionate about and fight against human trafficking.” She lives with her children and is surrounded by a supportive church family. To the people she serves, Lorena always says, “Cry out with all your heart and be still, Jesus will meet you right where you are. No matter what, he has always loved you and always will.” Lorena understands how hard it is to break the bondages of sin, but she proclaims the truth that Jesus will take care of anyone who surrenders to him. “Do not lose heart or patience, it’s a process.”

Darrell, a retired veteran searching for community and connection, walked into NorthEast’s Long Beach gathering in 2018. After encountering the love of Christ, he had a desire to be baptized and inquired at many different churches, but he was turned down by each one. After hearing NorthEast’s announcement about baptisms at a gathering one night, he asked, “Is there any reason I couldn’t be baptized?” (Acts 8:36). Soon after, he was baptized by Laura and her husband, Tim. In response to his newfound hope in Christ and faith community, Darrell gives a portion of his veteran benefits to the ministry each month and continues to attend the Long Beach gathering. To this day, Darrell is overjoyed that nothing stood in the way of his baptism.