Light Has Dawned

Cleo Lewis was a military veteran who had just finished serving eight years in the air force. With a wife, kids and a mortgage to pay now, he is looking for a job that pays well and someone encourages him to become a police officer. He admits that he only joined because of the pay and not really in it to make a difference in the community. After a few years he ends up becoming an undercover police officer during the crack epidemic that hit America in the 1980's. On one such undercover mission, he believes he is meeting some  local neighborhood drug dealers but ends being face to face with some upper level Columbian's. They become suspicious of him and ask him to take a hit of crack cocaine. His plan is to punch the guy in the face and run out of that house, that is until he hears the unmistakable sound of an AK-47 being bolted and being placed to the back of his head. He ends up having to take a hit of the crack cocaine. This one event changed his life forever. Tune in to hear how he went from air force veteran, distinguished police officer, to a drug addict, convicted felon, inmate and homeless on the streets of Phoenix, Arizona. 

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📖 FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: THE GOSPEL JOURNEY book

Eight lessons. One Gospel. A journey from darkness to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Available on Amazon in English & Spanish versions.

ENGLISH: https://a.co/d/091DmTxC
SPANISH: https://a.co/d/0a70Efda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lighthasdawned

JC Almanza joins me on this weeks podcast episode. 
   Julio Almanza, a Chicago native, has transcended a life of adversity to become a symbol of strength and redemption. Raised on the streets and entangled in the grip of drugs and prison, Julio's journey is a testament to the transformative power of faith, resilience, and personal growth.
   Guided by his unshakable faith in God, Julio's life underwent a profound metamorphosis. Today, he stands as a living testament to the possibility of turning wrongs into strengths. Having emerged from the depths of his past, Julio now serves as a dedicated coach, mentor, and influential public speaker.
   With an unyielding belief that people can rise above their circumstances, Julio's life mission is clear—to be a beacon of guidance for those navigating their own challenges. His engaging talks and coaching sessions inspire individuals to embrace their inner potential, find their purpose, and rewrite their life stories.
   Julio Almanza's story isn't just about transformation; it's a call to action. Through his journey, he invites others to harness the power within themselves, embrace their faith, and transform their weaknesses into sources of strength. His narrative echoes the message that even in the face of adversity, faith, determination, and mentorship can lead to a life of purpose, impact, and fulfillment."

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Support the show

📖 FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: THE GOSPEL JOURNEY book

Eight lessons. One Gospel. A journey from darkness to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Available on Amazon in English & Spanish versions.

ENGLISH: https://a.co/d/091DmTxC
SPANISH: https://a.co/d/0a70Efda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lighthasdawned

Pastor Rocky Vasquez grew up in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood searching for something he could not fully explain: identity, acceptance, belonging, and the father he never had.

By age 12, he was involved in gang life. By 13, he had entered the juvenile justice system. What followed were years of violence, incarceration, gang leadership, and repeated encounters with the criminal justice system. Rocky would eventually spend approximately 17 years behind bars.

But in a jail cell, while facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison and reaching a point of complete hopelessness, Rocky cried out to God and surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.

His journey did not become easy overnight. Rocky shares openly about returning to gang life after his conversion, repeated incarceration, learning what it meant to truly follow Christ, becoming a husband and father, experiencing the devastating loss of his son, and discovering how God could redeem even the darkest parts of his story.

Today, Pastor Rocky uses the influence that once made him a leader in the streets to lead people toward Jesus Christ. He has served young people, prisoners, juvenile offenders, churches, and communities, and continues pursuing theological education while pastoring in Texas.

This is a powerful conversation about fatherlessness, gang culture, prison, identity, grief, discipleship, second chances, and the transforming grace of Jesus Christ.

No one is too far gone. No past is beyond redemption. The light that has dawned is Jesus Christ.

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Support the show

📖 FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: THE GOSPEL JOURNEY book

Eight lessons. One Gospel. A journey from darkness to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Available on Amazon in English & Spanish versions.

ENGLISH: https://a.co/d/091DmTxC
SPANISH: https://a.co/d/0a70Efda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lighthasdawned

On this podcast episode I sit down and talk to Pastor John LaTorre. John grew up with his mother and family in a small town in the state of Connecticut. At the age of seven he meets his father and begins to spend the summers with him out in Queens, New York. As a young man he longs to connect with his father and yearns to learn what it means to be a man. At the age of 11 he begins to smoke weed with his dad. This opens the door to a life of drug addiction and alcoholism. As a teenager he begins to deal drugs in order to fund his drug addiction. Things get really bad when he decides to rob a partner of his and has to go on the run. He gets deeper and deeper into darkness and by now he is a full blown heroin addict. His family encourage & push him to connect with an organization called "Teen Challenge." At this point in his life he finds himself miserable, suicidal, lost and with no hope in life. Tune in to hear what happens in this man's life when he hears God's voice calling out to him, "Why don't you give Me a chance? I can heal you."

https://parkcommunity.church/albany-park

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Support the show

📖 FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: THE GOSPEL JOURNEY book

Eight lessons. One Gospel. A journey from darkness to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Available on Amazon in English & Spanish versions.

ENGLISH: https://a.co/d/091DmTxC
SPANISH: https://a.co/d/0a70Efda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lighthasdawned

In this podcast episode Shawn Rae joins me all the way from Colorado Springs, CO.  Shawn grew up on the outskirts of Chicago in various neighboring suburbs. From a child he begins to experience pain and trauma at the hands of an abusive step father. At the age of nine he is already running away from home. He ends up in the streets hanging out with young men who come from similar home structures. He catches a criminal case as a teenager, serves some time and gets released into a halfway house in one of Chicago's most dangerous neighborhoods at that time, Pilsen. This just cements him deeper into the gang & streetlife.  
Crime, drug addiction and violence follow him no matter what state he moves to. His grandmother would tell him, "Everywhere you go, there you are." 
A change of scenery could never change his life. But there was someone who could and did. Tune in to hear what happened one day when he found himself alone and high in a abandoned building crying out to God. 

