Former Inmate Turns His Life To Jesus
Former inmate Ruben Lira (left) and anchor ministry founder John ewell (right)
One of the guys John has worked closely with for the past 2 years, named Ruben Lira, sent us this letter. He has now been out of jail for 8 months and, although he has had many challenges, he has still remained close to Jesus. Ruben continues to complete all the classes that the court is requiring of him. In addition to the court stuff, he is also taking extra classes on parenting and has a job. Ruben also attends church regularly and a bible study.
We are extremely proud of Ruben and how he lets God lead him in his life. We can't wait to see whats next for our friend!
LETTER FROM A FORMER INMATE, RUBEN:
December 19, 2014
To whom it may concern,
My name is Ruben Lira, and I am writing this letter on behalf of John Ewell. I am writing to say if it wasn't for Pastor John coming into the Regional Justice Center I wouldn't have been inspired to change my life. He is a man that people like us need. People that grew up in the streets in a dysfunctional family, bad neighborhood and addicted to drugs. Those people are hard headed and don't like to listen to people that can't relate to what we have been through. We need someone like Pastor John. Someone who can share their experiences, strengths, and hope. Someone who gives us hope for the future because we know he comes from where we came from and made it out.
"We need someone like Pastor John. Someone who can share their experiences, strengths, and hope for the future."
Pastor John gives people who have lost all hope something to hope and look forward to. He gives people life that walk on a path of death. He speaks words of life that make the most hard hearted people cry. One of the lowest places a man can be in life is not having nothing to look forward to, nothing to live for, someone that has lost all hope and is ready to throw their life away and give up. Well, that was me until I met Pastor John Ewell. He made me see the light in me and through all of the darkness that lived inside of me. He gave me a reason to live and to keep moving forward. Something to hold on to and that something was JESUS.
Pastor John has helped many people come to JESUS and, because of that, our lives have changed drastically. He inspires a countless number of men and women, and not just in Jail, but on the streets also. He does outreach programs to help men and women that are using, living in the streets and motels, and people that live a life that the only end results are jails, institutions and death. He talks to them and he explains his story he tells them where he came from where he has been and where he is now. People that are living that lifestyle listen because they can relate and they can see where he is now because he lives for JESUS. I really admire Pastor John and look up to him and one day wish to do what he does: help men in jails, prisons, and institutions. Reasons being is because I know, from experience, what it feels like to be in there and have no one to talk to or no one that listens. Also because he helps them turn their lives around and isn't there to judge or look down on a person because of their mistakes.
"I really admire Pastor John and look up to him and one day wish to do what he does: help men in jails, prisons, and institutions."
He helps them walk righteously when they get out and I would also like to follow his footsteps by helping others change their lives.
Thank you for taking the time to listen and read this.
Sincerely,
Ruben Lira