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Support the show

📖 FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: THE GOSPEL JOURNEY book

Eight lessons. One Gospel. A journey from darkness to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Available on Amazon in English & Spanish versions.

ENGLISH: https://a.co/d/091DmTxC
SPANISH: https://a.co/d/0a70Efda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lighthasdawned

U.S. Marine veteran Jimmy Sutherland Jr. shares his life story in this podcast interview. How life was growing up in East Chicago, Indiana. From wanting to get away from home as soon as he turned 18. He was physically strong and big on the outside but inside there was a lot of hurt, anger and depression that no one knew about. He tries to numb his pain with alcohol and women but that can only satisfy for so long. He thinks getting married and settling down can fix and change him but things only get worse.
One night, he clearly hears the devil tell him "to just end it, what is he waiting for. That he is a loser as a man, family man." Jimmy takes the bait and puts a loaded 45 in his mouth and pulls the trigger. Tune in to hear this man's story of hope, redemption and the freedom and joy he experienced when he allowed God to work in his life.

Instagram @jimmysuth13  
cell # (219)315-1644
https://www.reallifestoriesbooks.com

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Support the show

📖 FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: THE GOSPEL JOURNEY book

Eight lessons. One Gospel. A journey from darkness to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Available on Amazon in English & Spanish versions.

ENGLISH: https://a.co/d/091DmTxC
SPANISH: https://a.co/d/0a70Efda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lighthasdawned

In this podcast episode I sit down and talk with Damien Cash. Damien grew up on the southside of Chicago in a neighborhood called Gage Park. He gets introduced into the music, dj and party scene by his uncle who was a promoter at that time. He gets his first set of turntables and falls in love with music. In the 90's he begins to create mixtapes which he begins to sell in the streets of Chicago and also ships throughout the country. Through his music, vision and hustle he begins to rub shoulders with some of the biggest drug dealers and gang leaders of that time. He eventually gets drawn into that world and partners up with some of them to start some record labels here in the city of Chicago. But in this lifestyle everything good usually comes to an end. Tune in to hear his experiences of loss, hurts, imprisonment, deaths, betrayal but also of forgiveness. 

Instagram: @cashtalks_youlisten

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Support the show

📖 FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: THE GOSPEL JOURNEY book

Eight lessons. One Gospel. A journey from darkness to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Available on Amazon in English & Spanish versions.

ENGLISH: https://a.co/d/091DmTxC
SPANISH: https://a.co/d/0a70Efda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lighthasdawned

In this podcast episode I sit down with Pastor Joey Miranda who I hadn't seen in person in over 13 years. He was a mentor to me when I first started going to church back in 2004. He shares his story about how growing up he didn't want anything to do with God or religion based on things he experienced at home & at church. As a teenager he ends up joinin a gang. During this time his parents end up moving into a rival gangs neighborhood which brings danger upon himself & to  his family. He ends up making moves in order to protect his family which end up making enemies out of old friends. Marriage and children soon follow and these changes make him begin to question the path of life that he is on. His old gang ends up catching up to him one day and he knew his death was inevitable. Tune in to hear how God intervened and turned his entire life & purpose around.

https://linktr.ee/hammondnorthgatechurch

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Support the show

📖 FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: THE GOSPEL JOURNEY book

Eight lessons. One Gospel. A journey from darkness to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Available on Amazon in English & Spanish versions.

ENGLISH: https://a.co/d/091DmTxC
SPANISH: https://a.co/d/0a70Efda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lighthasdawned

On this episode I am proud to feature my wife, Ann Calvillo' s, very own podcast, "Her Scars Tell A Story." The mission behind her podcast is to provide a platform for ordinary women from different cultures, all ages and backgrounds to share their stories of how their scars point to Jesus. She started her podcast back in November of 2022 and this is her latest release.

In this episode she sits down with her guest Sarah Gonzalez. Sarah's father used to minister to the inmates in Cook County Jail and used to bring her along with him when she was really young. When her father grew ill and passed away suddenly, Sarah found herself angry at God and not wanting anything to do with Him. She grew distant from her mother and  would later go through her own journey back to God. She strayed far from the Lord but her mother never gave up praying for her. She is now currently serving and ministering to the prisoners in Cook County jail just like her father used to. Tune in to hear Sarah's powerful story of God's redeeming grace.

https://herscarstellastory.buzzsprout.com/
Instagram: @herscarstellastory 
Email: [email protected]
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2049893.rss

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

📖 FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: THE GOSPEL JOURNEY book

Eight lessons. One Gospel. A journey from darkness to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Available on Amazon in English & Spanish versions.

ENGLISH: https://a.co/d/091DmTxC
SPANISH: https://a.co/d/0a70Efda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lighthasdawned

This podcast episode is a tribute to our mothers. I was able to record a bunch of men, some who had been on the podcast previously and some that will be on here in the near future. They each share a brief message about what their mothers & wife's mean to them. We thank God for all you beautiful, strong, loving, nurturing, compassionate, and caring women that have helped shape us and mold us into the men we are today. You are a gift from God. We love and appreciate you dearly. Happy Mother's Day!

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

📖 FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: THE GOSPEL JOURNEY book

Eight lessons. One Gospel. A journey from darkness to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Available on Amazon in English & Spanish versions.

ENGLISH: https://a.co/d/091DmTxC
SPANISH: https://a.co/d/0a70Efda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@lighthasdawned